SNL UK Cast on Six-Day Sprint and Season 2 Ambitions
SNL UK's Celeste Dring, Jack Shep and Al Nash tell Collider how 35 sketches become six in a week, and what they want from Season 2.
Saturday Night Live UK runs on a clock that leaves little room for error. Cast members Celeste Dring, Jack Shep and Al Nash told Collider, in a North American exclusive, that each episode is written, rehearsed, cut and rebuilt in just six days, with a 300-person crew behind it.
Lead producer James Longman described the weekly winnowing: writers and cast start with around 35 sketches, then prioritize six after the Wednesday table read. Two more are typically cut during the 6 p.m. Saturday dress rehearsal, four hours before the live show.
Shep emerged as the breakout performer of Season 1, known for a Princess Diana impression. The season finale drew 210,000 UK viewers across seven days, with the series airing behind a paid subscription on Sky.
What the cast wants next
Season 2 opened its first cold open with a sketch titled "Harry and Meghan Return Home." Looking further ahead, the cast said they want the show to take more cues from the American original: bigger stunts, messier set pieces, spit-takes, and sexier, cruder sketches.
Quick answers
How long does it take to make an episode of SNL UK?
Each episode is written, rehearsed, cut and rebuilt in six days, with a 300-person crew.
How many sketches make it to air each week?
Writers and cast begin with around 35 sketches, prioritize six after the Wednesday table read, and usually cut two more at the Saturday dress rehearsal.
What do the cast want from Season 2?
They want more cues from the American original, including bigger stunts, messier set pieces, spit-takes, and sexier, cruder sketches.