‘SNL’ Had To Pay Live Audience To Attend Season Premiere

etcanada.com:

There was a time when “Saturday Night Live” was one of NYC’s hottest tickets, available once a year via lottery or via a day-of-show standby line, where waits of a dozen or more hours weren’t uncommon.

In the midst of a global pandemic, however, it’s a different story. According to a report in The New York Times, the socially distanced audience for the Oct.

3 season premiere had to paid in order to be there. The reason, the Times reports, has to do with New York state guidelines for reopening due to COVID-19, which prohibits live audiences at TV tapings — unless, however, they’re paid as members of the cast.

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