Tag Archives: Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers & Jimmy Fallon prepare for their new late-night digs

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Next month Seth Meyers exits Saturday Night Live to become the new host of Late Night as Jimmy Fallon takes over The Tonight Show. In the promo embedded above, you’ll see just how physically close Meyers’ new job is going to be to his old job–they’re “basically 30 feet” from each other as SNL‘s home is located in the famed Studio 8H and the new Late Night is housed inside Studio 8G. Looks like Seth has some work to do, and fast; Late Night with Seth Meyers premieres February 24 on NBC.

After the break, the Peacock introduces “a new era” of late night as Jimmy Fallon is about to take the reins from Jay Leno to host The Tonight Show. The clip looks back at the previous Tonight Show hosts, even the fleeting Conan O’Brien. Fallon, because he’s the best, has decided to revert the show’s name to its original style; instead of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, his show will be called The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, just as it was with original host Steve Allen, Jack Parr, and the late great Johnny Carson. A second clip featuring a kid version of Fallon follows. Fallon’s Tonight Show premieres February 17.

Update: Fallon passes the Late Night pickle to Meyers after the break, as is tradition. Continue reading Seth Meyers & Jimmy Fallon prepare for their new late-night digs →

‘SNL’ season 39 cast locked in (6 new members!), Cecily Strong to co-anchor ‘Weekend Update’

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Later this month Saturday Night Live kicks off its 39th season and fans of the late-night sketch comedy show are bracing for a major overhaul in terms of talent. After veterans Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Jason Sudeikis moved on from the show last season, SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels was tasked with finding a new crop of potential stars who have the comedic chops to rock Studio 8H.

This August report has been confirmed: Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, Noël Wells, John Milhiser, and SNL writer Michael Patrick O’Brien are all being added to the cast. Also confirmed is stand-up comedian Brooks Wheelan, a contributing writer at CollegeHumor. A grand total of six new comics are joining the SNL cast this season, and Lorne Michaels is well aware of the importance of finding the right mix of people to fill his cast.

“You can’t be famous before you’re famous,” he told The New York Times. “It’s one thing to be on a stage in Chicago or L.A.; it’s another thing to be standing in 8H. It’s like standing in Yankee Stadium. They can all play baseball, but this is something different. And the weight of all that was just more palpable to me this summer, more than ever before.”

In addition to confirming the six new cast members, Michaels dropped an even bigger bomb: in only her second year on the show, breakout featured player Cecily Strong is joining Seth Meyers at the Weekend Update desk as co-anchor. Famous for her Weekend Update character “The Girl You Wished You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party,” Strong will join Meyers at the desk in the upcoming season premiere. Michaels makes it seem like the decision was an easy one: “Cecily, from the first show, was right there,” he said. “She exploded.”

If all goes according to plan, Strong will take over as the sole Weekend Update anchor when Meyers departs SNL to host Late Night when Jimmy Fallon departs his show to run The Tonight Show. Michaels hopes, however, that Meyers will stay in his seat for the entirety of this transition season before relinquishing his title to Strong. Technically Meyers can pull double duty–Late Night only shoots Monday through Thursday leaving Friday and Saturday open for Meyers to write and anchor. As it stands, Meyers is poised to leave SNL in late February when his own late night show takes off.

Elsewhere, last year’s rookie Tim Robinson is stepping off the stage to contribute behind the scenes in the writer’s room and Colin Jost and Rob Klein will share the head writer title, the job formally held by Meyers.

SNL premieres September 29 on NBC with host Tina Fey and musical guest Arcade Fire.

[Via NYT]

‘SNL’s Seth Meyers to take over Late Night

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Last month it was announced that Jay Leno is going to re-retire as host of The Tonight Show in the spring 2014. His successor, Jimmy Fallon. With Fallon leaving his Late Night post, rumors began to swirl as to who would take over that soon-to-be vacant position. All signs pointed to SNL cast member, head writer, and anchor of Weekend Update Seth Meyers. The signs pointed the right direction.

Today NBC made it official that Seth Meyers, who has spent twelve seasons with SNL (eight as head writer, seven as Weekend Update anchor), will become the next host of Late Night after Jimmy Fallon transitions to The Tonight Show. Lorne Michaels will executive produce Late Night with Seth Meyers, along with The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and Saturday Night Live. Michael Shoemaker will remain with Late Night as a producer.

“We think Seth is one of the brightest, most insightful comedy writers and performers of his generation,” said NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt. “His years at SNL‘s Weekend Update desk, not to mention being head writer of the show for many seasons, helped him hone a topical brand of comedy that is perfect for the Late Night franchise. We couldn’t be happier that Seth and Jimmy Fallon will be continuing their careers at NBC after growing up in this network’s late night legacy.”

Added Meyers, “I only have to work for Lorne for five more years before I pay him back for the time I totaled his car. 12:30 on NBC has long been incredible real estate. I hope I can do it justice.”

Both Meyers and Fallon made the successful transition from the SNL Weekend Update desk to a late night host; so now the big question remains: who will replace Myers as Weekend Update anchor? Make sure to tune into SNL next Saturday (with host Ben Affleck and musical guest Kanye West) to watch what may very well be Meyers’ final go at the desk.

[Via Deadline]