SNL UK After Party 4/11/26 - S1 E4 “Golf Can Be Such A Cruel Sport”
Host: Jack Whitehall
Musical Guest: Jorja Smith
When I don’t recognize either the host or the musical guest on the American SNL, I get sad because that clearly means I have aged out of pop culture knowledge. But at least with the UK version I can pretend it is not being a subject of His Majesty that creates the issue.
So let’s go with that as we nurse our drinks at this week’s SNL UK After Party!
Cold Open
Friends at a cookout (Annabel Marlow, Jack Shep and Al Nash) begin to play “never have I ever”, when American First Lady Melania Trump (Emma Sidi) appears from the bushes suggesting the topic “Never have I ever been friends with Jeffrey Epstein!”
Nash retorts, “Your husband started a war to distract us from it. It was kind of working, to be fair about it.”
The sketch ends with Melania saying she has no friends since they all randomly died in a maximum security prison.
And then the whole thing is over.
It was not a great sketch, but it was admirably short.
Monologue
I do not know who Jack Whitehall is. In England, he is well known as a comic and has appeared in tons of British shows that I have never heard of. None of this is criticism. In fact, it’s quite cool to see a UK show aim at their actual audience instead of random people in the US who pay for Peacock.
Whitehall starts out talking about what a run of hosts SNL UK had in its first few shows. There was SNL royalty, a sex symbol, and an Academy Award winner. And with him we “get the star of Clifford the Big Red Dog.”
He says it’s fun for the Brits to finally steal a show from the US since America has been doing so for years.
Whitehall mentions he is getting married next week (congrats!), and then launches into an extended “weddings sure are expensive” routine. This monologue did not fill me with a sense that the show was going to be great this week.
Gary Smith - Albion
Gary Smith, an old football (or soccer if you’re American) player (Ayoade Bamgboye) returns to his old stadium and is met by his coach, whom he believed to be dead. The coach’s wife shows up and Smith thought she too was dead. He greets them both with tearful hugs. Then Smith’s father shows up, who pretended to die when he and Gary’s mother split up. This is followed by a jogger that Smith hit on a country lane and had assumed was dead. Harambe and Dobby the house elf follow suit.
This is an entertaining piece of heightening and silliness. It doesn’t really have any way to conclude, but that’s okay. It’s just good to see Harambe (via a very unrealistic gorilla suit) again.
Wakefield Rovers
A football team (again soccer for us Yanks) lines up before a match, and are paired up with kids who will be the team’s mascots for the day. Whitehall doesn’t like the looks of his kid, so he wants to trade out. After much wrangling, Nash agrees to trade, but then Whitehall declares the new kid to be worse. This leads to the whole team working out a fair way to distribute the kids.
This was more cute than funny.
Mastermind
In this quiz show parody, the host (Hammed Animashaun) asks questions in a participant’s field of expertise. The first guest (Whitehall) is an expert in “Things my mum told me about people I have no connection to”.
Questions range from what noise a friend of his mom’s air fryer makes to what did his mom say not to put on the internet. (“Pat’s got a new gate.”) The questions and responses are funny, and Animashaun’s delivery as the host works.
DadSwap
An app creator (George Fouracres) in a pretaped commercial piece pitches an app for people to swap out their dads for one more compatible based on hobbies and passions. It turns out this turns into romantic connections at an alarming rate, leaving the creator to point out this is technically allowed, and is not in any way illegal. But it frustrates him quite a bit.
This was a clever idea that was well executed.
Masters
Shep and Fouracres are golf announcers at The Masters who “aren’t whispering. This is just as high as our voices go.”
As Whitehall finishes the tournament, he is congratulated by his caddie, then his wife appears and gives him a kiss. Then his opponent congratulates and kisses him. As does the opponent’s wife. This develops into the creation of a polycule on the green - one which Whitehall is thrown out of in favor of a delivery driver. Ultimately, this leads to Whitehall and his caddy becoming a couple.
This really is just the old SNL bit of the family that kisses a lot with a new coat. Still, it’s an original take on the trope and convoluted enough to be interesting.
Weekend Update
The war in Iran tops the news, with the focus being on Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to the region. He is said to have been allowed a limited number of journalists to follow, or as the Saudi Crown Prince said, “a suitcase full”. The British version does not pull punches.
The Artemis II gets coverage. The flight commander indicated he had no adjectives to describe the dark side of the moon. Co-Anchor Ania Magliano recommended “Moonie”. Meanwhile, Paddy Young noted that the Pacific landing was viewed as a great feat by scientists, but “the darkest day in our history” by a pod of dolphins the capsule smashed into.
In a story about Ringo Starr, Paddy said the drummer said that broccoli is how he is still able to tour at his age, to which Paddy added “That and being in a band called the Beatles.”
There was also an insanely stupid (by which I mean I wish I had written it) joke that due to bankruptcy, a ferry company is being liquidated, leading Paddy to say, “Yeah. That’s how boats work.”
For the desk set, Magliano brings out Paul Townsend (Celeste Dring), the winning jockey of the Grand Nationals. Townsend is interrupted by I Am Maximus (Nash) the horse who Townsend rode. The two argue and end up in a slap fight as to who the real champion is. It’s a fun bit of fluffy nonsense.
And Paddy continues his ongoing joke about knowing way too much about BTS and K-Pop
The next bit features Marlow and Shep as Gen Z correspondent. They just make weird noises for some reason. I don’t think I got the point of this one. But, I’m Gen X, so maybe that is, indeed, the point.
Peter Pan
Wendy (Dring) and husband (Nash) are celebrating their anniversary when an inebriated Peter Pan (Whitehall) flies into the window. He tries to woe Wendy back and belittle her husband by flying about. However, due to his intoxicated state he just crashes into pieces of furniture and walls. It’s a fun bit of physical comedy that may outstay its welcome a bit. Still, one can’t help but feel a little sad when Peter bemoans the state of Neverland by saying the Lost Boys have been found, Smee got long COVID and Tinkerbell is doing OnlyFans now.
Falling Down a Hill With Helen Birch
Let me be honest. When the performers are heavily made up, I still have a hard time differentiating some of them. So, if I get them wrong, there it is. Dring (I THINK) stars as the host of show that used to be called “Helen Birch’s Birches of St. Helens,” but since she has been known to fall down a hill while discussing trees, the producers made her change the name. Each and every one of us knows where this is heading, but it doesn’t make it any less funny when she does tumble down a hill. Say what will, this sketch delivered on its premise.
1930’s Cocaine
In a black and white scenario from the 1930’s, Whitehall is a gay man marrying Marlow, a lesbian, in a sham marriage to fit in with society. They are in a restaurant waiting for Marlow to meet Whitehall’s mother. However, Shep pops in in drag as Whitehall’s lover (who he calls cousin). Shep is over the top bonkers stating, “Pardon my appearance, I fell asleep in a graveyard!”. He then pardons himself to “powder my schnoz, by which I mean snort 1930’s cocaine!”
Shep then grabs an enormous cake and does a fun bit of physical comedy where he appears closing to dropping it, finally having a door open to smash it into his face.
Whitehall’s mom (Dring) is prim and proper and does not care for Marlow, but she is fascinated by Shep. Marlow’s girlfriend (Sidi) shows up, and then Shep asks “Have you gals ever experience 1930’s cocaine. Then everyone dances, as is required as an ending for at least one show each episode.
This sketch was absurd, had high energy and was very entertaining. Shep’s manic energy took this one up a few notches.
The Goodbye Wave
Best Sketch: I have a soft spot for comedy bits set in the roaring 20’s and 30’s. I can’t tell you why. But, this one rocket-fueled by Jack Shep really, dare I say, took the cake.
Worst Sketch: I know I say this from time to time, but I really don’t like to consider the monologue for the superlative categories. But, I will make an exception when warranted, and this week it was. This monologue sucked the energy out of the room and didn’t land at all. It was a weak start to what would prove to be a middling episode.
I have been very excited about SNL UK so far, but Whitehall led a lackluster episode. There was nothing horrible on display here, but nothing to make it a memorable outing either. This was an episode that one could take or leave and not feel too bad about either choice.
Grade: C-
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