Although the golden age of sketch comedy on national television lasted from the seventies (Morecambe and Wise, Mike Yarwood, The Two Ronnies) until the late nineties (French and Saunders, Fry and Laurie, Mitchell and Webb, and The Fast Show), during the past twenty years TV has moved away from sketch shows with the exceptions of isolated attempts such as Harry & Paul and Watson and Oliver. We are inundated with comedy panel shows, but these tend to feature the same stable of comedians rotating through different channels. Only Taskmaster, now into its twenty-first season on Channel 4, regularly showcases new comedy and reveals unfamiliar sides of well-known comedians. Viewing habits have also changed significantly, so that there are fewer “event” shows and it is significantly harder to attract an audience to a set time-slot every week, with the result that broadcasters increasingly fall back on reality TV.
However, Sky — currently taking over ITV — seems to be defying these trends. As part of the recent relaunch of Sky One they decided to introduce Saturday Night Live UK, directed and produced by Lorne Michaels, reworking the venerable American format for a domestic audience. Critics and pundits were initially very sceptical, as was I: how could something so American be translated successfully? Luckily, Sky have found themselves with a sleeper hit and the show has now been recommissioned for a second twelve-episode series after the initial eight-episode run concluded.
Part of the show’s success is due to casting little-known comedians. Although Ania Magliano, Emma Sidi (Taskmaster), Annabel Marlow (West End musical theatre), George Fouraces (Shakespeare at the Globe and the Edinburgh Festival), and Celeste Dring (Lazy Susan) have previously appeared on TV, the rest of the names are new. It also helps that the writing staff are English, including Al Roberts (who has appeared as an actor in sitcoms such as Everyone Else Burns and Starstruck), and the cast are also involved in writing their own material. The only element that sometimes doesn’t work is the opening monologue, which is usually based on the past week’s news and involves impersonations of current politicians.
There are also guest hosts — beginning with Tina Fey, which gave the show continuity with the American original — followed by Nicola Coughlan, Riz Ahmed, Jamie Dornan, Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee Lou Wood, and Hannah Waddingham. This works very well because the writers focus on each guest host’s individuality. The superb Aimee Lou Wood provided a brilliant trailer for the show, getting some payback for the time when the American version mocked her teeth, and also popped up again in the final episode. Her comedic timing is superb, and she particularly shone as the wife in Al Nash, George Fouracres, and Hammed Animashaun's send-up of the notoriously creepy 1984 British Pork advert, the series’ high point. To make the sketch as authentic as possible they even sourced some of the original products from that commercial, and ultimately created one of the darkest and funniest sketches of the last twenty years, performed entirely live.
Ncuti Gatwa mined his role as Doctor Who for laughs (finally his parents had a doctor in the family!) and West End queen Hannah Waddingham’s voice and humour were utilised to perfection in a sketch set entirely in a trainers store, building up a backstory which led to a really awful pun involving the most famous song from The Phantom of the Opera. Special mention must also go to Ania Magliano and Paddy Young as news anchors on Weekend Update. The satirical news desk is a tradition going all the way back to The Two Ronnies, and Ania and Paddy absolutely nailed it, bringing the concept into the twenty-first century with their hilarious interplay. Indeed, the diverse cast all play to their unique strengths: Emma Sidi and Celeste Dring are superb impressionists, George Fouracres’ 45 Seconds spots contain surrealistic comedy in the vein of Vic and Bob, and Al Nash works well throughout as the straight man.
The show definitely found its feet as the series progressed. Throughout the comedy is fast-paced, and although some of the sketches don’t land, as is inevitable on any sketch show, they are balanced out by the ones that do. Contrary to expectation, the American format has enabled the creators to showcase a peculiarly national style of humour encompassing the satirical and the surreal, character-based comedy, and impressions. It is excellent news that SNLUK has been scheduled for a second season. Out of all the broadcasters who might conceivably have brought sketch comedy back to TV, I wouldn’t have put my money on Sky, but fair play to them. Perhaps this success will encourage other networks to be bolder and usher in a new golden age of sketch comedy.--James R. Turner
