During the early 1980s, whilst under the management of executive producer Dick Ebersol, the Weekend Update segment saw no rest. There were constant changes, and no one sat behind the desk long enough to get comfortable. At the start of Season 7, Brian Doyle-Murray was brought on to anchor the segment, now titled "SNL Newsbreak." At first, he co-anchored with Mary Gross, then went solo for a brief stint, and was finally joined by Christine Ebersole for the remainder of the season.
For Season 8, Murray was replaced with Brad Hall, and the segment again changed names, this time to "Saturday Night News with Brad Hall." Hall remained behind the desk for about one and a half seasons, before being pulled midway through Season 9. For the remainder of the season, there were no standing or permanent anchors. Instead, "SNL" cast members and guest hosts served as anchors, bringing a chaotic and ever-changing air to the segment.
A few months into Season 10, Christopher Guest was brought on to be a permanent anchor of "Saturday Night News," finally allowing some dust to settle over the news desk. While Guest officially took over and made his first anchor appearance on Dec. 1, 1984, the following week had no news segment whatsoever. It is the only episode in the show's 48-season run to not have one.
