Syfy orders animated version of Weekend Update called Alien News Desk

Here’s an interesting development for fans/followers of Saturday Night Live.

SNL’s Weekend Update is reproducing! More specifically, the people who write and produce Weekend Update are now also going to write and produce an animated series called Alien News Desk for Syfy, starring SNL vet Will Forte and current cast member Heidi Gardner as its anchors.

It’ll debut early in 2019. The initial order is for 12 episodes, airing in late night.

“The expansion into original animation and late night marks the next step in the evolution of SYFY, and builds on the successes we’ve had bringing new, younger viewers to the network,” said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “Tackling news, politics and entertainment from the perspective of alien newscasters completely puzzled by our human ways, Alien News Desk is a fun, irreverent way to put a uniquely ‘SYFY’ spin on the late night current affairs genre.”

As alien news anchors Drexx Drudlarr and Tuva Van Void, Forte and Gardner will cover the Earth’s news headlines from their uniquely out-of-this-world perspective.

Broadway Video and Bento Box Entertainment produce, with Lorne Michaels and SNL’s Erik Kenward as the EPs. Dennis McNicholas, Weekend Update’s head writer, is the EP/showrunner. Other EPs/co-EPs: Scott Gairdner, Joel Kuwahara, Scott Greenberg, Andrew Singer and Katy Jenson.

 

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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