The Making of SNL During COVID: Stories From the Show 

People sometimes say SNL is a bad show because it’s “hit or miss”. Videos like this remind us that SNL is one of the most difficult shows to produce for a variety of reasons. It’s done in a week, it’s all live, there are hundreds of moving parts etc. So yeah, sometimes skits suck, but sometimes they’re brilliant. The fact they kept trying to entertain us during the pandemic was so wonderful and very cool.

It's cool that SNL made a mini doc on such a wild and crazy season. I thought what Aidy Bryant said at the start of the video nicely summed it up. "I would say in a normal week of making the show , it's normal to cry once or twice. And in the pandemic version of making the show, you might cry every day, and that's comedy."

Cecily strong is really a comedic hero for inserting that demon possessed sneeze.

Imagine being at that Adele table read, getting a free Adele concert, and _stopping_ her.

There were literally times during October - January, when the world felt like it was falling apart, where my wife and I would turn on SNL and laugh... those times helped us both feel like the world was going to be alright. Thanks, SNL squad.

Che: *gets emotional* Colin: "Love you, man. " Che: "I hate this guy so much" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I love how they used Pete in the thumbnail 😂 he gets the clicks

"Loco" was such a mood, though.

I want to thank every single person who was responsible for the continued production and airing of SNL during the pandemic. Because of their dedication, they were able to bring laughter into our lives when we needed it the most.

My dad and I loved snl . Unfortunately during the pandemic he didn’t make it and passed away. The fact that they were able to still continue despite all of the obstacles is really heart warming and I can honestly say it got me through the really hard times . Congrats to them !

Adele singing so effortlessly with her mask on.

Adele absolutely killing it while sitting down, hunched over and singing into a shitty mic with a mask on! 🤯

SNL got me through the lockdown. Hats off to them!

"Edith Puthie!" 🤣 That definitely worked for me.

Jim Carrey as Biden gave me probably the hardest laughs I've ever had for an SNL bit. Loved it so much.

I struggled with crippling depression during lockdown to the point of almost giving up (glad I didn’t) they gave me so much joy that watching SNL was the highlight of my week, I thank them for helping me get through it and reminding me dark times are temporary. god bless their hearts!

Y'all will never fully know how important this was to all of us watching at home -- I've been on the brink of a mental breakdown for months, and SNL was one of my only safe spaces. While I was exhausting myself with school and piano and just the general stress of being 16 in a pandemic, it kept me going to remember i could curl up in my room with the lights off and watch this show. Thank you to you all: the incredibly talented crew backstage, the writers, the producers, Lorne, and of course the beautiful cast. You are all saving us right now. Love you guys

Cecily's giving her mask to Aidy is one of the most precious moments of this film 😭

This was my literal favorite season of SNL not necessarily because the sketches were any better than usual but there was this sense of comradery between the cast members and the viewing audience so cathartic for me. Although I have never met these people it truly felt like we were all in this together. This is mostly likely the only season I have watched each episode right when it aired. It felt so important to me in a time of such isolation to know that I wasn’t alone in my feelings of bafflement about what was going on in our world. Each week when I turned on SNL I felt like I could exhale a little bit . Thank you guys for helping my family get through horrible year!!!!

As someone who worked on the front lines during the pandemic, SNL was a big thing that got me by (and it has always been a show I enjoyed, in both good and bad times) but to know how carefully they did everything and managed to bring something so important (art, relief, joy, laughter) to people in my field made me swell with pride and respect in the sense that they considered the safety of others while doing so. Thank you, SNL.

It was all worth it for the handful of outstanding Bowen Yang moments.

SNL S46 was probably the only normal thing I could count on. I would watch some of the skits over and over just to get thru the week. And just let me say Cecily's 'Pirro" on the last Weekend Update was a classic.

I just love that they know how necessary it is to make Petey the thumbnail

“First of all, you came to where I live and you hit me!” 😂😂😂

I guess it took a pandemic for everyone to realize how well-run SNL is.

The fact that they had to still do costume changes in the same amount of time with only one person for costume/makeup is NOT giving enough credit to how they were able to pull it off without the audience noticing a difference is PHENOMENAL

Mikey Day cannot speak without me immediately assuming that he's in the middle of a skit

I'm gonna miss Aidy and Kate and their chemistry SO MUCH.

I know it was very hard to do the show during the pandemic but you all managed to do it and I know we all appreciate it very much, you guys make us laugh all the time and even though it was hard to make SNL happen this year, you all did it and we appreciate that.

Based on all of the restrictions, it would’ve been understandable if this season fell a little flat, but after the first few episodes it became one of the funniest seasons in a while. So proud of the whole cast, crew, and writers.

I think the most interesting thing about all this is Lorne Michaels because to my knowledge, he rarely does interviews.

This made me cry. I love how dedicated they were to still make us all laugh. It makes me choked up.

Aidy Bryant is the most underrated cast member on SNL. She's consistently hilarious and her style of humor is awesome. I hope she doesn't leave anytime soon, but if she does, she should get her own talk show on HBO (ala Last Week Tonight) or do a buddy comedy with Kate McKinnon (ala Baby Mama or a 'Twins' remake).

That MTG demon sneeze still makes me laugh. Thank you SNL ♡

SNL has been the one constant in my life. From high school thru my college days, my adulthood, and now thru the beginning of my senior years. Always on point and I imagine will last long after I’m gone. I love this show.

Lorne Michaels will be missed so much when he retires. I’m 42, and I’ve been a loyal Saturday Night Live fan since I was 10 years old when my dad showed me Phil Hartman. I’ve Never Missed a show since! I hope I somehow get to NYC to watch a Lorne SNL before he sails off.

I was teaching at a preschool in Florida throughout the pandemic, I had to go in every morning, smile on behind the mask and be cheerful in front of twenty 3-4 year olds. They were old enough to ask me tough questions too. I spent a lot of nap times with one air pod in, watching snl compilations. This show, this cast, everyone behind the scenes, got me through some hard days. Thank you.

If the rumors are true, just about half of the current cast will be moving on and thats kind of sad. This cast had to be one of the most talented Ive seen in years. The political sketches along with Weekend Updatd with Jost/Che were hilarious. And these kids managed to work seemlessly with former SNL alumni and and reoccuuring guests like Eddie Murphy, Alec Baldwin and Bill Hader. And I have to give a shout out to Pete Davidson who hung in there despite a whole range of personal issues. Sorry to see them go.

I'm convinced we need more Table Read behind the scenes footage 🤣

Not only did they pull it off, this was also one of my favorite seasons. The pure honesty and unfiltered candor and crazy made it so great

21 dislikes are from the people crying their eyes out so much they pressed the wrong button! Will miss you all !!!!

SNL had brought me so much joy this past year, even more than ever before. What a symbol of community and entertainment and love. Thank you so much SNL.

I’d love to see more. Getting to know the cast more personally is wonderful.

This is incredibly rare. Behind the scenes at SNL. Thank you.

SNL is the F1 of comedy, everything is high pressure, last minute and everything works out miraculously It’s such a niche form of very rushed comedy, there’s nothing like it

They kept us a bit sane. Happy for Ego and Melissa.😊😊

That name change sketch was one of the funniest, most innovative, and also most classic the show has put on in years. I fell back in love with SNL on that one.

SNL helped many of us get through these crazy times. Teared up a few times watching this.

Streeter!! Aw miss him on college humor. I forgot he was a writer for SNL.

After the Elon Musk episode a lot of people were saying that SNL hasn't been funny since the 90s... Obviously they only watched that one episode since the season as a whole was hilarious (especially the rap sketches and Jeanine Pirro)

Imagine getting a private adele concert and it's just a table read.

Omg the talent of everyone… the writers, producers, performers, technical crew, makeup, dressing…. I love this show

“Even though people were 6ft apart… they were the closest they’ve ever been.” - Lorne Michaels with about the truest statement

I wonder if you all realize...you saved us. SNL has been there since I was 20, that it was still there meant so much. You made me laugh but the past year you made me cry, too. Thank you so much!

So moving when the cast tears up at the end. The worst thing about Covid is it halted human contact. Just being able to sit with and touch another human clearly meant so much to them, as it would anyone.

The home shows were some of my favorite SNL shows ever, also they gave me the feeling that we were all in this together and would survive it together. I commend SNL for taking all the steps from quarantine to coming back to the office in such a careful manner to keep everyone safe and healthy.

This cast is legendary.

I often read SNL reviews on the AV Club and this season they were pretty middling to OK, but I think that if the reviewer were to watch this doc they would seriously reconsider the grades they had been giving. I cannot begin to fathom the insanity of what they pulled off, truly impressive and commendable.

I love that covid retrospectives exist now. We made it.

Seeing Streeter Seidell was a huge surprise! Was such a huge CollegeHumor fan back in the day, and I knew he worked for the show, but man. Glad to see he's still there and killing it! Was one of my favorites from the golden era of that channel.

Everytime I see Aidie as Ted Cruz I just involuntarily LOL like a seal bark I can't even handle it

I want to have this stupid faith that none of this legends will ever leave SNL because that would be devastating. Whatever will happen, I hope everyone will be content with their choice. Every one of you deserves all the appreciation! Cecily, Kate and Aidy, you're the best! ❤️

I absolutely love seeing behind the scenes content, it helps see everyone on a more real note and its beautiful, it shows that they're real people doing a job. It's a comforting picture lol

13:10 that chappelle/davidson break is the best of all time

Its so impressive how they still managed to finish the season during a global pandemic:)

SNL gave us a great season at a time when we needed them the most. I really wish every one of them would come back for at least one more season...love this cast so much! My 14-year-old granddaughter was totally into it, too...funny, because at her age, I was really into the very first season of Saturday Night Live.

That Dave Chappelle episode, everyone was giddy, there was no sense of urgency or real seriousness. It felt like they weren't even putting in much effort into the sketches which made it funnier. I'm guessing we all collectively unclenched when the uncertainty went away.

Oh man I'm so happy to see Streeter Pie-fell! Loved him in the collegehumor days

So, VERY, blessed to have this show this past year. It was a cathartic experience, FULL OF LAUGHS, that I couldn't have survived without. Thank, ALL of, you for everything you did/sacrificed/created. You were a light.

I needed this show during the pandemic. I needed to laugh. Doing quarantine alone sucked! So many of us needed to still see something familiar. SNL stepped up! ❤️

I hope they all know how we desperately needed their writing and art and comedy because the Pandemic was a desert. I love them!!!

It’s so wild to see Streeter! I’m glad he’s out there killin it!

I so appreciated you being on during all this. It was fun just to have something to look forward to and you all more than delivered. Thank you!

Show business often breaks people down mentally and emotionally so when they get emotional over an especially hard run, it’s easy for people with typical jobs to look at them like weak whiny babies. The mystery of the job also leads many others to create Satanic conspiracy nonsense to explain away the fact that entertainers are people just like them. I just want people to understand it’s a very overwhelming business and we rely on entertainers to help keep us sane and we should just accept that and pull back with the judgments and assumptions. It’s obviously unhealthy to worship or obsess over celebrities in any way but you don’t have to go the opposite direction to the extreme. SNL has always been and will always be hit or miss, just due to the format and constraints. But when it hits, it hits damn good.

SNL is a fixture in my life, but in 2020 SNL meant SO much to me. Thank you so much for doing what you do! We love you all.

"We had each other. And so, even though people were six feet apart, they were as close as they've ever been, and I think you just saw the best in everyone," Loren Michaels (23:06). Beautiful!

"The latest teen belting her hit" - Shows Adele singing Someone Like You during Table Read

If anyone from SNL reads this, please know that your efforts gave hope and sanity and relief and blessed moments of normalcy through an awful year. You were a respite from the darkness and the importance of that can never be overstated. Thank you!

Let me tell you people when india was going through Covid-19 second wave I used to watch SNL everyday cause in all the sadness around we need to find something to make us happy

Massive thank-you to everyone involved in still keeping this show going despite the circumstances. I'm forever grateful for the lightheartedness and laughter this show has provided us, even during the worst of times. 💜

More of this!!! I'm a fan of the comedy, but I'm a huge fan of the stories of SNL!

When SNL came back it really helped me get through the pandemic. It felt like a communal activity even though everyone was so isolated. Y’all had some fantastic sketches this season! Thanks for all the hard work!

The way SNL has pulled things off has always amazed me, but I didn’t even realize how much harder it would be during a pandemic. Such an amazing, talented group of people.

People like to bag on SNL these days, but its obvious they put in a ton of work and are passionate about what they do. Let them do their thing; comedy is a spectrum and doesn't have to be at full genius levels to please everyone. And if some people love it, let them love it. The world is jagged and cruel enough as is, let people love the things that makes them laugh and feel a little better about life. Quit pissing on other peoples cheerios you hypercritical hipster trolls

I love how much love the behind the scenes staff gets! They deserve so much credit

the Che and Colin ending was the cherry on top for the season *chef's kiss*

I cried through most of this. Thank you all, cast, crew, technicians, and all the staff SO MUCH. SNL pulled me through that time.

These last 18 months have been surreal, crazy at times. I've been watching from the UK during lockdown and these crazy bunch of talented people kept my spirits up. The Iceberg sketch is one of the funniest I've ever seen. Definitely a highlight. So all I got to say is: Thank you. 👏👏

I think there are so many of us, myself included, who are incredibly grateful to SNL for providing desperately needed laughter, and also a sense of normalcy throughout the insane year that was 2020. I'm not sure we'd be quite the same without it. So, thank you, sincerely, to everyone who makes SNL happen every week. Your hard work means more than you know.

Honestly this was hands down the best season I’ve seen! It was so genuine and the live skits were always on point so best under pressure I guess???

“Love you man” - Jost “I hate this guy, I hate this guy so much” -Che 🤣 what a team

I am in my 40s. This cast is the best I’ve ever seen in my life. By far my favorite. To me they’re the best ever but I don’t want to argue with anyone. Such a great ensemble and combination of talents. I know Hollywood will come calling and the cast have dreams of their own and stuff, but I hope they stay together a few more years. And can’t forget to mention that a big part of it is the production values. The world is ending, don’t go chasing waterfalls.

Really hope Cecily stays

What an amazing group of people. I am a full believer that their skits saved many lives during Covid. A laugh or two a day cures the soul from loneliness and helped many get through the tough times. SNL team: writers, make-up artists, mask police, actors, camera crew, everyone in and outside the building that works on the show, thank you.

Thank you SNL for being here for us to smile even when it's not appropriate!🤣😜

I’m truly humbled by the entire cast and crew at SNL. I remember as I was watching, as we were all experiencing our own turbulence through pandemic life, how amazed I was at what SNL was producing. You are all true professionals and so gifted at what you do! Thank you so much for working so hard so we could all have something to smile about. It truly meant so much! Thank youuu!!!!

Nothing made me smile like SNL this past year ♥️♥️♥️ this is an incredibly talented cast, each and every one of them are sensational 🥰🥰🥰🥰

It was the only live show at the time, it’ll be nice to look back on these episodes and remember how crazy 2020 was!

Not sure if you at SNL will see this but truly,TRULY THANK YOU for being there to make us laugh. My wife and I really needed it during the pandemic. You gave us some joy and escape even for a little while and we can’t thank you enough!!!💖💖💖

Thank you to everyone who made the show possible this year. We really needed it.