Weekend Update

Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that 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. One or two of the players are cast in the role of news anchor, presenting gag news items based on current events and acting as hosts for occasional editorials, commentaries, or other performances by other cast members or guests. Chevy Chase has credited Weekend Update, which he started as anchor in 1975, for paving the way for comedic news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Weekend Update (1975–1980)

Chevy Chase (1975–1976)

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 catchphrases 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". When Weekend Update began, Chase was consistently on the phone presumably talking to his lover, and would talk until realizing he was "on air." Chase would always end Weekend Update with "That's the news. Goodnight, and have a pleasant tomorrow."

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live (abbreviated as SNL) is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest (who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast) and features performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.

In 1980, Michaels left the series to explore other opportunities. He was replaced by Jean Doumanian, who was replaced by Ebersol after a season of bad reviews. Ebersol ran the show until 1985, when Michaels returned; Michaels has remained since then. Many of SNL's cast found national stardom while appearing on the show, and achieved success in film and television, both in front of and behind the camera. Others associated with the show, such as writers, have gone on to successful careers creating, writing, or starring in TV and film.

Colin Jost

Colin Kelly Jost (born June 29, 1982) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and writer for the TV program Saturday Night Live. On March 1, 2014, he joined the show's cast as a featured player and succeeded Seth Meyers as the co-anchor of Weekend Update. As of October 17, 2015, Colin Jost has stepped away from his duties as the NBC sketch show's head writer.

Early life

Colin Jost was born and raised on Staten Island in New York. He has one brother, Casey Jost. His mother, Kerry J. Kelly, is the chief medical officer for the New York City Fire Department and a physician on Staten Island, and his father, Daniel A. Jost, is a former teacher at Staten Island Technical High School. Jost was raised Catholic. He attended Regis High School in Manhattan and Harvard University, where he was president of the Harvard Lampoon.

Career

Shortly after graduating from Harvard, Jost was hired as a writer at Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 2005 at 22 years old and later became SNL's writing supervisor from 2009-2012, before becoming co-head writer from 2012 to 2015. He often collaborates with fellow SNL co-head writer Rob Klein. During the summer hiatus following the 2012-2013 season, he was asked by producer Lorne Michaels if he could do the "Weekend Update" feature, as co-anchor Seth Meyers would soon be leaving to host Late Night with Seth Meyers. Jost accepted and replaced Meyers with the March 1, 2014 episode. Jost names Norm Macdonald as a primary influence for his "Update" anchor work, as Mcdonald's tone was the one Jost grew up with in high school. He also names Tina Fey as an influence.

Michael Che

Michael Che (born Michael Che Campbell; May 19, 1983) is an American comedian, writer, and actor. He was briefly a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and has previously worked as a writer for Saturday Night Live. At the end of September 2014, he became a Weekend Update co-anchor for the 40th season of Saturday Night Live, alongside Colin Jost and replacing Cecily Strong. Che is also the first black co-anchor in the history of Weekend Update.

Early life

Che was born in Manhattan, the son of Rose and Nathaniel Campbell, and was named after Che Guevara by his father, a history buff. He is the youngest of seven children, and was raised in NY's Lower East Side, graduating from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

Career

Che started doing stand-up comedy in 2009. He would regularly work several sets per night. In 2012, Che appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.

He is a winner of New York's Funniest Stand-Up Competition. In 2013, Variety called Che one of "10 Comics to Watch", while Rolling Stone named him one of "The 50 Funniest People."

Workweek and weekend

The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest, respectively. The legal working week (British English), or workweek (U.S. English), is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labour. In most of the Western world it is Monday to Friday; the weekend is a time period including Saturday and Sunday. A weekday is any day of the working week. As well as places of work, other institutions often follow the same days, such as places of education.

Some people extend the weekend to Friday nights as well. In some Christian traditions, Sunday is the "Lord's Day" and the day of rest and worship. Jewish Shabbat or Biblical Sabbath lasts from sunset on Friday to the fall of full darkness on Saturday, leading to a Friday–Saturday weekend in Israel. Some Muslim-majority countries historically had a Thursday–Friday or Friday–Saturday weekend; however, recently many such countries have shifted from Thursday–Friday to Friday–Saturday, or to Saturday–Sunday. The French Revolutionary Calendar had ten-day weeks (called décades) and allowed décadi, one out of the ten days, as a leisure day.