Saturday Night Live premiered its thirty-ninth season during the 2013–14 television season
on NBC.
The season officially began on September 28, 2013, with host Tina Fey and musical guest
Arcade Fire, and concluded on May 17, 2014, with host Andy Samberg and musical guest St.
Vincent.
Cast Prior to the start of the season, a large
number of cast changes occurred.
Long-time cast members Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis all departed the
show.
In addition to them, first-year featured player Tim Robinson left the cast to focus on his
new duties in the writing staff, becoming the first performer to join the writing staff
after being a cast member without initially being hired as a writer.
In their places six new featured players were hired including SNL writer Mike O'Brien who
was upgraded into the cast, as well as new hires Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney of the
sketch comedy group Good Neighbor, John Milhiser of the sketch group Serious Lunch, comedienne
Noël Wells, and stand-up comedian Brooks Wheelan.
O'Brien has written for the show since the 2009–10 season and is the first writer to
be upgraded into the cast since Jason Sudeikis in 2005.
Mooney and Bennett's fellow Good Neighbor troupe member Dave McCary was also hired to
direct Bennett and Mooney's digital shorts.
On May 12, 2013, NBC announced that Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers would be the new
host of Late Night in 2014 succeeding Jimmy Fallon as Fallon will take over as the new
host of The Tonight Show.
Meyers remained Weekend Update anchor up until his departure from the show on February 1,
2014.
Cecily Strong was brought up to co-anchor with Meyers.
Colin Jost, a writer for the show, joined the cast on March 1, 2014, as a featured player
and as Meyers' successor on Weekend Update.
This is the third time a featured player was also a Weekend Update anchor.
The first two were Tina Fey and Brian Doyle-Murray.
Strong was replaced the next year by former writer and "Daily Show" correspondent Michael
Che.
During the season, the show came under criticism from critics for not including at least one
black female cast member, a topic which was addressed on the November 2, 2013 show hosted
by Kerry Washington.
As a result, Lorne Michaels announced that the show would be holding auditions for a
black female cast member, expected to join the show in January as a new featured player.
UCB-NY performer Sasheer Zamata was announced as a new featured player on January 6, 2014.
She made her first appearance on January 18, 2014.
The addition of eight new cast members is the greatest since the 1995–96 season, during
which nine cast members were added, making it the largest cast overhaul in eighteen years.
Along with the other changes that occurred to the cast, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon and
Cecily Strong were all promoted to repertory status.
This would be the final season for Nasim Pedrad, who announced her departure from the show
in June 2014 in order to work on the Lorne Michaels-produced show Mulaney.
Additionally, John Milhiser, Noël Wells, and Brooks Wheelan departed from the show
after a single season.
Also, Mike O'Brien left to return to the writer's room.
This would also be the final season for longtime announcer Don Pardo, who died on August 18,
2014, at the age of 96.
bold denotes Weekend Update anchors Writers
For the first half of the season, Seth Meyers, Colin Jost and Rob Klein were co-head writers.
After Meyers' departure, Bryan Tucker replaced him as a co-head writer.
Prior to the start of the season, three new writers were hired:
Claire Mulaney, younger sister of former writer John Mulaney.
Mikey Day, a member of The Groundlings and cast member on MTV's Wild 'N Out.
Michael Che, a standup comic who had guest written for five episodes in season 38, was
hired as a full-time writer.
Additionally, Tim Robinson was moved to the writing staff after one year as a featured
player on the show.
In December, Chicago Second City alum Katie Rich joined the writing staff.
In January, comedians LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones were added to the writing staff.
Both were part of the December casting call for a black female cast member.
This was Seth Meyers' final season as writer.
Michael Che initially departed following this season to join The Daily Show as a correspondent,
but returned for the start of the next season to co-anchor Weekend Update alongside Jost.
This was also the final season for longtime writers Alex Baze, Marika Sawyer and John
Solomon, as well as the only season for LaKendra Tookes.
Episodes
Specials References