Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

Genre	Comedy Satire News Parody
Created by	Lorne Michaels^[1]
Written by	Seth Meyers (head writer)^[1]
Directed by	Don Roy King^[1]
Presented by	Seth Meyers Amy Poehler
Starring	Fred Armisen Vanessa Bayer (season 3) Aidy Bryant (season 3) Abby Elliott (season 2) Will Forte (season 1–2) Bill Hader Darrell Hammond (season 1–2) Taran Killam (season 3) Kate McKinnon (season 3) Bobby Moynihan Nasim Pedrad (season 2–3) Jay Pharoah (season 3) Tim Robinson(season 3) Andy Samberg(season 1–2) Cecily Strong(season 3) Jason Sudeikis Kenan Thompson Kristen Wiig (season 1–2) Casey Wilson (season 1)
Narrated by	Don Pardo
Theme music composer	Jeff Richmond
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producer(s)	Lorne Michaels^[1]
Producer(s)	Steve Higgins Marci Klein Ken Aymong (supervising)^[1]
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	October 9, 2008 (2008-10-09) – present
Chronology
Related shows	Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday is an American limited-run series broadcast on NBC. It is a political satire news show spin-off from Saturday Night Live, featuring that show's Weekend Update segment. It initially ran for three 30-minute episodes in October 2008, during the lead-up to the 2008 United States presidential election.

2008 presidential run

It premiered on Thursday, October 9, 2008, at 9:30 p.m. ET, after The Office. The remaining episodes aired in the same timeslot on October 16 and 23.^[2]

The format consists of a topical cold open sketch similar to most episodes of SNL, followed by an extended Weekend Update for the remaining time. The series is essentially a continuation of the short-form "primetime extra" specials which have aired intermittently since the 2000–2001 season, when NBC needed to fill time following "supersized" 40-minute episodes of Friends.

Several former Saturday Night Live alumni returned to this show: Will Ferrell reprised his role as President George W. Bush, while Tina Fey appeared as Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, in a continuation of her much-publicized appearances on the regular show. During the first show, Bill Murray appeared as himself, one of the undecided voters at the second presidential debate sketch. Chris Parnell appeared in the first two episodes as the moderators of the debates, Tom Brokaw and Bob Schieffer.

Fall 2009 return

Although originally intended to be a limited run series, NBC announced on May 4, 2009 that they ordered six new episodes of the show, thus, as it turned out, being the only show NBC introduced at the beginning of the 2008–2009 fall season to survive into a second term.

Darrell Hammond made guest appearances in the first three episodes, despite no longer being an SNL cast member. Former cast member Amy Poehler also returned as a special guest to co-anchor the first two episodes of the season. Although six were announced, the spring 2010 episodes were scrapped.

Fall 2012

NBC announced two SNL specials to be broadcast on 8pm Thursday beginning September 20, 2012. This time around, the show was listed as SNL Primetime Election Special in some TV listings, but the actual on-air program retained its original title.

Episodes

Season 1: 2008

Episode Number	Date	Special guests	Summary
1	October 9, 2008	Bill Murray Chris Parnell	Cold opening sketch features Darrell Hammond as Sen. John McCain and Fred Armisen as Sen. Barack Obama in the middle of the 2nd Presidential Debate. Chris Parnell guest appears to reprise his Tom Brokaw impression and moderated the debate. Bill Murray also appears as townsperson "William Murray" asking a question.
2	October 16, 2008	Chris Parnell	Cold opening sketch focuses the 3rd Presidential debate between McCain and Obama. Chris Parnell guest appears as Bob Schieffer and moderated the debate. A new segment named "We Liked It" debuts during Weekend Update.
3	October 23, 2008	Will Ferrell Tina Fey	The opening skit features President Bush's (Will Ferrell) endorsement of a proud Sarah Palin (Tina Fey) and rather reluctant John McCain (Darrell Hammond).

Season 2: 2009

Despite Lorne Michaels saying that three episodes would be airing in Fall 2009, then another three in early 2010, and three in Spring 2010,^[3] there were only three Weekend Update Thursday installments that occurred in Fall 2009.

Episode Number	Date	Special guests	Summary
1	September 17, 2009	Amy Poehler, Darrell Hammond	Amy Poehler returned as a special guest to co-anchor Update alongside Seth Meyers. Darrell Hammond appears as Jimmy Carter.
2	September 24, 2009	Amy Poehler, Megan Fox, Darrell Hammond	Amy Poehler once again returns as a special guest to co-anchor Update alongside Seth Meyers. Darrell Hammond appears as Bill Clinton. Megan Fox appears to parody the finale of the soap opera Guiding Light.
3	October 1, 2009	Darrell Hammond, Maya Rudolph	Only Weekend Update Thursday not to have a cold open. Darrell Hammond appeared as Dennis Franz. Maya Rudolph appeared as Oprah Winfrey.

Season 3: 2012

Episode Number	Date	Special guests	Summary
1	September 20, 2012^[4]	*There were no special guests.	*This is the first episode since 2009 and also the first without Darrell Hammond.
2	September 27, 2012^[4]	There were no special guests	Jason Sudeikis does not appear in this episode.

Nielsen ratings

#	Air Date	18-49	Viewers (in millions)
Season One
1	October 9, 2008	5.1/12^[5]	10.9^[5]
2	October 16, 2008	4.2/10^[6]	8.8^[6]
3	October 23, 2008	4.0/9^[7]	8.8^[7]
Season Two
4	September 17, 2009	2.0	5.7
5	September 24, 2009	1.8/5	4.66
6	October 1, 2009	1.8/5	5.08
Season Three
7	September 20, 2012	1.6/5	5.15
8	September 27, 2012	1.5/6	4.67

References

1 2 3 4 5 Emmy Nominee Amy Poehler to Guest-star in First Two Episodes of NBC'S New 'Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday' on September 17 and 24 a July 30, 2009 press release from the NBC Universal website
↑ "'Heroes' Back in a Big Way This Fall". 2008-05-23. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
↑ "Tom Shales on Season Debut of 'Saturday Night Live's' 'Weekend Update Thursday'". The Washington Post. September 18, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
1 2 Hollywood Reporter - SNL Weekend Update Thursday returning in September 2012.
1 2 "SNL Weekend Update Thursday, The Office and Sunday Night Football Pace NBC's Week Of October 6–12" (Press release). NBC Universal Media Village. 2008-10-14. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
1 2 "NBC Primetime Results For The Week Of October 13–19" (Press release). NBC Universal Media Village. 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
1 2 "NBC Primetime Results For The Week Of 20–26" (Press release). NBC Universal Media Village. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2009-02-25.

External links

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Films based
on sketches

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979)
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Wayne's World (1992)
Wayne's World 2 (1993)
Coneheads (1993)
It's Pat (1994)
Stuart Saves His Family (1995)
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
Superstar (1999)
The Ladies Man (2000)
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Harold (2008)
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Works by Lorne Michaels

Film producer	Gilda Live Nothing Lasts Forever ¡Three Amigos! Wayne's World Coneheads Wayne's World 2 Lassie Tommy Boy Stuart Saves His Family Black Sheep Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy A Night at the Roxbury Superstar The Ladies Man Enigma Mean Girls Hot Rod Baby Mama MacGruber The Guilt Trip Masterminds

Film writer	Gilda Live ¡Three Amigos!

Television executive producer	Saturday Night Live All You Need Is Cash Sunday Night 40th Primetime Emmy Awards The Kids in the Hall Lookwell Frosty Returns The Vacant Lot Late Night with Conan O'Brien The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch The Colin Quinn Show The Tracy Morgan Show Sons and Daughters 30 Rock To Love and Die Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Portlandia Up All Night The Awesomes The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Late Night with Seth Meyers Mulaney Man Seeking Woman Adele Live in New York City Maya & Marty

Television writer	The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Barris and Company The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour Lily Saturday Night Live The New Show Late Night with Conan O'Brien The Colin Quinn Show Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

Television producer	Lily The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour The New Show

Television creator	Saturday Night Live

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