The second season of Saturday Night Live UK is almost upon us.
The next installment is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, Sept. 9 with host Jeff Goldblum and musical guest CMAT.
It follows a well-received first season for SNL UK (a round-up of the reviews can be found here), which aired from March onwards earlier this year. The series regulars were all relatively unknown stand-up comedians and social media stars, such as Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep and Emma Sidi. Weekend Update presenters Ania Magliano and Paddy Young saw particular breakout success, and both of them scored sold-out runs for their solo comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival just last month.
Joining the cast this season is Freddie Meredith, who most recently featured in Kat Sadler’s twisted female-driven comedy Such Brave Girls on the BBC.
Season one’s inaugural host was U.S. star and SNL hall-of-famer Tina Fey, who shepherded the show to a solid start. The Hollywood Reporter‘s review determined: “Good cast, spotty writing — like the mothership,” about the London spin-off of Lorne Michaels’ long-running NBC sketch show. That first episode on Sky (available on Peacock in the U.S.) was watched by over 220,000 people in Britain, as Jamie Dornan, Riz Ahmed, Jack Whitehall, Nicola Coughlan, Aimee Lou Wood, Hannah Waddingham and Ncuti Gatwa booked season one hosting slots.
Some of the group’s best sketches across the season included a spoof skincare advert where the women look so young that their partners were arrested for being paedophiles, a Traitors parody whereby a giant crab goes undetected at the roundtable in a savvy social satire, and “The Prince Andrew Plan,” which saw MI5 staffers confirm that every single royal family snafu over the last three decades has all just been to make King Charles look great in comparison.
Season two will open with Goldblum and Irish singer-songwriter CMAT, before actor-comedian Jamie Demetriou takes the next hosting gig on Sep. 19, with rock band Royal Blood as his musical guest. Demetriou is best known for roles in Fleabag, Stath Lets Flats and Barbie.
The following week, Chicken Shop Date presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg will take the reins alongside English singer Rachel Chinouriri. Dimoldenberg’s SNL UK appearance comes on the heels of her confirmation that she’s bringing Chicken Shop Date to an end after 12 years.
On the production side, Laura Claxton has been promoted to SNL UK co-head writer, joining existing head writer Jonno Johnson. Liz Clare returns as director. Heather MacVean joins as costume designer and Sinead Oldnall is heading up the U.K. talent team as director of on-screen talent. Lorne Michaels serves as executive producer on the show, and James Longman is lead producer.
Here, THR rounds up the hosts and musical guests confirmed — so far — for season two of SNL UK.
Sep. 12: Jeff Goldblum, CMAT
Sep. 19: Jamie Demetriou, Royal Blood
Sep. 26: Amelia Dimoldenberg, Rachel Chinouriri
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