Bill Murray ranks Weekend Update anchors on SNL…
Next within the information — it’s a very Murray “Weekend Update”!
Former “Saturday Night Live” solid member and comedian icon Bill Murray returned to Studio 8H on Sunday to headline the star-studded “Weekend Update” sketch for the show’s fiftieth anniversary particular.
The “Groundhog Day” actor, who starred on “SNL” from 1977 to 1980, capped off appearances by Seth Meyers, Cecily Strong, Fred Armisen, Vanessa Bayer and Bobby Moynihan and used his time to rank the highest “Weekend Update” hosts of all time.
Murray started by rating the best Black “Update” anchors, which … was a very short listing. “This is by default Michael Che,” Murray deadpanned (Che is the one Black anchor within the historical past of “Weekend Update”).
Bill Murray on “SNL50.” NBC
Murray ranked his high “Weekend Update” anchors. NBC
“Now let’s move on to the regular ‘Weekend Update’ anchors,” the “Ghostbusters” star continued as Che laughed and requested, “Regular?”
The listing was “in no particular order,” Murray mentioned. “So I’ve listed them from worst to best.”
In typical Murray fashion, he then quipped, “I have to disqualify myself because I was on performance enhancing drugs.”
“It’s what we called an ‘8H Shaker,’” he added. “Quaaludes, cocaine, and Nighttime TheraFlu.”
Murray teased present “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost all through the section, making him assume he can be ranked No. 1. NBC
Colin Quinn took the No. 10 slot, with Kevin Nealon coming in at quantity 9 adopted by Dennis Miller at 8 and Seth Meyers at 7.
“I’m gonna put Tina [Fey] and Amy [Poehler] just ahead of Tina and Jimmy [Fallon],” Murray added. “Jimmy, I’m sorry, and congratulations Tina. It was close but I looked online and girl on girl is still very popular.”
Despite his notorious feud with “Weekend Update” creator Chevy Chase, Murray didn’t snub him from the listing.
“Next up, Cornelius Crane Chase, who we’ve all come to know as Conny,” Murray started. “Let’s face it. ‘Weekend Update’ would simply not exist without him, so it would be wrong to have him listed anywhere but … No. 4.”
Michael Che paid tribute to Norm Macdonald. NBC
Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd nabbed the No. 3 slot, whereas the late Norm Macdonald was No. 2.
After teasing present “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost all through the section, Murray mentioned the best anchor is “funny, he’s got a great smile, and he’s currently sleeping every kind of way with the lovely actress Scarlett Johansson — my brother, Brian Doyle-Murray!”
Jost kicked off the anniversary “Update,” joking, “It is an honor and a thrill to be hosting ‘Weekend Update’ for the 50th, and, if it were up to our president, final season of ‘SNL.’”
“There are so many famous hosts and musical guests here tonight that some huge names have to watch from studio 8G next door, as well as from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn,” he continued whereas a photograph of Sean “Diddy” Combs was proven.
Seth Meyers, Vanessa Bayer and Fred Armisen on “SNL50.” NBC
Chen then took time to pay tribute to Macdonald, who died in 2021 after a nine-year battle with most cancers. He was 61.
The comic was fired from “SNL” after 4 years within the “Weekend Update” chair following a conflict with the show’s producers over his O.J. Simpson jokes, which Che talked about.
“He’s obviously one of my heroes,” he mentioned. “So if you’re watching up there, I just want to say: we love you, O.J.”
Che additionally made a joke about “SNL” crew members whereas thanking them for all their laborious work.
“I’d like to congratulate them all on their Jan. 6 pardons,” he mentioned.
Bobby Moynihan, Cecily Strong, Colin Jost, Vanessa Bayer and Michael Che on “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.” NBC
Strong returned as “Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party.”
“Is it nice to be on the verge of apocalypse?” a pregnant Strong requested indignantly. “It’s a constipational crisis? Literally for me … I was like do I even want to bring a baby in this world, or should I keep her in here for another 3½ years?”
After Che replied that he didn’t assume that was potential, Strong responded, “I guess you know more than my Oh b g n y.”
When Meyers took the “Update” chair, the late-night host introduced out Bayer and Armisen, who performed “SNL” creator Lorne Michael’s childhood best pals.
Bobby Moynihan as Drunk Uncle on “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.” NBC
NBC
“I will say sometimes he can be a little rude,” Armisen mentioned, earlier than Bayer quipped that after they went to help Michaels transfer lately, “Nothing was packed.”
Moynihan additionally reprised his function as Drunk Uncle.
“Oh great, we’re in a brave new world!” he opined. “Not my Captain America!” he added, referring to the new “Captain America” film starring Anthony Mackie.
“Weekend Update” appeared on the primary “SNL” broadcast on October 11, 1975.
Chevy Chase during “Weekend Update.” NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
The section was created to be an replace to NBC News’ month-to-month information magazine “Weekend.” Chase introduced his sarcasm and deadpan humor to the section, together with his “I’m Chevy Chase… and you’re not” greeting.
Chase mirrored on the creation of “Weekend Update” in a 2013 interview.
“There was a little room nearby with a long desk, which could act as a stage,” he instructed The New York Times of the early days. “[Lorne Michaels] asked everybody to sit behind it and just do something. And then at the end he said, ‘Chevy, get up there and do something.’”
Brian Doyle-Murray during Weekend Update on February 6, 1982. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
Mary Gross during Weekend Update on February 6, 1982. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 18 — Pictured: Norm MacDonald during the ‘Weekend Update’ skit on April 15, 1995. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
“I was very involved in political satire, and I’d been writing parody for ‘Mad’ and ‘National Lampoon,’ so I made up some strange story about Gerald Ford,” which additionally spurred his catchphrase, “Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.”
Chase would finish the replace with the signature line: “That’s the news…good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.”
In 1976, Curtin changed Chase and completed Season 2 solo. However, the comic was finally paired with co-anchor Aykroyd from 1977 to 1978.
Dan Aykroyd during “Weekend Update.” NBCUniversal through Getty Images
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 22 — Air Date 05/29/1976 — Pictured: (l-r) Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner as Emily Litella during “Weekend Update” on May 29, 1976. NBCUniversal through Getty Images
Kevin Nealon during the ‘Weekend Update’ skit on October 11, 1986. NBCUniversal through Getty Images
In 1978, Curtin was joined by Murray earlier than the duo left the show in 1980. Curtin exited “SNL” after 5 seasons. Murray was there for 3. (Chase, Garrett Morris, Curtin and Laraine Newman, 4 of the surviving unique solid members, returned for the fiftieth anniversary particular on Sunday night time.)
The late Charles Rocket was subsequent up to take the anchor chair during what turned often called a transitional time at “Saturday Night Live.”
Many of the unique solid members and the show’s creator, Michaels left after Season 5, so when Rocket took over, the community was nonetheless attempting to determine a new format.
The section was briefly modified to “SNL Newsbreak” and “Saturday Night News,” and lots of solid members rotated on the desk.
Bill Murray as anchor during ‘Weekend Update’ on January 27, 1979. NBCUniversal through Getty Images
Joe Piscopo during the ‘Weekend Update’ on December 13, 1980. NBCUniversal through Getty Images
By 1985, Michaels had returned as government producer of the show and, with it, the “Weekend Update” with Dennis Miller on the helm.
Miller served because the “Weekend Update” anchor till 1991 — changing into the longest solid member to carry the place till Seth Meyers.
Kevin Nealon who was featured on the show for 9 seasons, served as a “Weekend Update” anchor for 3 seasons from 1991 to 1995 regardless of being on the show from 1986 to 1995.
Reflecting on his time at “SNL,” he instructed Entertainment Tonight, “I did not know how to write sketches. I was just the stand-up guy. I cracked the jokes and I didn’t know how to do characters so to get on that show – I still can’t believe it.”
Jane Curtin, Bill Murray during “Weekend Update” on May 24, 1980. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 1 — Pictured: Dennis Miller, Chris Rock during “Weekend Update” on September 29, 1990. NBCUniversal through Getty Images
His first “Weekend Update” sketch was with Miller as “Mr. Subliminal.”
“I’m really nervous, about to go on, were in the commercial, coming back in 10 seconds,” Nealon recalled, “and Lorne Michaels puts his hand on my shoulder and he goes, ‘Are you sure this is what you want?’ I said get out of my way!”
Jimmy Fallon during “Weekend Update” on December 16, 2000. NBCUniversal through Getty Images
Cecily Strong, Seth Meyers. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
Following in Nealon’s footsteps was MacDonald, who took over for its milestone twentieth season in 1994 till Season 23 in 1997 earlier than getting fired.
Quinn stepped in for a two-year stint from 1998 to 2000.
In 2020, Fey turned the primary feminine head author of the show and a fan-favorite “Weekend Update” anchor. She co-anchored segments with Fallon from 2000 to 2004.
In January, Fey talked about being a beginner and how the show is pushed by competitors.
“Even though everyone at ‘SNL’ is working together to make one thing, no thought. It is built on competition. It is built for like, ‘See you at the table,’” she mentioned in Peacock’s four-episode docuseries “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night.”
“I have to say as head writer, I came in from Chicago and I was ready to fight whoever but the rewrite tables were tough. They were grouchy,” she recalled.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 13 — Aired 02/19/2005 — Pictured: (l-r) Tina Fey, Amy Poehler during “Weekend Update” NBCUniversal through Getty Images
However, everybody’s favourite comedy duo got here in 2004 when Poehler turned Fey’s co-anchor after Fallon left. The first two girls co-anchors labored collectively for 2 years earlier than the “Mean Girls” alum additionally left to steer “30 Rock.”
Meyers took his seat on the desk alongside Poehler in 2006 and have become a solo anchor in 2008 when she exited to develop into Leslie Knope on “Parks and Recreation.”
Next up was Strong, who joined the comic on the “Weekend Update” desk in 2013 for Season 39. She went on to have an 11-year stint on the show.
In 2014, Meyers left to start out his own late-night speak show. This previous October, the host admitted he was glad he didn’t burn any bridges during his time at “SNL.”
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 1741 “Bill Hader” — Pictured: (l-r) Bill Hader as Stefon, Colin Jost, Michael Che during “Weekend Update” in Studio 8H on Saturday, March 17, 2018. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
“I feel like I was far more temperamental when I was younger and things ran very hot at ‘SNL,’” mentioned Meyers on NPR’s “Wild Card” podcast. “And there were definitely times where my instincts were to say something that would have been relationship-ending to people.”
Strong was then joined by Jost – however Che took over the anchor desk with Jost in 2014, the place they’ve been ever since. The pair pushes the envelope with banter and their yearly joke swap.
In December, Jost made waves by cracking a joke about his spouse Johansson’s personal elements.
“I’m in trouble I think with a lot of people,” he mentioned whereas on “The Tonight Show” in January. “Scarlett was genuinely so shocked.”
“I was obviously surprised by everything,” he continued, “but they gave her a heads up and they were like ‘Hey would you be okay if Michael made kind of a little vagina joke at some point?’ and she’s like, ‘Sure, whatever I’m open to it.’”
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