Saturday Night Live to Get U.K. Edition in 2026 — Who Should Host First?
Saturday Night Live is headed across the Atlantic.
British broadcaster Sky announced Thursday that an international edition of late-night sketch series Saturday Night Live — fittingly titled Saturday Night Live UK — will begin airing in the U.K. and Ireland in 2026.
More from TVLine
In Super-Soapy SNL Promo, Jon Hamm Meets Evil Twin, Pregnancies Abound!
Did the Hunting Party Finale Leave You Demanding a Renewal? Grade Season 1 of the NBC Drama
The Voice Recap: The Knockouts Put Three More Singers Down for the Count
Further details on the spinoff — including cast members, hosts, musical guests and an exact premiere date — will roll out in the coming months, but the London-based series plans to follow 'the same live, fast-paced style' of the U.S. original, complete with 'iconic hosts, musical guests and a core cast of the funniest British comedians around.'
SNL's Stateside boss, Lorne Michaels, is on board to executive-produce the across-the-pond offshoot.
'For over 50 years, Saturday Night Live has held a unique position in TV and in our collective culture, reflecting and creating the global conversation all under the masterful comedic guidance of Lorne Michaels,' said Cécile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios and Sky's chief content officer, in a statement. 'The show has discovered and nurtured countless comedy and musical talents over the years and we are thrilled to be partnering with Lorne and the SNL team to bring an all-British version of the show to U.K. audiences next year — all live from London on Saturday night!'
Saturday Night Live UK will air on Sky Max and streaming service NOW when it debuts next year. The U.S. edition, meanwhile, is currently winding down its milestone 50th season; actor Jon Hamm will host the April 12 episode, with Lizzo as musical guest.
Your thoughts on a London-based ? Who would you tap as the show's first-ever host? Hit the comments!
SNL: 25 Times a Celebrity Confronted Their Impression on Air
View List
Best of TVLine
Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?)
The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Severance, Holey Moley, Poker Face, YOU, Primo, Transplant and 25+ Others
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
From festivals to weddings: Why drone shows are booming
The wedding ceremony was almost over when newlywed Bobby Underwood stepped on a napkin-covered glass to break it, as is Jewish tradition, and everyone shouted "Mazel Tov!". But as he and his new wife Siobhan turned to walk back down the aisle, their wedding officiants said, "Wait." There was a surprise. "All of these drones started rising up," recalls Mrs Underwood. "It was honestly remarkable, very overwhelming – and incredibly emotional for us." She estimates that between 100 and 150 drones appeared in the night sky, displaying lights of various colours, and forming images chosen to represent the bridge and groom. These included a baseball player hitting a ball – as Mr Underwood is a big baseball fan – and a diamond ring being placed on a finger. The couple were married on New Year's Eve 2024, in New York State. Mrs Underwood's mother had arranged the surprise drone show with help from the couple's wedding planner – who had suggested it as a "wow factor" component of the day. It seemed to have the desired effect. "It was kind of just shock – 'Is this really happening right now?'," says Mrs Underwood. "I can't believe my mom did this for us." Drone shows are becoming ever more popular. Once rarities, they are now appearing at occasions ranging from birthday parties and weddings, to major sporting events. Some theme parks even have resident drone shows that take place multiple nights in a row. Glastonbury music festival had its first drone show in 2024. And record-breaking displays are pushing the technology to its limits – the biggest drone show in history took place in China last October. It featured a total of 10,200 drones and broke a record set only the previous month. So, does all this spell the end for fireworks? "They are really beautiful – they are art," says Sally French, a US-based drone industry commentator known as The Drone Girl. She says that drone shows have appeared at baseball games, corporate conferences, and even at ports, to celebrate the launch of cruises. Drone displays are becoming highly sophisticated, she explains, with some drone shows featuring thousands of flying devices, allowing them to animate figures or patterns in incredible detail. "I saw a Star Wars-themed drone show where there was a full-on lightsabre battle," adds Ms French. One barrier might be the price tag, however, with the cost per drone at around $300 (£220) in the UK, says Ms French, citing industry data from market research firm SPH Engineering: "A 500 drone show would be over $150,000." Mrs Underwood does not have an exact figure, but estimates that her wedding drone show cost tens of thousands of dollars. The sky's the limit, actually. Skymagic, one of the world's largest drone show companies, has put on major displays that cost north of $1m says Patrick O'Mahony, co-founder and creative director. Skymagic's shows have taken place in various countries – including the 2023 Coachella music festival in California. The company has also performed drone shows in the UK, including as part of the King's Coronation concert, which was broadcast by the BBC. Mr O'Mahony has experience in designing fireworks displays and other, similar events. But drones have revolutionised outdoor public displays, he says. His company has a fleet of 6,000 custom-designed drones. Each one can reach speeds of up to 10 meters per second. The drones sport LED lights and have batteries that allow for 25 minutes of flight time. To make them easier to transport, the drones are stored in flight cases and unpacked at venues in a giant marquee before they are laid out in the take-off area, half a metre apart, in a grid pattern. "Once the drones have received their 'go' command [they] fly the entire show," adds Mr O'Mahony, explaining that a single human pilot on the ground controls thousands of the devices at once. The drones are geo-fenced, based on Global Positioning System (GPS) data, which prevents them from straying beyond the allotted flight area. In windy conditions, though, they can get blown off course. In such cases, they automatically return to a landing spot on the ground, says Mr O'Mahony. Fireworks have a "boom" factor that drones generally don't, notes Ms French. However, Bill Ray, an analyst at market research firm Gartner, says that some drones can now launch pyrotechnics, for a firework-like effect. For instance, a stream of sparks raining down from the lower portion of an image created by a group of drones. Plus, Mr Ray says it is much easier to accurately synchronise drone movements with music during a show, which could be another reason behind their appeal. But the cost of shows remains prohibitive to some, and in part comes down to the fact that laying out the devices and gathering them all up again after the performance is still a relatively slow, manual process, adds Mr Ray. Pedro Rosário is chief executive of Drone Show Animations, a company that designs drone show performances for other companies that supply the drones themselves. Mr Rosário says that one challenging aspect of his work is in coming up with displays that adhere to various regulations applying to drone flights, since these rules differ from country to country. England has stricter regulations than countries in the Middle East, for example, he says. Mr Rosário adds that drone shows, which might be paired with pyrotechnics, traditional fireworks or even lasers, allow for a huge degree of creative freedom: "You can really build something that has emotional value, it can tell a story." In Mrs Underwood's case, that seems to have worked. Her guests enjoyed the spectacle too, she adds: "We've heard compliments about our wedding in general – but, consistently, the drone show is something people bring up as something they never expected to see." The people refusing to use AI Who will win the race to develop a humanoid robot? Do we need cocoa-free chocolate and is it nice?
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Harry Potter' actor stands by JK Rowling at Tony Awards amid criticism of her transgender views
"Harry Potter" actor Tom Felton defended JK Rowling at Sunday night's Tony Awards after being asked about the fierce liberal backlash she's received for her views on gender and biology. The British actor was on the red carpet at the awards show Sunday, where he was interviewed by Variety about reprising his film role as Draco Malfoy in the Broadway play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." The play, based off an original story co-authored by Rowling, takes place 19 years after the final "Harry Potter" novel. Felton was asked if the controversy surrounding Rowling's transgender views had affected his work at all, which he denied. Rowling has been a strong advocate for single-sex spaces for women and has repeatedly been labeled as transphobic by far-left activists. John Lithgow Shocked By Backlash He Got From Pro-trans Activists Over Joining New 'Harry Potter' Series "No, I can't say that it does. I'm not really that attuned to it," Felton said before praising the series' author. Read On The Fox News App "The only thing I always remind myself is that I've been lucky enough to travel the world — here I am in New York — and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than 'Potter,'" Felton explained to Variety. "And she's responsible for that, so I'm incredibly grateful." Felton previously expressed his admiration for the author in a 2022 interview as she faced criticism from transgender activists for her views. "I am quick to remind myself and others that 'Potter,' for some reason, has brought more people together across the world and more generations than probably anything else has in the past 20 years, and I'm quick to celebrate that," he told The Times of London in a 2022 interview. "It came from one person, and that's her, so I'm very grateful." Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Rowling's hugely popular book series, which launched the hit film franchise which Felton starred in, has not lost its appeal with fans. Beyond the Broadway play, the series is also being adapted into an upcoming HBO television series. Felton shared his excitement at reprising his Potter role all these years later with his Broadway debut. "I think we all thought that the fandom flame might be doused over the years, but clearly it's not," he said Sunday. "The most exciting part is to do it live. It took nine months, more or less, to shoot a film, and this is all compact. This is all reimagined into a very loving, new type of story. And I get to be a dad, which is really fun."Original article source: 'Harry Potter' actor stands by JK Rowling at Tony Awards amid criticism of her transgender views
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Disney finally owns all of Hulu, ending long tug-of-war with Comcast
Walt Disney Co. has agreed to pay Comcast Corp. an additional $438.7 million to finalize the Mouse House purchase of streaming service Hulu. Disney in December 2023 initially paid Comcast $8.6 billion for NBCUniversal's one-third stake in the streaming service. The final payment, announced Monday, brings the total amount the Burbank entertainment giant will ultimately pay Comcast for its stake to $9.2 billion. This week's agreement came after an extended appraisal process as the two companies struggled over Hulu's actual value. The platform that is home to "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Only Murders in the Building" appears to be worth about $27.5 billion. The resolution also represents a major step in Disney's years-long pivot to streaming. 'We are pleased this is finally resolved," Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said in a statement, acknowledging Disney's productive partnership with the Philadelphia-based company. "Completing the Hulu acquisition paves the way for a deeper and more seamless integration of Hulu's general entertainment content with Disney+ and, soon, with ESPN's direct-to-consumer product, providing an unrivaled value proposition for consumers," Iger said. Read more: Disney to pay at least $8.6 billion for Comcast's Hulu stake The two companies have had tense relations since Comcast launched a failed hostile takeover of Disney in 2004. Tensions flared again seven years ago after Comcast jumped into Disney's bidding process for Rupert Murdoch's entertainment assets, substantially driving up the price for Disney. Disney prevailed. It gained the majority stake in Hulu as part of its $71-billion acquisition of much of Murdoch's company in April 2019. That spring, Disney and Comcast negotiated a pact that outlined the governance of the service while it was jointly owned by the two companies and also provided a blueprint to dissolve their partnership. At the time, they agreed that Hulu would be valued at no less than $27.5 billion, making Comcast's stake worth at least $8.6 billion. Comcast's divestiture process began two years ago when Chief Executive Brian Roberts signaled that his company wanted out. The parties then entered into an appraisal process to find a value for Hulu. Disney noted the $438.7 million payment was substantially less than what Comcast had wanted. The deal is expected to close by July 24. Hulu launched as an NBCUniversal and Fox joint venture in 2008. Disney joined the following year as an equity owner. 'Hulu was a great start for us in streaming that generated nearly $10 billion in proceeds for Comcast and created an important audience for NBCUniversal's world-class content," Comcast said in a statement Monday. "We wish Disney well with Hulu and appreciate the cooperative way our teams managed the partnership." Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
