Saturday Night Live is entering a shake-up phase ahead of its 51st season, with confirmed departures and renewed testing for the show’s Weekend Update desk. Writers Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker have announced they will depart ahead of the season premiere.
In related developments, early reporting indicates that Michael Longfellow recently participated in a Weekend Update screen test alongside KC Shornima. Shornima has spent three years writing for Weekend Update, while Longfellow has been a cast member since 2022 and is known for several memorable bits behind the desk. As of now, longtime Update anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost have not officially announced departures, and the show is not yet confirming any cast changes publicly. SNL is slated to return on October 4.
Show creator Lorne Michaels has acknowledged pressure to reinvent SNL after the 50th anniversary, even as cast member auditions continue to take place at Studio 8H. While it remains unclear whether Longfellow and Shornima will be the final choice for Weekend Update anchor, the pairing would bring a youthful energy to the desk, reminiscent of the early-2000s era when Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon helped redefine the segment. Shornima previously wrote for Tooning Out the News, and Longfellow has appeared on Conan and NBC’s Bring the Funny, underscoring their standup roots that tend to suit the Update format.
If the shake-up proceeds, viewers can expect a potential rebalancing of live elements and a renewed focus on contemporary humor and topicality at the Update desk. The broader question remains whether Che and Jost will depart in the near term or if Michaels will rotate in new anchors over the season as part of a broader reinvention strategy.
What to watch as the season approaches:
– Whether Che and Jost announce departures or continue in some capacity.
– How the Weekend Update desk evolves with Longfellow and Shornima, or with other new anchors.
– How the studio will balance new voices with SNL’s established legacy during the 51st season premiere on October 4.
Summary: With confirmed exits from two writers, ongoing tests for Weekend Update leadership, and Michaels signaling a push to reinvent after a landmark anniversary, SNL fans can anticipate significant shifts this season alongside the show’s return in early October. A hopeful takeaway is that the show could leverage fresh comedic perspectives to propel Weekend Update and the broader program into a new era while preserving the core humor that has defined SNL for decades.