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