Jeff Goldblum Kicks Off SNL UK Season 2: Is It a Sleeper Hit?

Saturday Night Live UK has returned for its second season, kicking off with a renewed vigour after an initial run that some observers, including this one, had prematurely dubbed "doomed." The show, airing on Sky One, seems to be finding its feet, albeit slowly, with a growing sense of confidence among its cast, even as it navigates the tricky waters of adapting an iconic American format for British audiences.

The season opener featured the distinctive presence of Jeff Goldblum as host, who immediately immersed himself in his duties, even performing a jazzy number during his monologue. He humorously expressed his hope to be liked "more than Nando's or Marmite" to the London audience.

Goldblum's hosting style was, predictably, pure Goldblum, full of his unique charisma, though sometimes bordering on a "hyperactive toddler" in his dramatic range, playing himself across most sketches.

Highlights included his musical intro and a poignant sketch about imaginary friends.

The comedic lineup for the episode included sketches poking fun at timely political and cultural figures.

George Fouracres returned, portraying a new fictional Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a nod to his previous role as Keir Starmer. Larry Dean took on Prince Charles lamenting to Harry and Meghan about Netflix spending, while Celeste Dring's Claudia Winkleman impression made an anticipated appearance, especially with "The Traitors" set to return.

New cast member Freddie Meredith debuted in a passable scene with Goldblum offering pick-up lines.

While the cast members like Ania Magliano and Paddy Young, who delivered enjoyably edgy material on "Weekend Update" with sharp observations on German and Israeli politics, are showing promise, the overall sketch quality remains spotty. Some sketches, like Gregor J Dupont, felt a bit derivative, echoing established British comedy personas.

The challenge for SNL UK continues to be consistency, with many sketches still missing the mark.

Despite the unevenness, the show "has legs" thanks to its talented and increasingly confident cast. However, being tucked away on Sky One, it faces an uphill battle to gain the broad audience necessary to become a significant platform for new UK comedy talent.

Its success will heavily depend on its ability to generate viral, shareable moments, a metric where it currently lags behind other popular British comedy shows and even niche YouTube channels. The British comedy scene has been buzzing about SNL UK since its inception, but it's still striving to achieve the breakout success seen by shows like "Taskmaster" or "Have I Got News for You."

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