When Saturday Night Live first announced that it was airing an “At Home” episode back in April, nobody knew what to expect. And yet, despite the technical difficulties of filming from home, somehow, the cast and writers pulled it off, only for the show to disappear the following week. But just like the first episode, SNL surprised audiences again by returning with a second “At Home” episode, which began to raise questions about how long the show could keep this up. Now, we know the answer.
According to a new blooper-filled promo released on Thursday, SNL will air its final “At Home” episode on Saturday, May 9. This move will officially bring its 45th season to a close with only 18 episodes, which is rare, but not unprecedented. SNL had to shorten it’s 2007-2008 season during the WGA strike.
As for the decision to come back for one more episode even though the short promo highlights a production process that’s loaded with technical snafus, the makeshift episodes have been bringing in the ratings. Via The Hollywood Reporter:
SNL followed the lead of its late night counterparts in adapting to remote production, and its first episode back was among the highest-rated of the season. It pulled in 6.7 million same-day viewers — trailing only an Eddie Muphy-hosted episode in December.
The April 25 edition declined some to 6.05 million viewers, slightly below the show’s same-day season average. The episode had markedly higher production values, with more and better graphics and costumes as the show’s crew got more accustomed to remote production.
Like the previous installments, nobody knows what’s in store for the season finale, which has been part of the appeal for the “At Home” episodes. The last outing featured a surprise musical performance by Miley Cyrus along with notable guest stars Charles Barkley, Adam Sandler, and Brad Pitt whose Dr. Fauci impression became an instant viral hit.
(Via Saturday Night Live)