Nice. The cast for Saturday Night Live UK has officially been revealed!
The legendary late-night sketch show, which first launched in the US 51 years ago, is set to make its UK debut on Sky Max and streaming service NOW on Saturday, March 21.
Running for six episodes, the series will finally bring the iconic line “Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!” to British screens.
Leading the ensemble is Black Ops star Hammed Animashaun, alongside This Country favourite Celeste Dring, comedian Ania Magliano (fresh off Taskmaster), George Fouracres, who recently appeared opposite Cillian Murphy in the Netflix film Steve, Big Boys star Jack Shep, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young.
Damn. That’s a good cast!
SNL creator Lorne Michaels will serve as executive producer, with the UK edition sticking closely to the live format that made the original a cultural institution. Expect a rotating lineup of British comics, celebrities and musical guests to take part each week.
James Longman, lead producer on Saturday Night Live UK, said the country’s comedy scene is primed for the spotlight.
“The UK is absolutely packed with incredible comedy talent right now and this cast represents the freshest voices we have. They’re bold, exciting and of course, incredibly funny,” he said. “The chemistry between them is something special and we can’t wait to share this funny group of people with the world.”
Traditionally, each episode will feature an A-list host delivering an opening monologue before jumping into sketches with the core cast. The US version famously launched the careers of Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Eddie Murphy.
Last year, Saturday Night Live marked its 50th anniversary with a star-studded celebration, including a collaborative performance of David Bowie’s Heroes by David Byrne, Arcade Fire and St. Vincent, plus surviving members of Nirvana joining Post Malone for Smells Like Teen Spirit. Alumni Ana Gasteyer and Will Ferrell also returned for the anniversary concert, delivering a comedy take on Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.
