Lorne Michaels and his team are reportedly making plans to bring Saturday Night Live back to NBC’s Manhattan studios in New York for the show’s 46th season, according to Variety.
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Instead of continuing to be produced from cast members’ homes, the outlet reports that “two people familiar with the matter” shared that Michaels and those behind the Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase are hoping to get back into the studio for the fall, but any plans will obviously rely on navigating the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
NBC hasn’t confirmed their plans for the next season of SNL, including announcing a premiere date for the 46th season.
One strategy shared includes for the show to be made in a “controlled environment” which means a live audience would likely not be participating. NBC’s Tonight Show already put a template in place after it began taping new episodes from NBC’s studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The broadcasts featured host Jimmy Fallon, mask-wearing cameramen, the socially-distanced Roots band, and guests appearing via videoconferencing technology.
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The outlet added that Saturday Night Live tends to do extremely well during the run-up to a presidential election, which could be part of the driving force behind wanting to get the late-night show back into the studio later this year.
