A now-iconic comedic test,featuring a darkly humorous bit about wildlife,helped shape the future of late-night television and launch the career of Chevy Chase. As a new CNN film, “I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not,” premieres January 1st, a look back at Chase’s early days at “Saturday Night Live” reveals the origins of the show’s cornerstone “Weekend Update” segment – and a glimpse into the performer’s unique brand of humor that captivated audiences decades ago.
Weeks before the debut of what would become a cultural institution, “Saturday Night Live,” Chevy Chase delivered a now-legendary camera test that would shape the future of comedy.
NBC executives were eager to see how the untested cast would translate to the screen, and many were understandably nervous. But Chase, already confident in his comedic timing, knew exactly how he wanted to present himself.
Adopting the persona of a smarmy newsman, Chase deadpanned a joke about a baby sandpiper’s triumphant hatching at the zoo, only to have its joy cut short by a fatal stomp from a newborn hippo. He concluded with a now-iconic sign-off: “Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: “I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not” charts Chevy Chase’s rise from breakout “Saturday Night Live” phenomenon to box-office royalty. The film will premiere January 1 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN and will be available to stream next day for subscribers.
That impromptu performance is widely credited with giving birth to “Weekend Update.” While Chase’s recollection of the events has evolved over the years – he recently told Vanity Fair the test occurred during a table read – the core elements remain consistent: Chase as a news anchor and the unfortunate fate of a baby sandpiper.
Inspired by local TV journalist Roger Grimsby, Chase’s “Weekend Update” persona was an exaggerated version of himself – arrogant, yet somehow endearing. This unique cocktail of traits quickly established him as the breakout star of the fledgling “Saturday Night” and cemented “Weekend Update” as the show’s signature segment. The segment’s success proved the power of satirical news commentary on late-night television.
Today, “Weekend Update” typically airs shortly after midnight, following the musical guest and the show’s more overtly political sketches. In the hands of current anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost, the segment often serves as a platform for other cast members to showcase their quirky characters. But in his single season, Chase made it must-see TV, owning the segment in a way few have since.
Chase was initially hired as a writer, but quickly impressed producers enough to earn a spot in the cast after a memorable incident: reportedly crashing his car into a pothole in the rain after dinner with “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels and NBC executive Dick Ebersol. Ebersol, as recounted in “Live From New York,” said Chase essentially “sold himself” at that very moment.
The very first “Weekend Update” segment clocked in at just over three minutes, featuring a fake advertisement for arthritis medication and a cutaway to Laraine Newman reporting from the scene of a fictional hotel homicide. Throughout, Chase was self-assured, delivering lines at a rapid pace in a simple gray suit and red tie, even stumbling slightly over the opening of a now-classic joke: “The Post Office announced today that it is commemorating prostitution in the United States –– it’s a 10-cent stamp, but if you wanna lick it, it’s a quarter.”
Lorne Michaels explained to the New York Times earlier this year that scheduling “Weekend Update” around midnight was a deliberate strategy. Many stations didn’t begin airing “SNL” until that time, after local news broadcasts had concluded, meaning audiences often tuned in mid-show and were immediately greeted by Chase’s fast-talking anchor style.
The segment quickly gained momentum. Within weeks, Chase began introducing himself with the now-famous line, “I’m Chevy Chase, and you’re not.” He reliably skewered politicians and public figures – President Gerald Ford was a frequent target, often the subject of jokes about mishaps like tying his shoelaces to his hairblower or inadvertently pardoning Richard Nixon – and delivered risqué phone calls to an unseen woman. By the end of the first season, “Weekend Update” had expanded from three to nearly nine minutes, according to “Saturday Night: A Backstage History of ‘Saturday Night Live.’”
Chase was the only cast member to play himself in every episode (and often the only one with a speaking role each week). His frequent pratfalls and a sketch element that remained consistent between dress rehearsal and the live show quickly made him the show’s most recognizable face. However, his rising fame and perceived arrogance began to ruffle feathers among some of his castmates.
“When an audience likes you, they let you get away with more,” Michaels told New York in December 1975, just months into the show’s first season. “Chevy really feels the way he sounds on ‘Update,’ but he can make the material neutral. He’s not on a soapbox. And he never acts.”
“I happen to come across relatively soft,” Chase said in the same New York piece. “My hair is short enough, I wear a tie and jacket, so I can do more offensive stuff. But my mind is mean — I’ve got a lot of things I’d like to get out. And it would be harder for some of the others to do it.”
Chase was quickly hailed as the heir apparent to Johnny Carson, just months into his run on “Saturday Night Live.” He left the show a few episodes into the second season to pursue a film career, capitalizing on his comedic persona. He later expressed regret over leaving the show so soon.
Following Chase’s departure, Jane Curtin, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray each took turns hosting “Weekend Update” in various combinations. Since then, the segment has seen both solo anchors, like Norm Macdonald, whose deadpan delivery mirrored Chase’s, and teams like Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon or Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers, who balanced each other’s comedic styles.
During “SNL’s” 50th anniversary special, Murray appeared on “Update” to rank all the previous hosts. He ranked Chase, his occasional sparring partner, fourth, behind the duo of Curtin and Aykroyd.
“Let’s face it, ‘Weekend Update’ simply would not exist without him,” Murray said. “So it would be wrong to have him listed anywhere but number four.”
