Saturday Night Live Season 26 (2000)

Saturday Night Live Season 26 (2000)

Saturday Night Live Season 26 continues the series with a fresh chapter, bringing its familiar characters into new situations while developing the story established in earlier seasons.

Season 26

Saturday Night Live aired its twenty-sixth season during the 2000–2001 television season on NBC. 20 episodes were produced. The season began on October 7, 2000 and ended on May 19, 2001.nnBefore the start of the season Cheri Oteri, Colin Quinn, and Tim Meadows left the show. With the three of them gone, the show added two new castmembers. SNL head writer Tina Fey and Second City comedian Jerry Minor joined the cast as featured players at the start of the season. Fey had been a writer on the show since 1997 and began as the show's head writer in 1999. Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph remained featured players.nnThis would be Molly Shannon's final season on the show, leaving mid-season. Chris Parnell and Jerry Minor were both let go after this season ended. However, Chris Parnell would be re-hired midway through the next season. Michaels would later admit he made a mistake in firing Parnell from the cast and wanted him back.nnWith Colin Quinn's seat on Weekend Update empty, executive producer Lorne Michaels decided to have two anchors just as SNL had had in the 1970s. Jimmy Fallon and head writer Tina Fey were brought up to anchor the segment together. Because of Fey's head writer status she would appear rarely out of Weekend Update.

What to Expect

The season builds on the show's central themes and relationships while introducing new challenges. As the story develops, the characters must respond to changing circumstances and the consequences of their previous choices.

Final Thoughts

Saturday Night Live Season 26 adds another chapter to the series, continuing its established world while giving the characters new conflicts and opportunities to evolve.