The production team behind NBC's Saturday Night Live is taking steps to ensure their employees stay safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Though the live-audience sketch show was originally set to return from its scheduled break on March 28, SNL is now on hiatus indefinitely, NBC told Bustle. "The safety of our employees continue to be our top priority," SNL's press manager said via email. "As a precautionary measure, Saturday Night Live, which was scheduled to return from hiatus on March 28, will now not resume production until further notice. We will monitor the situation closely and make decisions about future shows on an ongoing basis as further information develops."
SNL typically takes breaks every three to four weeks to let the cast and crew rest and brainstorm more sketches; this also allows them to evenly stretch out their usual 20 to 22 episodes across the season. The show's hiatus was already planned before the virus outbreak, with the March 28 episode set to feature John Krasinski as the host and Dua Lipa as the musical guest. Now it's unclear when the show will return, if they'll try to keep the formerly announced hosts and musical guests, and if this season will just end with less episodes or run for longer.
It's not all bad news, though. We may not get to see any new skits about Trump's disastrous press conferences or the monotony of social distancing, but both NBC's website and Hulu are streaming the last 15 episodes of Season 45. On top of that, NBC has all 600 plus episodes of the entire show, while Hulu has the first five seasons of the series, and then Seasons 30 to 45, if you really want to get comfy on the couch and watch some vintage comedy for hours on end. It may be tough to cope with all that's happening in the world, but that's all the more reason to take a moment to sit back, relax, and laugh.
If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC or NHS 111 in the UK for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all Bustle’s coverage of coronavirus here, and UK-specific updates on coronavirus here.
