Show Goes On

Is this really worth it?

Show Goes On

An important lesson in causality is playing out right before our eyes, the same one that's been playing out again and again for two years. Will anyone in charge finally learn from it?

Here's Billie Eilish on Howard Stern last week, per Billboard:

The Happier Than Ever singer praised the “f—ing amazing” COVID-19 vaccine for not only saving her life, but for also “[saving] Finneas from getting it, it saved my parents from getting it, saved my friends from getting it.” But as to why she’s still coughing following her Saturday Night Live stint on Dec. 11, where she had double duty as the host and musical guest, Eilish subtly pointed fingers at the show’s longtime producer, Lorne Michaels.

“Lorne was sick, coughing everywhere. Mr. Lorne was coughing and coughing and coughing,” she whispered to Stern. She added that “Saturday was … one of the best days of my life. It was so much fun and so amazing and surreal and ridiculous.”

And now here's the New York Post today:

The Post has learned that “Saturday Night Live” was on the verge of canceling tonight’s final episode of the iconic sketch show’s 2021 season due to an in-house outbreak of positive COVID-19 cases.

A set insider has revealed that “four actors” have tested positive for coronavirus — and “three others” have called out because they are now “fearful” about coming to NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Center, where the weekly sketch show is filmed in Midtown.

Another insider claimed that executive producer Lorne Michaels had tested positive, adding that the “show must go on but don’t expect to see Colin Jost, Sarah Sherman or (Aristotle) Athari.” Jost usually hosts “Weekend Update” with Michael Che, while Sherman and Athari are both newcomers to the ensemble this season.

And here's what SNL/NBC has to say publicly about the matter:

Due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight’s taping of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and the show will have limited cast and crew. The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol.”

We send our best wishes to the cast and crew.


Header image via NBC/YouTube.