The Debut ("Good evening, and what can I tell ya?")ĭennis Miller debuted on “Saturday Night Live” and “Weekend Update” on November 9, 1985, just six days after his thirty-second birthday. Indeed, this “Yuppie-crossed-with-a-long-haired-rebel” was the new “Weekend Update” anchor. “…And now, “Weekend Update,” with anchorperson Dennis Miller!”ĭid the name throw you off? You may have asked more than once who the skinny guy with the skinny tie and the mullet was.
(Cue any classic rock song from the 1970s or 1980s cue announcer Don Pardo) This all changed in the fall of 1985 when a young comedian took over behind the desk…and changed the face of “Weekend Update” forever.
Most “anchors” lasted as much as two years-many only lasted a year. The news segment changed hands every few seasons. However, the one thing that remained inconsistent throughout the show’s entire run was “Weekend Update's” anchors. This seems to happen in cycles-this was the third rebuilding year since 1980 (the first was in late 1980, and the second was the following season, in 1981). Basically, everything that made “Saturday Night Live” almost unwatchable in the early 1980s was gone, and the show went into a “rebuilding year” of sorts. Gone was the previous cast, which was considered “SNL’s All-Star Cast.” Known faces like Billy Crystal and Martin Short were out, and a bunch of unknown faces moved in. He was through with the show, and pretty much assumed that it would get cancelled. Back in the saddle was Lorne Michaels, who left in 1980 to pursue other creative interests. Gone was executive producer Dick Ebersol, who made “Saturday Night Live” somewhat watchable between 19. “Saturday Night Live” returned to the air for its eleventh season in November 1985 with a few changes…actually, they were more like major changes.