SNL UK Lead Producer Shares Excitement About the Cast Ahead of Saturday’s Launch
With the launch of SNL UK just days away, excitement is mounting across the UK.
At a Sky event in London on Thursday evening, lead producer James Longman expressed his enthusiasm for the young cast, which is set to debut in the show this Saturday.
As the executive producer of The Late Late Show with James Corden, Longman outlined the rigorous selection process the cast underwent. Candidates were initially required to submit a five-minute tape, followed by a live showcase, a “silent” studio audition, and another five-minute performance, this time filmed without a laughter track.
The chosen performers include Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. They are now approaching a significant milestone in their careers.
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“These guys stood up and stood out,” Longman remarked during a brief on-stage interview alongside Magliano and Young, who will be featured together in a key sketch.
Attendees were treated to exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of SNL UK, with glimpses of various scenes paying tribute to its American counterpart. “We’ve borrowed the U.S. house, only we’re making our own rooms within it,” Longman noted in his presentation.
Sky CEO Dana Strong highlighted SNL UK as “a major investment in the UK comedy ecosystem,” asserting that Sky is “bringing one of the world’s most iconic shows and making it British.”
The inaugural episode of SNL UK will air this Saturday at 10 p.m. GMT (2 p.m. PT) on the British channel Sky One, followed by availability on Peacock the next day. The first hosts include Tina Fey, followed by Riz Ahmed and Jamie Dornan. The show has been in development for nearly five years.
Leading up to the debut, excitement has been palpable, with teasers set to be released throughout the week. SNL UK is slated to kick off with a six-episode order, and it will also be available on Peacock in the U.S. Teasers featuring Fey were unveiled recently.
The writing team, guided by Daran Jonno Johnson, includes Al Roberts, Ayo Adenekan, Bella Hull, Celya AB, Charlie Skelton, Chris Cantrill, Ellie Fulcher, Gráinne Maguire, Hari Kanth, Humphrey Ker, James Farmer, Jonno Johnson, Joseph Moore, Keith Akushie, Laura Claxton, Lorna Rose Treen, Louis Waymouth, Nathan Foad, Omar Badawy, and Omodara Olatunji.
SNL UK is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio and Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video. It has been commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Sky Commissioning Executive Lisa Clark, and Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios and Chief Content Officer. Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK Productions is managed by Helen Kruger Bratt, with Shanna Baynard as Executive in Charge of Production and Andy Charles Smith as Lead Producer.
The Sky event also announced upcoming shows including Meantime and Inheritance, along with films such as Blood on the Snow, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, and Animol, which marks the directorial debut of Adolescence actor Ashley Walters.
Earlier that evening, it was confirmed that Sky had acquired the second season of Heated Rivalry, as well as new shows such as Yaga by Hudson Williams and the A24 and Universal drama Superfakes.
