'The View': 'SNL' Mocks COVID Debacle With Disappearing Hosts

10/03/2021 02:52 pm EDT

Saturday Night Live was quick on the draw with a sketch about the COVID-19 outbreak on The View last week. The season premiere of the talk show featured a parody of the daytime talk show called "The Talking," where approximations of the panel played by Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong, Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner tackled the news of the day. However, they were frequently interrupted by a doctor played by guest star Owen Wilson.

"The Talking" would have been a strong parody of The View on its own, even without the timely context this weekend. It cast each of the actresses as a different snarky archetype with strong opinions on everything from global politics to kitchen appliances. However, their punchlines came in fits and bursts between the interruptions of the doctor, who told them one by one that they needed to leave the set for medical reasons. Of course, this was a riff on a real episode of The View from Friday, Sept. 24, when Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro were both pulled off the set at the last second due to positive coronavirus tests.

Although it was written and performed well, the SNL parody was hardly more absurd than the real situation on The View. According to a report by CNN Business, Hostin and Navarro were whisked off the stage just moments before the cameras started rolling, leaving their co-hosts shocked and frightened. It was especially nerve-wracking because they were supposed to interview Vice President Kamala Harris that day, and suddenly her health and safety were in question.

Sources close to Harris said that the producers of The View had assured them that all the co-hosts had shown negative COVID-19 test results on Thursday night, and that they were not forthcoming with her office about the hectic situation on Friday morning. The interview was re-arranged hastily to be done remotely, with Harris calling in via video chat from nearby.

SNL tackled all the awkwardness without including a parody of Harris herself. Still, the sketch shows that the episode was written in the days before it aired, despite being a season premiere. The variety show kicked off its Season 47 with Wilson as its first host in an episode generally well-received by fans.

The hits are expected to continue this weekend with host Kim Kardashian and musical guest Halsey on Saturday, Oct. 9, followed by another installment with host Rami Malek and musical guest Young Thug on Saturday, Oct. 16. You can catch Saturday Night Live every weekend on NBC, or stream it on Peacock and Hulu.

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