article

Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch which comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance. Each season one or two of the players is cast in the role of news anchor, telling jokes based on current events and acting as host(s) for occasional editorials, commentaries, or other performances by other cast members or guests. Many fans consider this the best sketch on Saturday Night Live.

History

Weekend Update was created by original anchor Chevy Chase and SNL writer Herb Sargent, and appeared on the first SNL broadcast on October 11, 1975. Chase popularized several catch phrases during the segment, such as his "I'm Chevy Chase and you're not" greeting, and his repeated announcement that "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead." In addition, the practice of a picture insert of a person simultaneously giving the news read in sign language for the hearing impaired was parodied by Garrett Morris. Chase would sometimes repeat the top story at the end of the segment, while Morris simply cupped his mouth and shouted the headline more loudly.

Jane Curtin replaced Chase when he left in 1976 and remained as anchor until 1980, first alone, and then paired with a co-anchor: Dan Aykroyd (until 1978) and Bill Murray (1978-1980). A frequent feature of Update during this time was Point-Counterpoint, in which Curtin and Aykroyd made vicious and humorously inappropriate ad hominem attacks on each other's positions on a variety of topics, in a parody of the 60 Minutes segment of the same name which pitted conservative James J. Kilpatrick and liberal Shana Alexander during the 1970s. Aykroyd regularly began his reply with "Jane, you ignorant slut," which became another of the many SNL catch phrases. Other popular running features were John Belushi giving editorials which become increasingly hysterical until he is raving at the end; Gilda Radner's characters Roseanne Roseannadanna giving obnoxiously irrelevent editorials and Emily Litella launching a tirade on a subject she misheard yet again. (See Saturday Night Live characters appearing on Weekend Update)

Much like the rest of SNL, the segment floundered some after the departure of the original cast and producer Lorne Michaels in 1980, though it was arguably the "high point" of the show in an otherwise dismal season. Charles Rocket (later teamed with Gail Matthius) anchored during the ill-fated one-season tenure of new executive producer Jean Doumanian. After Rocket was fired from the show in 1981, he appeared one final time for the 03/07/81 broadcast. Chevy Chase had a special guest cameo for one show on 04/11/1981, the final show of the sixth season.

Dick Ebersol, executive producer of SNL from 1981 to 1985, didn't make the renamed SNL Newsbreak segment a high priority. The anchor position changed hands frequently, especially during the 1981 season which saw anchor Brian Doyle-Murray teamed first with Mary Gross, then going solo for three months, then back with Mary Gross for one more month before finally being teamed with Christine Ebersole for the remainder of the season. However, both Murray and Ebersole were gone by the next year.

Brad Hall took over the desk of Saturday Night News (as it came to be known) for the 1982 and most of the 1983 season. Though he could master the straightforward delivery style of actual news anchors, he was at best mildly received by the audience. Ebersol quietly toyed with the idea of replacing Hall, at one point even offering the job to Hall's fellow cast member and friend Tim Kazurinsky, who turned down the position, seeing the offer as somewhat underhanded. Regardless, Ebersol sacked Hall of his position at the desk midway through the 1983 season and throughout most of 1984, there was no regular anchor at all, and both cast members and SNL guest hosts took turns at the chair. In December 1984, Christopher Guest resumed duty as permanent anchor, although his tenure was short-lived, as Guest (as well as the rest of the cast) was off the show by next season. In 1985, Michaels returned to the show, bringing back the Weekend Update name with him. The new anchor was the acerbic Dennis Miller, who made the segment his own and remained in the chair for six years. The opening was a parody of the NBC News openings of the mid-1980s, using different songs to open the sequence. Miller's six year tenure as anchor was the longest in SNL's history until Tina Fey tied and later surpassed his record during the 2005-2006 season.

Miller left in 1991; his long success with the segment (whose formula has continued to be a staple of his own series' since leaving SNL) made naming a replacement a challenge. Kevin Nealon took over with his low-key style and delivery reminiscent of former anchor Brad Hall. Nealon had garnered a favorable audience, with his "Mr. Subliminal" character and as the straightman in many highlights such as "Operaman" and "Cajun Man". Nealon had a three-year stint at the Update desk before requesting his departure, as he felt his time behind the desk was drawing away from other acting opportunities on the show. Nealon returned for his final season in 1994, making him the only solo anchor to return the following season after having been relieved of his Update duties (albeit voluntarily). Nealon's successor was Norm MacDonald, who began the segment with "I'm Norm MacDonald, and here's the fake news." Chevy Chase once deemed MacDonald the only anchor since Chase himself to have "done it right". MacDonald's sometimes controversial comedic style differed greatly from other anchors before and since. He relied heavily on running gags (such as repeated references to David Hasselhoff), stereotypes, and general outrageousness, including audacious attacks on public figures such as O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson. His deadpan delivery inspired devoted fans as well as ardent opponents. Much like the 1980 season many years earlier, Weekend Update during MacDonald's first year at the desk was considered a "high-point" in a season when ratings, substance and laughter were lacking. However, by 1997 his style had apparently grown stale, at least to those gathered in the studio. On some nights he would preside over entire Update sketches receiving nothing more than a few minor chuckles from the studio audience. His stint as Weekend Update anchor ended in controversy in 1997, when he was sacked upon the insistence of NBC West Coast Executive Don Ohlmeyer, who, ironically, had earlier pushed Lorne to put MacDonald behind the Update desk in 1994. Ohlmeyer, a friend of Simpson's, was reportedly upset by MacDonald's frequent jokes at the expense of the former football player.

MacDonald was replaced by Colin Quinn, who started on the first episode of 1998 and served through the 1999-2000 season. Among other major media circuses of the late 90s, Quinn presided over much of the highly publicized Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal and the Microsoft Anti-Trust Trial. However, his typecast as a boorish New Yorker, as well as his consistent stuttering and fumbling of words, made him somewhat unpopular with the audience. Quinn left the show in 2000.

Over the summer of 2000, cast members auditioned to be replacements. Among the candidates were two duos: Ana Gasteyer and Chris Parnell; and Jimmy Fallon and writer Tina Fey. The latter group got the nod, and they made their first on-air appearance that October. The Fallon-Fey team caught on with viewers quickly. However, many critics panned the writing citing that much of the segment was beginning to take after The Daily Show; relying heavily on political humor and video footage, particularly during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. After a popular four-year run, Fallon left to pursue a film career in 2004, and was replaced by Fey's longtime friend and fellow cast member Amy Poehler as co-anchor, giving the sketch its first two-woman anchor team.

The 2005 season began with Poehler returning behind the desk, however Fey temporarily left the show after giving birth to her first child, and was replaced briefly by Horatio Sanz as co-anchor. Fey returned to the show in October for the season's third live episode. The 2005-06 season finale's Weekend Update ended with an apparent sendoff for Fey, who is writing and starring in a prime time sitcom, 30 Rock, that will premiere on NBC in September 2006.

Weekend Update anchors

A total of 30 people have anchored the Weekend Update desk...some more memorable than others. Below is a complete list of any and all who have served as an anchor at one time, or another, and the season(s) which they served. Note that throughout most of 1984 different cast members, special guests, or the weekly host handled the task. Those individuals - denoted in italics - are also listed below:

Season 1 (1975-76):

Season 2 (1976-77):

  • Weekend Update with Chevy Chase (Last: 30 OCT 1976)
  • Weekend Update with Jane Curtin (First: 25 SEP 1976)

Chase began the season as anchor on Sept 18, but missed the next two episodes due to an injury sustained while performing a sketch in the season's first episode. He was replaced by Curtin during his absence. Chase returned to the show (and to the Weekend Update desk) Oct 16-30. Jane Curtin permanently took over Weekend Update beginning November 13.

Season 3 (1977-78):'''

Seasons 4 & 5 (1978-80):

Season 6 (1980-81):

  • Weekend Update with Charles Rocket
  • Weekend Update with Charles Rocket and Gail Matthius (10 JAN 1981 - 21 FEB 1981)
  • SNL NewsLine with Charles Rocket (07 MAR 1981)
  • Weekend Update with Chevy Chase (11 APR 1981)

Season 7 (1981-82):

  • SNL NewsBreak with Brian Doyle-Murray and Mary Gross (03 OCT 1981 - 17 OCT 1981)
  • SNL NewsBreak with Brian Doyle-Murray (31 OCT 1981 - 06 FEB 1982)
  • SNL NewsBreak with Brian Doyle-Murray and Mary Gross (20 FEB 1982 - 20 MAR 1982)
  • SNL NewsBreak with Brian Doyle-Murray and Christine Ebersole (27 MAR 1982 - 22 MAY 1982)

Season 8 (1982-83):

Season 9 (1983-84): (Cast member unless otherwise noted)

  • Saturday Night News with Brad Hall (Last: 21 JAN 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Don Rickles (28 JAN 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Robin Williams (11 FEB 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with Joe Piscopo (18 FEB 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with special guest Edwin Newman (25 FEB 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Billy Crystal (as Fernando Lamas) (17 MAR 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Michael Douglas (07 APR 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host George McGovern (14 APR 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Billy Crystal (as Fernando Lamas) (05 MAY 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with special guest Edwin Newman (12 MAY 1984)

Season 10 (1984-85): (Cast member unless otherwise noted)

  • Saturday Night News with Billy Crystal (as Fernando Lamas) (06 OCT 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Bob Uecker (13 OCT 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Jesse Jackson (20 OCT 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with special guest Edwin Newman (03 NOV 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host George Carlin (10 NOV 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with host Ed Asner (17 NOV 1984)
  • Saturday Night News with Christopher Guest (01 DEC 1984 - 13 APR 1985)

Seasons 11 - 16 (1985-91):

Seasons 17 - 19 (1991-94):

Seasons 20 - 22 (1994-97):

Season 23 (1997-98):

  • Weekend Update with Norm Macdonald (Last: 13 DEC 1997)
  • Weekend Update with Colin Quinn (First: 10 JAN 1998)

Seasons 24 & 25 (1998-2000):

  • Weekend Update with Colin Quinn

Seasons 26 - 29 (2000-04):

Season 30 (2004-05):

Season 31 (2005-06)

  • Weekend Update with Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz (Last: 08 OCT 2005)
  • Weekend Update with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (First: 22 OCT 2005)

Season 32 (2006-07)

Weekend Update anchors: the tote board

As of May 20, 2006

Name Appearances as WU anchor Total number of appearances
As anchor As co-anchor
Tina Fey - 117 117
Dennis Miller 110 1 111
Jane Curtin 20 60 80
Jimmy Fallon - 80 80
Norm Macdonald 69 - 69
Kevin Nealon 61 - 61
Colin Quinn 49 - 49
Bill Murray - 40 40
Amy Poehler - 39 39
Chevy Chase 29 2 31
Brad Hall 30 - 30
Brian Doyle-Murray 8 12 20
Dan Aykroyd - 20 20
Charles Rocket 6 6 12
Christopher Guest 11 - 11
Christine Ebersole - 6 6
Mary Gross - 6 6
Gail Matthius - 6 6
Edwin Newman 3 - 3
Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas 3 - 3
Horatio Sanz - 2 2
Ed Asner 1 - 1
George Carlin 1 - 1
Michael Douglas 1 - 1
Jesse Jackson 1 - 1
George McGovern 1 - 1
Joe Piscopo 1 - 1
Don Rickles 1 - 1
Bob Uecker 1 - 1
Robin Williams 1 - 1

External links

Parodies | Saturday Night Live sketches

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Weekend Update".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world