Saturday Night Live UK, the first-ever British incarnation of NBC’s legendary late-night series, has found its inaugural cast of 11.
Cast members include Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young.
Plans for a British version of SNL were officially confirmed last April, with the six-episode first installment to premiere on Sky on March 21. The show will be available for streaming on the UK service NOW.
The show will be produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK production team, as well as Lorne Michael’s Broadway Video. Michaels is exec producing, with James Longman serving as Lead Producer, Liz Clare as Director, and Daran Jonno Johnson taking on the role of Head Writer.
In a statement this morning, lead producer Longman said, “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. The chemistry between them is something special and we can’t wait to share this funny group of people with the world.”
Added Sky’s Executive Director of Unscripted Originals, Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, “We all need a laugh like never before, so we’re beyond excited to bring Saturday Night Live to the UK, only 50 short years after it first launched in the US. The show’s long-standing legacy of discovering and nurturing outstanding comedy talent speaks for itself, and this UK version will build on that legacy with the support of Lorne Michaels, a brilliant local production team, and an exciting new generation of voices. Saturday nights are looking bright!”
SNL UK was commissioned by Edgar-Jones, Sky Commissioning Executive Lisa Clark, and Cecile Frot-Coutaz, who serves as CEO of Sky Studios & Chief Content Officer for Sky. Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK Productions is overseen by Managing Director Helen Kruger Bratt. Shanna Baynard will serve as Executive in Charge of Production, with Andy Charles Smith as the Lead Producer for UTAS UK Productions, alongside Sam Salter as Production Executive.
