Late-night shows have taken six steps to return to air during the coronavirus pandemic

Vulture

According to Vulture, No. 1 of the six steps is aiming for a "glimmer of something normal." “What I’ve gotten from people is not so much that they miss getting the news from us or hearing our takes — it’s more they just missed seeing Seth (Meyers), for all that entails,” say s Late Night head writer Alex Baze. “It feels like a glimmer of something normal, even though it’s not what it was before.” No. 2 is adjusting the writers' room for virtual communication. "You forget how important nonverbal communication is,” Baze adds. “When a piece is being read, you hear where the laughs are. You see eyebrows go up, people shifting in their seats, and those are all cues when you’re making changes to a piece. And the obvious change is, there’s no audience laughing at your jokes. Even when it’s done, you’re like, ‘Well, I don’t know if that was good.’” No. 3 is finding the right tone to take during an outbreak. “Boundaries are like the old saying about pornography: You’ll know it when you see it,” says Daily Show head writer Dan Amira. “We channel our emotions into the jokes. If we feel like the world is ending, then that’s what other people are feeling too, and that’s what we should be writing jokes about.” No. 4 is let go of the news cycle (to a point). “We’re surrendering to the idea that we’re going to be a little behind the news cycle,” Baze says of having to tape earlier in the day. “But it’s fine. It’s more important to get Seth out there with good material.” No. 5 is be resourceful. “These shows are a real Fallon family production because they’re all doing it themselves," says Tonight Show producer and writer Gerard Bradford. "He’s holding the camera, she’s the director, and the kids are showing up when they feel like it." And finally No. 6 is keep things in perspective.

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