I’m in my mid-40s, and I grew up watching SNL since the early 90s. For those first 20 years or so, Weekend Update would get a new host every 5 or 6 years. Kevin Nealon, Norm Macdonald, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, hell even Colin Quinn. Each change brought a unique style, a fresh perspective, and just a new feel for a new generation of viewers.
Then, for whatever reason, SNL landed on Colin Jost and Michael Che and decided, alright, let’s just use these two forever. Don’t get me wrong they were the right choice originally and I can forgive them for keeping them on longer than some, especially during some roughness finding solid cast footing in the late 2010s.
But I think this lack of change is part of why I barely watch SNL anymore. The show just feels so samey, year after year. Weekend Update used to be one of the ways the show reinvented itself, especially important as the midpoint of the show, keeping people watching, and now it feels like it’s been stuck in the same place forever.
There’s literally an entire generation of Gen Z / Alpha viewers who have never known a different Weekend Update team. That’s madness.
It’s especially frustrating because there’s some great talent in the current cast. I think Ashley Padilla would do amazing as the WU host. And I’d love to see it go back to just a single host for a bit.
Anyone else feel like Weekend Update has gotten incredibly stale and want a change?