Saturday Night Live UK returned this week with the second episode of its second series, hosted by Jamie Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats, Fleabag).
Last week’s instalment was hosted by Jeff Goldblum and somewhat failed to hit similar beats to the debut series, with sketches that seemed to drag on amongst other issues.
After a first episode I ultimately deemed underwhelming, how did the gang get on this week?
The episode’s cold open comes with a return to the royal family, where Larry Dean’s Prince Charles is provided with an AI robot named the ‘Deeply Intelligent Autonomous Neuro-kinetic Android’, or D.I.A.N.A, for short.
This of course sees the return of Jack Shep as Lady Di herself, a favourite from the first series.
Ed Sheeran gags
Following the AI’s sudden sentience and attack on the surrounding people, Annabel Marlow arrives as Ed Sheeran to remind the audience they don’t have to pick a side, in a clear reference to recent events regarding the singer.
The Sheeran jokes also continue in the Weekend Update segment, once again hosted flawlessly by Ania Magliano and Paddy Young.
The segment is naturally political, and shows the creative freedom the team has with their jokes, which certainly don’t show any signs of sitting on the fence.
It’s the team’s freedom that clearly makes the show as successful as it is, with a cast happy to be a part of the team and express themselves freely, although some might argue that this could alienate a large portion of potential viewers, arguably a price to pay in favour of a crew that clearly love what they’re doing.
More comfortable than Goldblum
Demetriou shines as a host, coming across much more comfortable than Goldblum, without feeling as out of place as the Jurassic Park star.
The host, who will appear in Pride and Prejudice on Netflix, had some decent sketches, playing a Phillip Schofield equivalent in The Shape, a parody of classic game show The Cube, a pretty decent sketch that focuses on outlandish parody.
There’s also a stupidly funny bit that follows an incompetent background actor on a film set that resembles The Odyssey.
The final sketch that sticks in the memory is one set in CeX, and mocks the general customer experience as well as common stereotypes around the workers.
This sketch is quite funny and a good bit of observational comedy, but it unfortunately drags on a little too much, as do the pre-recorded ones once again.
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Strong member of the cast
Freddie Meredith is starting to become a strong member of the cast, supporting each sketch very well, and gets a decent bit more screentime than he did in his first appearance.
The biggest issue with the episode for me, and I’d imagine most viewers, is that I found myself wondering where on earth George Fouracres had gone.
The shining light of SNL UK only appears at the ending, in what is one of the better sketches the series has done.
This week’s show ends with a triumphant parody of the X Factor, a series that has returned to the public eye amongst a speculated return.
Fouracres introduces the competition’s final 12, and an ensemble cast parodying the likes of Olly Murs and the iconic Wagner, supported by Little Mix, does an excellent performance riffing on all the UK’s most iconic artists and contestants in a cover of Olly Murs and Rizzle Kicks’ Heart Skips a Beat.
The second episode is a strong return to SNL UK in form and spirit, ironing out a lot of creases from Episode 1.
The series continues to focus on the British public eye and culture, and remains in good health ahead of the next episode, which will be hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, of Chicken Shop Date.
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