NBC 'Saturday Night Live at Home' special airs on April 11, 2020.
It’s been nearly a month since the pandemic spread of coronavirus caused life as we know it to shut down, which means it’s also been a month since we’ve had a new episode of Saturday Night Live on TV.
While series’ veteran executive producer, Lorne Michaels, who also produces NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers, figured out a way to get those live shows back on the air, it seemed impossible that his large ensemble sketch comedy series could follow suit. However, there should’ve been no doubt that SNL, a show that’s managed to stay on the air for over 45 years, wouldn’t figure out a way to keep going during coronavirus.
While carefully following the CDC’s guidelines of social distancing, SNL, will air a brand new episode during its usual time slot at 11:30 p.m.ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on April 11, 2020.
SNL was previously on a scheduled hiatus after Governor Andrew Cuomo enforced a “Stay at Home” order for the state of New York, which included Manhattan, a city of over 8 million people, and where the NBC series normally films before a live audience on Saturday nights. It seemed even more unlikely SNL would return after New York Center became the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in America.
Before the show went on hiatus, coronavirus was a topic of discussion on “Weekend Update,” in which Michael Che said, “I don’t want to make jokes about this coronavirus and not because it’s too sad — It’s because I don’t know that I don’t have it yet, and if I do have it, the internet is going to play this clip of me making fun of it over and over again.”
An update for your weekend. #SNL
While there was a new episode previously slated for March 28, with actor John Krasinski as host, and Dua Lip as its musical guest, it was forced to be scratched. Like every other TV and film production, in order to comply with the federal social distancing rules, all plans for filming were suspended.
CAN’T WAIT 🤸🏼♂️ @nbcsnl ❤️‼️
The cast of SNL has not been immune to the devastating effects of coronavirus. Since the show went off the airs, Che has lost his grandmother to COVID-19, as did SNL‘s longtime staffer and music producer, Hal Wilner.
During these uncertain times, a brand new episode of SNL airing on Saturday night, even if it’s just for 90 minutes, makes life almost seem normal again. And now, more than ever, important to find reasons to laugh.
What Can Viewers Expect To See On ‘Saturday Night Live at Home’?
‼️ This Saturday ‼️
While viewers can expect Colin Jost and Michael Che to give their presentation of “Weekend Update,” little else has been revealed on what the writers have planned for Saturday night’s special episode.
While there won’t be a lead host or musical guest, over the past month, there have been so many new faces thrust into the national spotlight, that there are tons of impersonations viewers can look forward to seeing on their TV screens. It’s expected for SNL to do a sketch featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, but as for which cast members will play those roles, or if there will be celebrity guests appearances to play these parts, that will be a surprise.
There may be jokes about the great toiler paper shortage amid coronavirus and how people are fighting boredom while stuck at home, and it would be shocking if SNL didn’t present a Tiger King parody. Other than the daily White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefings, and COVID-19 itself, the No. 1 topic of conversation across the country has been about Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin.
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Is ‘SNL’ New Tonight? Yes [4/11/2020]