SNL Reportedly Considering Primetime ‘Weekend Update’ Spinoff
It made sense of SNL stars Colin Jost and Michael Che to take Weekend Update out on the road for the election conventions, but now that we have a longer investment in political commentary, is it time to spin off the bit altogether? That’s the word on the street, as NBC is reportedly considering a primetime Weekend Update.
Politico reports that NBC has begun talks to air a half-hour primetime version of Weekend Update, potentially airing on Thursdays this fall. NBC declined to comment, and it isn’t explicitly clear if Che and Jost would headline the new series (or if SNL proper would still air a smaller version on Saturdays).
Then again, SNL and its current influence on the political landscape have Season 42 ratings up over 20%, which might have the iron hot enough to strike. It wouldn’t be the first time Weekend Update has left SNL even, as prior to Jost and Che’s bits at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, 2008 saw the launch of Seth Meyers’ Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, which also ran episodes in 2009 and 2012.
There’s no guarantee SNL would spin off Weekend Update for good, but might Jost and Che be better served with a half-hour to themselves? Stay tuned for Alec Baldwin this weekend, and more on a possible SNL spinoff.
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