Weekend Update is the longest-running segment in Saturday Night Live history. Each week, the anchors regale the audience with news stories and put a clever spin on them. Some of the show's most memorable characters have appeared on the segment and it's the host's job to prop the whole thing up.
SNL usually puts their best behind the Weekend Update desk and the show's most memorable alums have gotten the hosting job. Though there have been many hosts, some are better than others and have gone down in history as some of the greatest to ever do it.
Kevin Nealon (1991 - 1994)
Kevin Nealon's time on SNL was often overshadowed by the larger-than-life personalities that he shared the screen with. Despite this, Nealon often showed that he was one of the best straight men in the show's history. Nealon delivered the news stories with his patented dry wit and he was the perfect comedic foil to the characters that often interrupted his segment.
By not constantly demanding attention, Nealon allowed the other characters to shine and fulfilled his job exquisitely. Often, the best Weekend Update hosts don't make themselves as noticeable as other characters.
Dennis Miller (1985 - 1991)
Dennis Miller is often overlooked as an SNL alum, but the Weekend Update spot was a perfect fit for him. Miller brought a certain cynical wit to the position that viewers had never seen before. While the hosts usually remained neutral towards the news, Miller put his own political spin on it to hilarious results.
Miller was able to stay in the spot for longer than most and he helped to change the way that the segment was conceived. Miller helped to elevate it beyond a simple parody of news programs and into something greater.
Jimmy Fallon (2000 - 2004)
Jimmy Fallon may be recognizable now as a late-night talk show host, but it was his time on Weekend Update that proved he had the charisma to do it. Fallon came with his own comedic style, often cracking up, and that energy blended well with Weekend Update.
Fallon and his partner, Tina Fey, were together for four years and helped to return the show to the two anchor format. While the Weekend Update segment got more political during the '90s, Fallon and Fey helped to bring back a more fun atmosphere.
Dan Aykroyd (1977 - 1978)
Though he was only co-anchor for one year, Aykroyd brought his unique style and energy to the position. Jane Curtin had established herself as the host of the segment and would cycle through several co-anchors over her tenure. Aykroyd brought the most to his time and was genuinely hilarious, week after week.
Aykroyd's characters were usually known for their quick talking and ability to spew out a million words a minute, articulately. This style fits in perfectly on Weekend Update and his Point/Counterpoint segments with Curtin are some of the funniest moments in SNL's early history.
Chevy Chase (1975 - 1976)
Chevy Chase is a somewhat notorious SNL alumnus. He departed the show after the first season to star in movies but was never very far away from studio 8H. Chase was the original host for Weekend Update and laid the groundwork for what the segment would be in the future. Chase excelled because of his dry wit and the ability to deliver reads with a straight face.
He brought a certain 'better than you' energy to his Weekend Update segments, which added a pinch of subtle humor. He is so well remembered in the spot because he wrote the book and every host afterward walked in his footsteps.
Seth Myers (2006 - 2014)
Seth Myers was the longest-tenured host of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update in its history. He excelled as the perfect straight man and even brought his talents from SNL to his own late-night television show. Myers was paired up with several partners over his tenure and transitioned from co-anchor to lead anchor once Amy Poehler departed.
Myers was given the ultimate vote of confidence when he was the sole host of the segment for several years. While other alums laid the groundwork for the spot, Myers helped to solidify it as a certified star-making position and he has been the measuring stick of quality since he left the show.
Amy Poehler (2004 - 2008)
Amy Poehler is one of SNL's most successful alumni and her time on the show is the stuff of legend. She was a part of Weekend Update for several years and she brought her patented style of humor to the position perfectly.
Though she was always paired up with someone else, Poehler usually shined and was eventually promoted to lead anchor. Her time with Tina Fey on the segment is one of the most well-remembered periods in the segment's history and the two women's careers are inextricably linked because of it.
Norm Macdonald (1994 - 1997)
Norm Macdonald was one of the most controversial members of SNL's cast and his tenure had fans divided and generated some unpopular opinions. Though his time on the show was mired in problems and conflicts, many fans look back on Macdonald's tenure on Weekend Update as one of the best eras in the show's history.
Norm himself was unique with his flat delivery and his ability to keep the audience guessing as to whether or not he was joking. His style of humor was often raunchy and got political and many fans were challenged by his commentary.
Jane Curtin (1976 - 1980)
Though Chevy Chase was the originator, Jane Curtin was the first cast member to take the segment in and make it a part of her arsenal. Curtin excelled in the spot because she was a great straight woman to all of the zany characters that would appear during the segment.
She had perfect timing and was usually in the thick of things with guests during news stories. Curtin often did the show alone but she was also paired up with a revolving door of co-anchors, who she carried well. Curtin was flexible in the role and that was why she was able to keep the spot for so long.
Tina Fey (2000 - 2006)
Tina Fey's time on Weekend Update revolutionized the segment and helped re-establish it as the premier sketch of the entire episode. Fey, along with her co-anchors, helped to rewrite the way the segment was done and modernized it for the new millennium. Though the series has gone through ups and downs in its history, her time on SNL is well regarded and she's one of the best female cast members.
Fey is a brilliant writer and could deliver the jokes with precision accuracy to illicit the biggest laughs. She was the perfect host because she was able to do everything the previous hosts had done, and bring more to the position, as well.