It's never easy for an organization, company, or, in this case, a TV show, accused of lacking a certain demographic from their production. For Saturday Night Live, the issue was more easily resolved than most after they performed a self-referential skit with "Scandal Star" Kerry Washington and then hired their first black woman in six years (and the fourth in their nearly 40 year history), Sasheer Zamata, the Huffington Post reported.

"It's not like it's not a priority for us," founding executive producer Lorne Michaels said a few months ago as critics began to chirp and the show's two male black stars, Keenan Thompson and Jay Phaoroah, announced they would no longer make up for the absence by dressing in female drag, according to NBC. "It will happen. I'm sure it will happen."

It did, officially, on Monday. Following Thompson and Phaoroah's comments, it may have been prudent for Michaels and other decision makers to wait a little longer than some would have preferred, for they surely found somebody unique in Zamata, who graduated from the University of Virginia three years ago, according to the Daily Beast. (I have to throw that in there; this is a college news website, though I graduated two and a half years ago and I wouldn't call myself a recent college graduate like other news outlets are referring to Zumata).

Recent College Graduate (RCG): one year out of college seems to be the most common timeline, according to a Linked In discussion topic. More importantly, as one commenter pointed out, the term has more of a connotative definition, to mean one is new to the workforce, ready to learn, mold-able, etc. Zumata, on the brink of career success many may never achieve, doesn't fit that bill. Would you call Andrew Luck, who left Stanford with a degree two years ago, a recent college graduate?

Nothing against either comic, but Zamata is no Andy Samberg, and that might be refreshing for the show. In her standup and on her web show, "The Pursuit of Sexiness," she typically plays the straight woman, comparable to a less extreme version of Aubrey Plaza on "Parks and Recreation." That characteristic hasn't always been common on SNL, which tends towards extreme characters and impersonations. A show like SNL probably needs more Samberg-type personalities than Zumatas; given its lack of the latter, however, she could bring an interesting element to the Saturday night staple. Fittingly, her website picture is unsmiling.

Prior to her big promotion, Zamata took the usual path towards SNL distinction. After her now highly publicized graduation from the University of Virginia, she moved to New York to prove her improv chops at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, according to her website. Her work's been noticed by a handful of publications, and she's also appeared in a variety of television shows and ads, both for comedic and non-comedic purposes (she has a striking appearance).

She'll debut on Saturday, Jan. 18.