Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: SNL UK

SNL UK Season 2 Set for Sept. 12th Start; 11 OG Cast Members Returning

SNL UK kicks off Season 2 on Sky and NOW on September 12th, with all 11 original cast members from the first season returning.

While we await official word that NBC's Saturday Night Live will kick off its 52nd season on September 26th, Sky announced on Wednesday that Saturday Night Live UK will return to Sky and NOW on September 12th for the first of six shows this fall. And before you ask, all 11 original cast members will be returning: Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. After Sept. 12th, SNL UK has shows set for September 19th and 26th, and October 10th, 17th, and 24th. What's especially interesting about the press release is that it isn't committing to a set number of episodes for SNL UK Season 2, simply noting that "additional shows" are set for 2027. Could we be looking at a longer season than first advertised, as we saw with Season 1? Stay Tuned…

As we inch closer to the middle of August, it won't be long before Saturday Night Live returns to NBC for its 52nd season, and Saturday Night Live UK returns to Sky and NOW for its second season. We know SNL UK will be back on September 12th, and there have been rumblings that SNL could return on September 26th. While we await official word, we have five things that we would like to see from both shows – here's a look:

(1) SNL UK Needs to Stream Live on Peacock: Currently, SNL UK airs on Sky and streams on NOW in the UK, streaming on Peacock the following day in the U.S. (usually around the middle of the afternoon, eastern time). If contracts/rights deals could be adjusted, Saturday night could be an international night of live sketch comedy and music – and that would be pretty sweet. Of course, having SNL stream on NOW would make the whole thing even sweeter.

(2) SNL UK Needs to Get Sketches on YouTube Faster: The "British Pork" sketch just hit this past week, and we're still waiting for the "Doctor Who" sketch. Even filmmaker Edgar Wright has pointed it out. SNL UK has to do a better job of getting its sketches on YouTube, because the wait is pretty brutal – and not everything is making it online. We're not sure if rights issues are coming into play or not – maybe our next idea might clear things up:

(3) SNL Needs to Diversify Its Cast: With Chloe Fineman having departed, we're returning to a topic that we've hit on in previous opinion pieces. EP Lorne Michaels needs to spearhead a stronger effort to diversify the cast to better reflect society. Bringing in famous faces for certain roles might be a short-term fix, but it doesn't make up for what we see when the official cast photo gets released.

(4) SNL Season 52: Less "Five-Timers," Please? It feels like we've been getting a lot of those, especially with everything that went down over the previous two seasons for SNL's big 50th anniversary. That said, we would love to see a season dedicated to a "First-Timers Club": a season that gives some famous faces their first shot at Studio 8H.

(5) SNL/SNL UK Crossover Needs to Happen: We're not saying that it wouldn't be a logistical headache, but a "talent swap" between the two shows for one week would be pretty great. Our first thought: a "Weekend Update" swap between Colin Jost and Michael Che, and Ania Magliano and Paddy Young. Seeing how Ashley Padilla and Jack Shep would be after swapping sides of the Atlantic could also be comedy gold.

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