Saturday Night Live is expected to return to studio 8H this fall, albeit without an audience.
Variety reports that Lorne Michaels is making plans to bring his cast and crew back together once again after the show's 45th season ended with three "at home" episodes that were filmed remotely by the cast members themselves. Of course, plans are just that, and no final decisions have been made yet, given the ongoing severity of the pandemic. Of course, it makes sense that SNL dispense with its live audience, as the safety of the show's cast and crew is paramount.
I expect that certain safety precautions will force writers to steer clear of sketches like The Kissing Family, or the one in which Will Ferrell chewed up food and like a bird, spat it into Chris Parnell's open mouth, but SNL proved how creative it can be with its second "at home" episode, which was very well done, and seemed to learn valuable lessons from the preceding attempt.
NBC has not scheduled a premiere date for the 46th season of SNL, which arrives at a crucial time in the run up to the presidential election. The show has long been counted on to lampoon Washington, and I suspect writers will try and make Joe Biden look as good as possible while highlighting Trump's disappointing and often confounding response to the pandemic. Ratings soared in the weeks before the 2016 election as fans tuned in to see Alec Baldwin's Trump impression and Kate McKinnon's take on Hillary Clinton.
Many late night shows will be returning to their studios in the coming weeks, but audiences are still a bridge too far for networks, who are right to be cautious at a time like this. That said, Michaels and NBC have already brought The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon back to 30 Rock, albeit in a smaller studio where the cameramen wear masks, the Roots band practices social distancing, and guests appear via videoconference.
No matter what happens with production or the election, there are bound to be some big changes coming to SNL this season, even if they have to wait until early 2021. Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant, Michael Che and McKinnon all have other TV projects in the works, while Colin Jost and Pete Davidson have already discussed their exit plans. It's safe to assume you'll be seeing a lot more of Beck Bennett, and don't be surprised if Chloe Fineman's take on Timothée Chalamet becomes a recurring thing.
Jost and Davidson recently signed on to star in Universal's wedding comedy Worst Man, and for more details on that project, click here.