After much speculation, Lorne Michaels told the New York Times yesterday that 2nd year cast member Cecily Strong will co-anchor Weekend Update with Seth Meyers when the show returns for its 39th season on Sept. 28. Strong became a favorite on Weekend Update last year with her character, The Girl You Wished You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party. Meyers is due to take over the Late Night franchise from Jimmy Fallon in February, but Michaels said that might not be the end of him on SNL.
Mr. Michaels said his general plan was to have Ms. Strong share the “Update†desk with Mr. Meyers for the season’s initial shows and then segue into a solo role later, maybe in the first season — but maybe not. If possible, Mr. Michaels would like to see Mr. Meyers stay on “Weekend Update†even after he moves to “Late Night,†starting on Feb. 24.“Seth is a unique case,†Mr. Michaels said, noting that the new late-night show would not have a Friday edition, letting Mr. Meyers potentially drop in and work that day and Saturday on “Update.â€
That move would allow for more stability in a year with several new cast members and writers, including new head writers;Â Colin Jost and Rob Klein are taking over that job from Meyers.
As for Strong’s chatting party-goer character, Meyers tweeted that “it’s prob safe to assume that she died somewhere, mid-conversation.†That said, characters have occasionally switched between Update and sketches before, so here’s hoping The Girl shows up in any party scene they can work her into.