Lest you forget from the fawning hagiographies, we are entering Saturday Night Live's hallmark 50th season. Who knows what exciting surprises (or, depending on how you view it, fresh horrors) are in store for the year. But over at the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service Peacock, the company is championing its storied institution by giving its current cast members "some kind of live comedy thing." That's not our confusion about what the event is, it's a direct quote from the trailer, in which Colin Jost and Michael Che encourage us all to tune into their special New York After Dark on September 12.
According to a release from the streamer, "COLIN JOST & MICHAEL CHE PRESENT: NEW YORK AFTER DARK is Peacock’s first-ever LIVE comedy event. Hosted by the beloved SNL Weekend Update duo, the showcase special will stream live from The Bell House in Brooklyn, featuring special guest drop-ins from stand-up comedians throughout the night." Scrounging together a comedy event with special guests depending on whoever's in town that night? You could call it Everybody's In Brooklyn.
These unknown guests will comprise of "both up-and-coming and established comics," described as "Colin and Michael's favorite NYC club comics, fresh faces, and maybe even some names you already know and love." Last month, Che posted on his Instagram that "we are not getting paid" for the show, rather that they "just wanted to do it." Grammy-nominated musical ensemble 1500 or Nothin’ will serve as the show's house band.
Saturday Night Live aside, most of the streamers are investing heavily in comedy. Netflix has a huge head start (as is its wont), with a lot of the big-name (and often "controversial") specials from the likes Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais, Amy Schumer, and more. Prime Video and Hulu have followed suit. It's a popular enough outlet that these streamers are just throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks, i.e., "some kind of live comedy thing." But if done well, it could be a natural fit for Peacock, given the SNL pipeline and NBC's history of sitcom excellence.
