Saturday Night Live‘s popular “Weekend Update” segment is getting its own primetime slot beginning on August 10, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT. Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update received a four episode order from NBC and will star Colin Jost and Michael Che as anchors. NBC also confirmed additional SNL stars will show up in the half-hour program.
“SNL is having its best season in a quarter of a century — how many shows can say that?! — so we didn’t want them to take the summer off,” stated Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to have Colin Jost and Michael Che continuing their unique brand of news with fresh ‘Weekend Update’ shows in primetime this August.”
According to NBC, the “Weekend Update” bit has remained one of Saturday Night Live‘s most popular segments over the course of the show’s 42 seasons. Che and Jost currently occupy the “Weekend Update” desk, following in the footsteps of former hosts Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Dennis Miller, Norm Macdonald, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Seth Meyers.
Thanks in large part to the weekly skewering of President Trump, SNL‘s ratings are way up. The current season is the most watched in 24 years and has been averaging 11+ million viewers each new episode. SNL‘s ratings have increased 21% over last year among adults 18-49, and up 26% in total viewers when comparing season 42 to season 41.
