I know covid is still a thing, but the reduced audience on TPIR and LMAD just put the hosts in such a lull with their energy levels. Sad to say, I'm just not as excited about it like before. It's just amazing the effect the live audience can have on a production. It's even more apparent when I've watched LMAD on Pluto.
If it wasn’t for the recent surge in cases, I’d bet a pretty Plinko chip S51 would be taping with a full capacity audience from the beginning. That said, I have very little doubt that the pods are temporary. Case numbers are already back on the decline and came nowhere close to what we’ve seen in previous surges. With so many shows already taping with full, maskless audiences, it’s only a matter of time before this one follows suit. It could be as soon as after the next pause in taping, set for August 18-27, per the calendar. If the pods aren’t removed then, it probably won’t be too far down the line before they are.
We also have plenty of precedent of wholesale changes being made at random points during a season (just look at Season 31), so I have serious doubt the production team will be like “well, we had pods at the beginning, no turning back now.” Plus Television City might have some say in getting the normal searing restored, too. After all, Bill Maher also tapes in the BBS. I’m sure having to pull chairs out between tapings gets really annoying after a while.
