“Saturday Night Live” introduced, simply hours earlier than showtime, that there can be no reside viewers on Saturday night time “out of an abundance of caution” amid the surge of COVID-19 coronavirus instances in New York tied to the Omicron variant.
The present additionally wrote on Twitter that there can be “limited cast and crew,” nevertheless it didn’t elaborate if any of the forged members had examined optimistic for the virus.
“The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol,” it stated, including that those that had tickets to the taping at Rockefeller Center “would be getting more information soon.”
“S.N.L.” usually tapes a gown rehearsal at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, after which the reside efficiency airs at 11:30 p.m.
Saturday night time’s present, which was anticipated to be the final considered one of 2021, was scheduled to be hosted by the actor Paul Rudd, with a musical efficiency by the English pop artist Charli XCX.
About two hours earlier than the announcement, “S.N.L.” shared a tweet from the singer reminding followers to “tune in tonight.”
In a promotional clip posted on Thursday, Mr. Rudd revealed that Saturday’s episode can be his fifth time internet hosting the present.
When the “S.N.L.” forged member Ego Nwodim congratulated him within the clip on “joining the Five-Timers Club,” Mr. Rudd joked that he was becoming a member of the membership solely as a result of he was “arrested for the fifth time this week.”