Saturday Night time not-so-live: Omicron variant makes for a bizarre SNL

Saturday Night time Dwell was dwell, however not in entrance of a dwell viewers on Saturday night time. Host Paul Rudd was there, however a lot of the solid was not, musical visitor Charli XCX did not carry out and there have been only a few individuals within the studio watching.

“Because of the current spike within the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of warning, there might be no dwell viewers for tonight’s taping of Saturday Night time Dwell,” a consultant for NBC mentioned in a assertion launched on Saturday and obtained by CNN.

Whereas Rudd did seem as host, singer Charli XCX tweeted on Saturday that her deliberate musical performances couldn’t go forward resulting from a restricted crew, writing that she was “devastated and heartbroken.”

She later adopted up with a tweet noting that the cancelation was not her alternative.

“Heya simply to clear up any confusion i did not determine to cancel or pull out of the present tonight!” she tweeted. “We have been knowledgeable at round 3pm ish that my phase of the present would not have the ability to go forward for everybody’s security and so there was nothing we may do.”

The present featured a mixture of sketches from years previous combined in with new sketches taped earlier within the week. Former solid member Tina Fey and present solid member Michael Che teamed as much as learn the Weekend Replace information jokes seated in chairs on the stage, with no set or costumes. 

Whereas Rudd was nonetheless thought-about the host, actor Tom Hanks, who’s hosted SNL 10 occasions, additionally confirmed as much as introduce acts and to hitch Rudd and solid member Kenan Thompson watching the Replace sketch.

Saturday marked Rudd’s fifth time internet hosting the present, and Thompson joked to him that it nonetheless type of counted.

“Congratulations on internet hosting the present 4 and a half occasions,” he mentioned.