Michael Che's "Shot in Minnesota": Facts About His Third Netflix Special
Michael Che's third Netflix stand-up special, Shot in Minnesota, premieres October 13. Where it was taped, what came before it, and quick facts about the Weekend Update anchor.
Michael Che is getting a new hour of stand-up on Netflix. Shot in Minnesota premieres worldwide on October 13, 2026, and it's his third stand-up special for the streamer. Here are the facts worth knowing before it drops.
Where and when it was taped
The special was recorded at First Avenue in Minneapolis, the famous downtown club best known as the stage in Prince's Purple Rain. Che taped four shows over two nights, August 28 and 29, and directed the special himself.
That makes it a hometown story for Minnesota. The Star Tribune covered the announcement the day it was made, and the title doesn't leave much doubt about where the jokes were shot.
What we know about the material
Netflix released a first-look clip in late September. If you've watched Saturday Night Live, the target won't surprise you: his Weekend Update partner, Colin Jost, and Jost's marriage to Scarlett Johansson. The two have been roasting each other on live TV for more than a decade, most famously in the joke swaps where each writes punchlines the other has to read cold.
His Netflix specials so far
- Michael Che Matters (2016), his first hour.
- Michael Che: Shame the Devil (2021).
- Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota (2026), premiering October 13.
Between the second and third specials, Che and Jost also did a two-man show for Peacock, Colin Jost & Michael Che Present: New York After Dark (2024), taped at the Bell House in Brooklyn.
Quick facts about Michael Che
- Weekend Update record holder. The season 52 premiere of SNL in September 2026 began his 13th season at the Weekend Update desk alongside Jost. He took the chair in September 2014, replacing Cecily Strong.
- He was an SNL writer before he was a cast member. Che joined as a guest writer in 2013, had a short run as a correspondent on The Daily Show in mid-2014, and came back that fall to anchor Update.
- Head writer. He and Jost were co-head writers of SNL from December 2017 to May 2022.
- His own sketch show. That Damn Michael Che ran on HBO Max for two seasons (2021–2022).
- Awards. He shared Writers Guild of America awards for SNL's writing in 2017 and 2018, and co-hosted the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards with Jost in September 2018.
- He's a New Yorker through and through: born and raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side, which makes a Minneapolis taping a fun change of scenery.
Why First Avenue matters
Comedians choose taping cities on purpose. A special recorded in New York or Los Angeles plays to an industry room. A Midwest crowd at a legendary music club is a different energy, and recently more comics have taken their tapings out of the coasts for exactly that reason. Che's choice put Minneapolis on the poster.
If you're building a watch list, our roundups of the most popular comedians in the world and the funniest Black stand-up comedians are a good place to start.
Sources (4)
LateNighter; Variety; The Futon Critic (Netflix release); Star Tribune.
Photo: Colin Jost and Michael Che at Citi Field, 2015 by Arturo Pardavila III, CC BY 2.0.