"Saturday Night Live" is flexing its muscles as the popular sketch comedy series is pushing their extremely popular segment as a standalone show. "Weekend Update" is set to premiere this year featuring the same hosts in the show.
Summer Premiere for 'Weekend Update'
As the political storm continues to barrage the daily news, comedian hosts and other news outlets who offer a lighter spin to the news are gaining in popularity. NBC joins the bandwagon in political commentary by tapping a segment in "Saturday Night Live" for a weekday spinoff. "Weekend Update" is set to be a spinoff segment set to air during primetime.
According to Screen Rant, "Weekend Update" will premiere this August for four weeks. The show will air every Thursdays starting August 10 and it's set to rival primetime show with episodes airing at 9PM.
The show will practically lift its content from the weekly segment but stretching it for a 30-minute episode. Colin Jost and Michael Che are still the show for the show and cast members are also set for appearances from time to time as the host invite "guests" for their various segments.
Boost in Ratings for 'Saturday Night Live'
NBC is making a bold move in pushing for "Weekend Update" since "Saturday Night Live" is enjoying its best ratings in years. Variety reports that the weekend comedy show is enjoying its biggest ratings in 22 years as viewers tune-in for the latest political commentary boosted by Melissa McCarthy's portrayal of press secretary Sean Spicer and Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump.
The show also gained its notoriety as the source of political commentary that did not go unnoticed by the POTUS. Although Trump was one of the guests in the show prior to winning the elections, he has since criticized the show. The upcoming spinoff could spell more woes for the POTUS as it gears for more political commentary.