A lot of late night shows have been slowly coming back to life as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien and more hosts have been broadcasting new content that has obviously been filmed at home or on location and away from studio audiences. So the comedy has returned but with safety precautions.
The response to these shows has been really positive. People need reasons to laugh or feel warm inside and these late night productions have given us those. Yes, it feels like something is missing — late night shows aren’t the same without the bands, the face-to-face interviews and the applauding crowds — but it has still been a welcome return of (sorta) normalcy.
One of the shows that was most-impacted by the coronavirus outbreak was Saturday Night Live. The show, which really doesn’t exist without an audience, went on forced hiatus back in March and has no set return date...until now.
THR says that SNL will air a “special remote episode” on April 11 at 11:30 PM. What does a “remote episode” mean? I am not quite sure but apparently the show will create “new material remotely while continuing to practice social distancing.” So it sounds like it will be a collection of short-form comedy pieces featuring the show’s line-up of stars, all filmed outside of the studio. THR confirms that “Weekend Update” will also return. I am sure they have lots to talk about. In fact, the “Weekend Update” segment could probably run the entire hour-and-a-half and they would still have material to cover. Not sure if you’ve noticed but there is a lot in the news right now...
Like or not, SNL is a television institution and its return — while altered — is welcome. And you never know, perhaps this changed format will be good for the show. Maybe it will inject some always-needed freshness into the affair. At the very least, it will provide the performers to channel their frustrations, anxieties and fears into comedy and that can only be a good thing.
Now, will it be funny? Eh, that is a big question mark since SNL is only consistent about one thing: its uneven output. Still, it is good to see more TV comedy on our screens again.