Saturday Night Live UK, the first British adaptation of NBC’s iconic late-night sketch show, has announced its debut cast of 11 comedians and actors. The six-episode series will premiere on Sky on March 21 and will also be available to stream on NOW.
The cast includes Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. The show is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK production team alongside Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, with Michaels serving as executive producer.
Lead producer James Longman praised the cast as “the freshest voices we have” and noted the “special” chemistry among the group. Sky’s Executive Director of Unscripted Originals, Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, said: “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.”
Several cast members shared their enthusiasm. Animashaun, known for BBC’s Black Ops, called it “a privilege” to join the historic show. Bamgboye, a rising stand-up, said he felt it was “the perfect place to accelerate my learning.” Dean, a Scottish comedian, cited his comedy heroes Jim Carrey and Richard Pryor as inspiration.
The series was commissioned by Edgar-Jones, Sky Commissioning Executive Lisa Clark, and Sky Studios CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz. The production is overseen by Universal Television Alternative Studio’s managing director Helen Kruger Bratt.
