Ahead of the season 46 premiere of Saturday Night Live this weekend with host Chris Rock, musical guest Megan Thee Stallion, and Biden-Harris team Jim Carrey and Maya Rudolph, co-head writers Michael Che and Colin Jost stopped by — as in physically stopped by — The Tonight Show last night to chat with Jimmy Fallon about working at SNL at the weirdest time ever. The NBC show is taking all kinds of COVID precautions to prevent cast, crew, and audience members from the pandemic (though now that even Trump has it, who knows how that will work out), and yes, Che and Jost confirmed that it’s a very strange experience — but it’s not all bad. “How’s it like working six feet apart from each other?†Fallon asked. “I love it! I owe a lot of people money,†Che joked. “Nobody can get it from me. It’s perfect.â€
Jost and Che also explained how different this week’s table read was with the new COVID restrictions in place. “We have 20 cast members in our show right now, and they have to be six feet apart. So 20 times six is, uh, probably like 1,000? I don’t know. So you’re in a table read and you’re hearing voices and you’re like ‘Who said that?!’†Jost said. “Yeah, it feels like you’re listening to a podcast. You don’t see anybody! It’s great,†Che added. Fallon followed it up by asking Che and Jost what the SNL audience — which will be given COVID tests and be required to wear masks — will look like. Che’s response? “White. Historically, they’re all white. I don’t know if you’re a fan, but …â€
Near the end of the clip, Fallon asked Che and Jost about going to Chris Rock’s house to convince him to host the SNL premiere. “I was literally like ‘How could you not? You got to do it, man. It’s New York City, we’re back, it’s 30 Rock,†Che said. “You got to come home, and we got to make people feel good again.â€