Herb Sargent

Who was Herb Sargent?

Herbert Sargent was an American television writer, a producer for such comedy shows as The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live, and a screenwriter. During his tenure at Saturday Night Live, he and Chevy Chase created Weekend Update, the longest-running sketch in the show's history, and one of the longest running sketches on television.

Born in Philadelphia, Sargent was the older brother of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Alvin Sargent. Raised in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, he studied architecture at Penn State University before serving with the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He moved to Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA.

Sargent then moved to New York City and began his career in radio. He later helped develop television specials for Petula Clark, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Alan King, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., Lily Tomlin, Paul McCartney, Anne Bancroft, and Burt Bacharach. He married actress Norma Crane in 1961 but they had divorced by the time she died in 1973.

Sargent won six Emmy Awards and six Writers Guild of America Awards.