Is Saturday Night Live Doing Another Virtual Show Tonight?

Last week, Saturday Night Live fans were treated to a bit of laughter and light during the ongoing [...]

Last week, Saturday Night Live fans were treated to a bit of laughter and light during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic when the iconic sketch comedy show returned from an extended hiatus with a novel approach to its new episode: Saturday Night Live at Home, an episode produced remotely while with the cast using Zoom teleconferencing software to bring the laughs to life. The episode was the first for the series since March 7th and as the weekend rolls around again fans are wondering will there be another new episode tonight or a re-broadcast of the virtual show. Sadly, the answer to both of those questions is no.

On Saturday, April 18th, Saturday Night Live will re-broadcast the episode which initially aired on February 29th. That episode saw John Mulvaney host with musical guest David Byrne. At this point, it's unclear when new episodes of the series will return.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Saturday Night Live had expected to return from a brief hiatus on March 28th with The Office alumnus and A Quiet Place II director John Krasinski set to make his SNL host debut along with musical guest Dua Lipa in that episode. However, production on the series was shut down in mid-March leaving future episodes a bit of a question mark.

As for the cast of Saturday Night Live, the coronavirus pandemic has impacted them in personal ways as well as professional. The Weekend Update start Michael Che recently lost his grandmother, Martha, due to complications from COVID-19. Che signed off last week's virtual SNL with "From Weekend Update, I'm Martha's grandbaby," but her passing is also something that has since prompted him to do something huge to help others in her honor. Che revealed that he is paying the rent for 160 New Yorkers who all live in the same public housing complex that his grandmother once lived in.

"It's crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many New Yorkers can't even work," Che wrote on Instagram. "Obviously I cant offer much help by myself. But in the spirit and memory of my late grandmother, I'm paying one month's rent for all 160 apartments in the NYCHA building she lived in. I know that's just a drop in the bucket. So I really hope the city has a better plan for debt forgiveness for all the people in public housing, AT THE VERY LEAST." Ps. deblasio! cuomo! diddy! let's fix this! page me! - che"

Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30/10:30 p.m. Central on NBC.

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