Bye, ‘SNL at Home’: ‘Saturday Night Live’ returning to the studio for new season
“Saturday Night Live†is returning to its rightful home in New York’s Rockefeller Center when it launches Season 46 next month.
The NBC sketch comedy show, which filmed last season’s final three episodes from its stars’ homes during COVID-19 lockdowns, will “originate from†Studio 8H, reps for the show confirmed Thursday.
The season premieres Oct. 3. Additional details, including celebrity hosts and musical guests, will be released later, the reps said.
The last in-studio “SNL†took place on March 7 and was hosted by Daniel Craig. It featured a guest appearance by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
‘Saturday Night Live’ returned in a not-live episode hosted by Tom Hanks with musical guest Chris Martin. Some of it worked, some didn’t. Like always.
Since then, the show was filmed remotely, with the cast members setting up their own ring lights and improvising with green screens while quarantining in their homes. Notable “SNL at Home†segments featured Oscar winner Brad Pitt’s Emmy-nominated Anthony Fauci impression, a Soul Cycle sketch, Kristen Wiig’s hosting gig, and the “Stuck in the House†parody with Adam Sandler, among others.
Plenty of cameos from the cast’s children also occurred. The stars talked about what it was like to film from home in a featurette released by “SNL†in late May. (Watch it above.)
The celebrated series is heading into the Sept. 20 Emmy Awards with 15 nominations, including outstanding variety sketch series.
It is unclear whether “SNL†will be dispensing with its in-studio audience when it’s back on air. For example, when “Tonight Show†host Jimmy Fallon returned to 30 Rock for his NBC late-night show in July, he did so without an in-studio audience and with a skeleton crew. NBC’s “Late Night†host Seth Meyersreturned to the studio on Tuesday for his shows.
Late-night TV has stepped up in the lockdown era. Thank you Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah and the rest.
CBS’ late-night stars Stephen Colbert and James Corden went back to work in their studios in August. Ellen DeGeneres will also be returning to her studio for her daytime talk-show, and Conan O’Brien moved his TBS show from his home to the Largo in Beverly Grove to support local theaters.
Representatives for “SNL†did not comment on how the show will address coronavirus precautions on set.
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