Saturday Night Live · season 47, episode 918 · Saturday, December 18, 2021 Host: Paul Rudd (4th time). Musical guest: none. • Due to the rise of the Omicron variant in New York City, the show had a "limited cast and crew" and no audience; Kenan Thompson and Michael Che were the only current cast members on set. Most portions are pre-recorded. • The episode does not have a cold open, use a title sequence or the line "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" The cast is instead listed in the end credits. • Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, Steve Martin and Martin Short (the latter two pre-recorded) appear in the introduction to induct Rudd into the Five-Timers Club. • Planned appearances by Candice Bergen, Jimmy Fallon, and Jon Hamm were cancelled due to the new restrictions. In January, Fallon would reveal that he had tested positive for COVID during this episode's production. Bergen, however, later made an appearance in the February 26, 2022 episode. • Charli XCX was due to perform "Good Ones" and "New Shapes" on this episode, but her performance was canceled due to the new restrictions. Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek were planned to perform the latter song with her. Charli would later reschedule her appearance for March 2022. • Charli does, however, appear in a pre-recorded music video spoof "The Christmas Socks". • Fey fills in for Colin Jost on "Update", as he also contracted COVID. It was done in front of the main stage in director's chairs rather than on the "Update" set, with Rudd, Hanks, and Thompson watching. • Some classic Christmas sketches are shown to make up for the lack of cast members; some sketches were introduced by Fey, Hanks, and Thompson. These include: • "Dick in a Box" from the season 32 episode hosted by Justin Timberlake • "Santa and His Naughty Elves" from the season 41 episode hosted by Ryan Gosling • "The Global Warming Christmas Special" from the season 16 episode hosted by Hanks • "A Holiday Wish from Steve Martin" from the season 12 episode hosted by Chevy Chase, Martin, and Short • "Caleb and Monty" from the season 38 episode hosted by Short with musical guest Paul McCartney • "North Pole News Report" from the season 45 episode hosted by Eddie Murphy • "Now That's What I Call Christmas" from the season 39 episode hosted by Jimmy Fallon • "Christmastime for the Jews" from the season 31 episode hosted by Jack Black. • "Adult One Direction Fan" from the season 39 episode hosted by Rudd, while not a Christmas sketch, was also featured. • Don Roy King's final episode as director. Wiki link