‘Saturday Night Live UK “Well Underway” With Casting, Sky Says

Sky making progress in his Saturday Night Live United Kingdom throw.

The show, which got the British comedy community talking, has since taken further steps. Deadline reveals its creative team's monthaccording to Skye's off-the-record boss Phil Edgar-Joneswho spoke at Content London.

“Casting is now in full swing,” Edgar-Jones said. “We've been looking at writers and have had a great response from the comedy community. This is an opportunity for us to nurture the next generation of comic talent.”

A Sky white paper published earlier this year said candidates are asked to demonstrate each sketch has potential. SNL guest host, with successful applicants expected to be available from mid-January to early April before the show begins later next year.

Clicked to provide additional information about SNL, Edgar-Jones stressed that he needed to remain silent.

“People call me all the time and say, ‘Don’t say anything,’” he added. Edgar-Jones joked that it was no easy task as he was nicknamed “Leaky Phil” at Sky.

SNL UK revealed the creative team last month. Daran Jonno Johnson, who helped write the Disney+ series Wedding seasonis head writer, and Liz Clare, an experienced live television director who has worked on events such as the BAFTA Film Awards, has been hired as series director. Both join James Longman, executive producer The Late Show with James Corden.

Edgar-Jones has a broad credentials, but one area he won't delve into is the guessing game genre made famous by Traitors. “There is a danger now that everyone is looking at grand strategy. Traitors-y formats,” he added. “I think we have to be careful in the market to go with something that is already best in class.”

“More soap or fun”

Meanwhile, the Sky drama is looking for a change of tone.

The pay-TV giant is looking for drama series that have “more soap and more fun,” according to scripted executive Megan Livers.

“They can feel very sloppy,” Lyvers added. “They shouldn't feel like a guilty pleasure, just a pleasure. We do big, heavy dramatic pieces well, but we'd like to diversify our offering in terms of tone.”

The long-running Sky comedy is also worth mentioning. Copper is coming to an end, and Livers said her team is “looking for a new Copper– like a show, and this is not an easy task.” “It's a challenge, but we've been talking to producers more and more about it over the last few months,” she added.

Livers also said that Sky wants to try to increase the number of limited series such as the upcoming one. Amadeus starring Will Sharp, and make more tentpoles like its hit adaptation Day of the Jackalwhich is included in the second season.