Did SNL UK Defy The Critics?

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Did SNL UK defy the critics?

• Richard was effusive in his praise for the launch of SNL UK on Sky, calling it “magnificent” and saying he didn’t think “it could have been better.” He credited lead producer James Longman with landing the show under enormous pressure and with a big budget behind it. Marina, who has previously said she doesn’t enjoy the US version of SNL, acknowledged it was a “successfully done transfer” of the format. Both were critical of some UK TV critics who they felt lacked the expertise to properly assess the show, with Richard noting that one reviewer called it “shockingly competent,” suggesting they were surprised not to hate it.

Which performer stood out from SNL UK’s debut?

• Marina singled out Jack Shep’s Princess Diana impression as the highlight, declaring it “wiped the floor with both Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown.” She called it the best Princess Diana impression she had ever seen, urging listeners to “put it in the Louvre.” The sketch ran for around eight minutes, but it was the short, clippable moments that went viral, which both hosts agreed is how the show will build its cultural relevance in the modern media landscape.

Is eight episodes enough for SNL UK to make an impact?

• Marina expressed concern that the short episode order – initially six, then extended to eight – would make it difficult for SNL UK to become part of the cultural conversation, particularly compared to the US version’s 20-episode seasons. Richard was less worried, arguing that “nothing’s part of our cultural conversation anymore” and that what matters is the clips going viral on social media. He noted that the live broadcast got 226,000 viewers, but suggested this figure is less important than the ancillary content and the careers built off the back of it. Both agreed that Sky could potentially extend the run if it proves successful.

How is Last One Laughing performing in its second series?

• Richard described Last One Laughing as “so effortlessly funny” and “so innocently stupid,” calling it a “genuine phenomenon” that attracted over two and a half million viewers within its first few days. He singled out Sam Campbell as “the absolute standout,” comparing him to “Luke to Bob’s Darth Vader.” Marina noted that the gameplay has evolved in the second series, with returning champion Bob Mortimer defending his title and talent fees reportedly running to north of a quarter of a million pounds for a single day’s work.

What does it mean that comedy is now a battleground between Sky and Amazon?

• Marina found it almost a “category mistake” to discuss SNL UK and Last One Laughing together, given how different Sky and Amazon are as companies. She noted that Amazon’s interest in comedy is ultimately about selling shopping, insurance, and services – they want to be “the everything corporate.” Richard, however, welcomed the investment, saying he’d “rather they were taking big swings on comedy than say F1.” Both agreed that comedians are effectively the “foot soldiers” in a much larger corporate battle.

What has gone wrong with Meghan and Harry’s Netflix deal?

• A major Variety article detailed the falling out between the Sussexes and Netflix. Marina outlined the history: a deal pegged at around $60 million (not the reported $100 million), a hugely successful documentary debut, a Spotify podcast deal that fell apart after one series, and Harry’s autobiography Spare, which became “the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time.” However, subsequent projects – polo, global justice, and Meghan’s lifestyle show With Love, Meghan – performed poorly. The first series of With Love ranked 383rd on Netflix over a six-month period; the holiday special ranked 1,217th. Netflix has since divested from Meghan’s retail brand, and CEO Ted Sarandos has unfollowed her on Instagram.

Why did Netflix get into retail with the Sussexes in the first place?

• Marina explained that Netflix saw an opportunity in “shoppable content” after everything featured in the Harry & Meghan documentary sold out – from kitchen equipment to an Hermès baby blanket costing more than £1,000 – without Netflix earning any revenue from those sales. The strategy was heavily influenced by Disney’s decades-old playbook of merchandise and brand extension. Netflix has existing retail partnerships across shows like Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Bridgerton, and saw Meghan as “our very own princess” who could drive a similar model. Ultimately, the retail venture reportedly ended up with $10 million in surplus stock.

What’s left for Meghan and Harry as content creators?

• Both hosts were blunt. Marina argued that the couple have “one story” – leaving the royal family – and they’ve now told it every possible way. She compared them to the Ancient Mariner. Richard suggested that if Meghan had set her sights lower, there would be enough interest in the brand to “sell jam and have a nice living,” but not at the scale of a $60 million deal. Marina noted Meghan should have gone into beauty, citing Hailey Bieber’s Rhode brand, which sold for a billion dollars with just eight products. They still have a first-look deal with Netflix, but Marina suggested the only new content anyone would want from them would be a break-up story.

What pop-culture recommendations did the hosts make?

• Marina recommended three things: the Hollywood Reporter article about the disastrous lighting at the Vanity Fair Oscars party, calling it hilarious and “so camp”; Vin Diesel’s Instagram post about the burden of making the final Fast and Furious film, which claimed the franchise had “outlasted trend, cynics and time itself”; and the Justin Timberlake DUI arrest body-camera footage, which she described as featuring around 11 minutes 40 seconds of content including Timberlake struggling to explain his world tour to officers. Richard recommended both SNL UK and Last One Laughing.

Media Mentions

Television Shows

• Saturday Night Live UK – Sky One sketch comedy show, UK adaptation of SNL
• LOL: Last One Laughing UK – Amazon Prime Video comedy competition
• Saturday Night Live (US) – NBC sketch comedy series
• The Office (UK) – BBC comedy, referenced as an example of initially poor reviews
• The Crown – Netflix drama, referenced in relation to Princess Diana portrayals
• With Love, Meghan – Netflix lifestyle series starring Meghan Markle
• Harry & Meghan – Netflix documentary series
• Stranger Things – Netflix sci-fi drama, referenced for its retail partnerships
• Bridgerton – Netflix period drama, referenced for its merchandise
• Squid Game – Netflix Korean drama, referenced for its KFC collaboration
• Wednesday – Netflix series, referenced for its merchandise
• Clarkson’s Farm – Amazon Prime Video series
• Beast Games – Amazon Prime Video competition show
• House of Games – BBC game show, referenced as now hosted by Michael Sheen
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer – referenced in relation to a rumoured reboot
• Wogan – BBC chat show, referenced as an example of a bygone broadcasting era

Films

• Project Hail Mary – 2026 sci-fi film starring Ryan Gosling, described as the biggest film of the year so far

Books

• Project Hail Mary (novel) – 2021 novel by Andy Weir, the source material for the film
• Spare – Prince Harry’s memoir, described as the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time

Music / Live Events

• Fast and Furious (franchise) – Vin Diesel’s Instagram post about the final instalment
• Justin Timberlake DUI arrest body-camera footage – recommended as viewing
• Vanity Fair Oscars Party – Hollywood Reporter article about disastrous lighting

Franchises / Brands

• K-Pop Demon Hunters – referenced as a Netflix property with a planned tour
• As Ever – Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand (jam, dried flowers, baking mixes)
• Rhode – Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand, sold for approximately $1 billion

Hot Takes

• Richard on SNL UK: “I don’t think it could have been better. I thought it was magnificent.”
• Richard on the first episode reviews of The Office: “This is a disgrace. […] Where’s all the money gone? Ricky Gervais can’t write.”
• Richard on some TV critics: “You have no idea or understanding of why this format is over here, how it got made, who these people are.”
• Marina on Jack Shep’s Princess Diana: “It wiped the floor with both Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown. […] Put it in the Louvre.”
• Richard on Last One Laughing: “It’s so effortlessly funny. It’s so rare to have something that’s just so innocently stupid.”
• Richard on Sam Campbell in Last One Laughing: “It feels like he’s Luke to Bob’s Darth Vader.”
• Marina on audiences’ attitude to comedy: people will watch “absolutely hours of a really rubbish thriller with loads of ridiculous plot holes” and say it was fine, but “30 seconds of a sketch they don’t like, they lose their mind.”
• Marina on comedians as foot soldiers: “The comedians are just […] the foot soldiers and it’s a battle that’s already been kind of won and lost.”
• Marina on SNL UK being Sky’s most expensive unscripted show: she suggested Sky are “raging against the dying of the light.”
• Marina on Meghan’s language: even her P&L statements have to be “meaningful.” Meghan is “creating wonder in every spreadsheet.”
• Marina on why nobody watches With Love, Meghan: “Nobody cares about watching her make […] lavender biscuits for her ex-hairdresser. […] This is bullshit and it’s boring.”
• Marina quoting Bill Simmons on the Sussexes: “You’re grifters. They’re grifters. They have nothing to say apart from this one story.”
• Richard’s reply: “We’re all grifters, really. It’s okay to be a grifter.”
• Marina on a talent agent’s assessment of the Sussexes: “They’re just not very good.”
• Marina described the Sussexes as “not very talented” with “a hugely overstated idea of their cultural relevance.”
• Marina compared Harry and Meghan to “the Ancient Mariner” – they’ve told their one story every possible way they can.
• Richard on Meghan’s presenter fee: “You’ve paid them more than the Duffer brothers.”
• Richard on whether he would invest: “If she came and asked me for 10 grand for 25% of that, I’d be like, yeah, that feels good. But $60 million for 25% of it would be […] beyond me.”
• Marina on the Hollywood Reporter lighting article: “Some of the most beautiful people in the world look awful.”
• Marina on Vin Diesel claiming Fast and Furious has “outlasted trend, cynics and time itself.” Richard’s response: “It’s outlasted time itself. This is terrible news.”
• Marina on the Justin Timberlake DUI footage: “I’m on a world tour. What is one? It’s very, very hard to explain. I’m Justin Timberlake. Also hard to explain.”

Who’s Who

• James Longman – Lead producer of SNL UK
• Lorne Michaels – Creator and executive producer of Saturday Night Live
• Jack Shep – Comedian and SNL UK cast member; praised for his Princess Diana impression
• Emma Corrin – Actor who played Princess Diana in The Crown
• Elizabeth Debicki – Actor who played Princess Diana in The Crown
• Donald Trump – US President; shared the SNL UK cold open
• Keir Starmer – UK Prime Minister; featured in the SNL UK cold open
• Ricky Gervais – Writer and star of The Office; referenced for early bad reviews
• Bob Mortimer – Comedian; defending champion on Last One Laughing
• Sam Campbell – Australian comedian; described as the standout of Last One Laughing Series 2
• Romesh Ranganathan – Comedian; contestant on Last One Laughing
• Ryan Gosling – Actor; star of Project Hail Mary
• Meghan Markle – Duchess of Sussex
• Prince Harry – Duke of Sussex
• Ted Sarandos – Co-CEO of Netflix; unfollowed Meghan on Instagram
• Bill Simmons – Spotify executive and podcast host; called the Sussexes “grifters”
• Oprah Winfrey – TV host; conducted interview with Meghan and Harry
• MrBeast – YouTube’s highest-paid creator; makes most of his money from chocolate
• Hailey Bieber – Model and founder of Rhode beauty brand
• David Beckham – Footballer; photographed looking sad in LA
• Brooklyn Beckham – referenced in connection with a possible documentary series
• Nicola Peltz – Actor and wife of Brooklyn Beckham; referenced in connection with a possible documentary
• Vin Diesel – Actor; posted about the final Fast and Furious film
• Justin Timberlake – Singer; DUI arrest body-camera footage released
• Diane Arbus – Photographer; referenced in the Hollywood Reporter lighting article
• Princess Diana – Subject of Jack Shep’s SNL UK impression
• Michael Sheen – Actor; referenced as new host of House of Games
• Terry Wogan – Broadcaster; referenced as symbol of a bygone era of nightly television
• The Duffer Brothers – creators of Stranger Things; referenced as earning less than Meghan’s presenter fee

Notable Numbers

• 226,000 – Live viewers for the first episode of SNL UK on Sky
• 8 – Total episode order for SNL UK Series 1 (originally 6, extended by 2)
• 20 – Episodes per season for SNL in the US, by comparison
• 2.5 million+ – Viewers for Last One Laughing UK within its first two to three days
• £250,000+ – Reported top-end talent fee for a single day on Last One Laughing
• $60 million – Estimated base value of the Sussexes’ Netflix deal (not the widely reported $100 million)
• $20 million – The Sussexes’ Spotify podcast deal
• $40 million – Prince Harry’s reported earnings from his memoir Spare
• 383rd – Ranking of With Love, Meghan Series 1 among Netflix programmes over a six-month period
• 1,217th – Ranking of With Love, Meghan holiday special on Netflix
• $10 million – Reported value of surplus stock from Meghan’s retail brand
• £1,000+ – Price of the Hermès baby blanket that sold out after appearing in the Harry & Meghan documentary
• $1 billion – Approximate sale price of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode beauty brand
• 8 products – Number of products in Hailey Bieber’s Rhode range when it sold for a billion
• 11 minutes 40 seconds – Length of the released Justin Timberlake DUI arrest footage
• 30 years – Approximate time since Princess Diana’s death (Marina acknowledging the relevance question)