Category: Entertainment

Put on your wig and grab all the accessories you can find: The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” is airing on Disney+ on March 24.

In the one-hour streaming special, Miley Cyrus revisits Miley Stewart’s Malibu home, reunites with some Disney Channel icons and dusts off a few hit songs from the series, which aired from 2006 to 2011.

“I didn’t want to do this modern approach to Hannah. I wanted to keep it preserved,” Cyrus said in her Variety cover story. She said making the anniversary special “felt like home again.”

Here’s everything we know about the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.”

The music

At a taping of the special, Cyrus embodied Hannah Montana on a stage that resembled the show’s title sequence. She wore a sparkling black dress and styled her hair in blond bangs like Hannah’s — no, that’s not a wig!

In front of an audience of 215 people, Cyrus performed “This Is the Life,” “The Climb” and “The Best of Both Worlds.” She also has a new, original song that will appear in the special.

The special guests

Cyrus broke the news with Variety that fellow Disney kid and “Hannah Montana” guest star Selena Gomez will appear in the special. “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper, who interviews Cyrus in the telecast, arranged for Gomez to surprise Cyrus.

Billy Ray Cyrus, Cyrus’ real-life and TV dad who played Robby Ray Stewart on the series, reunites with Cyrus in a replica of the Stewart family living room. The two have a conversation in which they recount stories from the audition process. Cyrus’ mom, Tish Cyrus, also appears in the special for a heart-to-heart with Cyrus as they revisit Hannah Montana’s beloved, futuristic bedroom closet.

Other “Hannah Montana” cast members, like Emily Osment and Jason Earles, have posted about the show’s 20th anniversary, but whether they will make cameos on the special has yet to be announced. And it’s unclear whether other famous “Hannah Montana” alumni — like the Jonas Brothers or Dolly Parton — will appear.

The sets

Disney recreated the sets of the Stewart house for the 20th anniversary special, and Tish pulled out dozens of outfits, fan letters and scrapbooks that she had saved in her archives. In a trailer for the special, Cyrus is seen walking into the Stewarts’ kitchen and sitting down for an interview in the living room.

While filming the special, Cyrus was spotted by paparazzi driving in a convertible in Malibu. She confirmed to Variety that it was Cooper’s idea to begin the special on an emotional note, with Cyrus driving on Pacific Coast Highway to the Hollywood soundstage. “I didn’t think about the correlation between Hannah’s house in Malibu and my house in Malibu,” Cyrus said, “and my house burning down and me rebuilding.”

The nostalgia

Cyrus also teased to Variety some of the small, nostalgic aspects of “Hannah Montana” they made sure to incorporate into the special. She recreates the Hannah hair flip, and there is a nod to the Disney Channel “wand ID” commercials (“Hey, I’m Miley Cyrus from ‘Hannah Montana,’ and you’re watching Disney Channel”). And, of course, Cyrus pays homage to the series’ “Ooh-whoa-ooh-whoa-ooh-ooh-whoa” transition music.

It is rare to see British sketch comedy on television. In fact, British comedy on television is so rare that the genre has been deemed “at risk” in recent years. So, naturally, you would have thought that the launch of “Saturday Night Live U.K.” — overseen by legendary executive producer Lorne Michaels, with a heavy investment in a new generation of acting and writing talent — would be welcomed by Brits with open arms. Right? Right?!

Question. Have you met the British?

In reality, there was so much cynicism shared by British viewers online in the run up to Sky One’s first episode on Saturday that it felt like it needed Danny Boyle Opening Ceremony level of turnaround to make it work. The promos ahead certainly did not do “SNL U.K.” any favors. An unremarkable skit with host Tina Fey pretending to be Mary Poppins. A photoshoot of the new players posing next to a London bus stop. An underground advert with the show written out in baked beans on toast. All of this together gave the impression that “SNL U.K.” was going to be made by American tourists making assumptions on British comedy rather than a reflection of what it currently is; its eight-episode run the TV equivalent of taking a photo in a phonebox next to Big Ben before dining in an Angus Steakhouse. 

Thankfully, “Saturday Night Live U.K.” largely took the basics of what makes the U.S. version successful — sketch comedy, rotating guest hosts and the unpredictability of live television — and left the Brits to it. That’s where it works. Overseen by former “Late Late Show With James Corden” producer James Longman, the sketches are darker and more surreal than its U.S. counterpart, the comedy much more deadpan. Even if all the sketch itself doesn’t work (hey, they kept that feature too) there’s enough one-liners to keep you going and try out the next.

“I’m David Attenborough… and it can’t be long now,” quipped George Fouracres as the legendary British broadcaster. This was only minutes after he was a spineless Keir Starmer, saying “I’ll do anything, I’ll try anything, except take a stand.” On Weekend Update, the legendary spoof headlines segment, Paddy Young and Ania Magliano did a pitch-perfect bit on influencers fleeing Dubai, with Young joking “but I must stress though, it isn’t all good news.” Hammed Animashaun also delivered a cutting take on film junkets with agonizingly enthusiastic influencer interviewers.

With the U.S. version launching the careers of Bill Murray, Maya Rudolph and Will Ferrell, the U.K. iteration also has the potential to turn the cast into household names. Player Jack Shep seems one to look out for, pulling off a Diana impression so good that when the sketch itself didn’t land you didn’t care. Within minutes, he was in another as a dancing baby fetus. No idea what that was about either, but because of Jack I didn’t mind.

The weakest part of “SNL U.K.” is, well, the “Saturday Night Live” part. Fey promised at the top to not get in the way of the new British cast, but then was in nearly every sketch. She’s great, I mean she’s literally Tina Fey, but with such a presence and having so many lines it resulted in fewer opportunities for us to get to know the new British players, who are the reason why we’re supposed to be tuning into this in the first place.

The monologue at the top of the show also consisted of the typical American shock that on British television you can say swears such as “shitbird” and “bollocks,” when on the U.S. version you can’t even though it airs late. This was then followed by Michael Cera making a surprise cameo just to say “shitbird” and “bollocks.” Hardly revolutionary. Have you met us? By the time Graham Norton came on stage followed by Fey and Norton reciting British catchphrases, ending with them both yelling the advert “Autoglass repair” “AUTOGLASS REPLACE,” you were left wondering why Norton has not been confirmed to be a guest host, considering he’s such a familiar presence here.

I think this gets to the heart of an issue “SNL U.K.” has: who is this exactly for? The set looks American, the pacing of some of the sketches feel American, and the fact it lasted nearly 75 minutes (when British audiences usually love their comedy no longer than 60 cos we’re tired) feels awfully American. At times, watching this feels like visiting a branch of Five Guys. It’s fine, but it’s not like eating in America. If this show is just to celebrate a U.S. institution that a large proportion of Brits have never tuned into and won’t apart from a few viral clips, after the initial hype dies down it’ll fall flat on its face. Yet, if it is left to confidently find its own feet, leaning into something more British and inherently surreal — such as Cilla Black impressions and William Shakespeare turning up on a beeping, stolen lime bike before saying “cunty little earring” — it’ll have a hope.

And, market it as one of the only places you can watch live comedy and music at a time on British TV when there’s shockingly little of both, and they might be onto a winner.

It is a British comedy after all.

The first-ever edition of “Saturday Night Live U.K.,” which aired from 10 p.m. on pay TV channel Sky One, drew a solid 226,000 viewers.

The show, which starred Tina Fey, and also featured Graham Norton, and was overseen by executive producer Lorne Michaels, had a 3.2% share of the TV audience at the time, according to official BARB figures supplied by overnights.tv.

It beat Channel 4 in the same slot, which had screened “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” with 215,000 viewing. The “SNL U.K.” performance was almost four times that achieved by “A League of Their Own,” Sky’s biggest entertainment show, and surpassed the U.S. version of “SNL” on Sky Comedy channel, which took 5,000 last week.

The news on BBC One led the 10 p.m. time period with almost 2 million viewers and a 25% share.

Variety reviewer Scott Bryan was generally upbeat when assessing the show.

“Thankfully, ‘Saturday Night Live U.K.’ largely took the basics of what makes the U.S. version successful — sketch comedy, rotating guest hosts and the unpredictability of live television — and left the Brits to it. That’s where it works,” he wrote, adding “the sketches are darker and more surreal than its U.S. counterpart, the comedy much more deadpan.”

He concluded, “Market it as one of the only places you can watch live comedy and music at a time on British TV when there’s shockingly little of both, and they might be onto a winner.”

Critical reaction elsewhere was also (tentatively) positive. The Independent’s Nick Hilton gave it three stars out of five, commenting it had “some hits, some misses, and a bang-on Princess Di impression.”

Hilton applauded the show’s “willingness to push the envelope, to risk bad taste.”

He added, “Borrowing a beloved American format might feel a bit stale, but there are notes of new ingredients that could offer something fresh.”

The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan gave it the same score. “The general feeling, I think, will be that the inaugural episode of ‘Saturday Night Live U.K.’ […] did work,” she said.

“It could have been a lot, lot worse,” she added. “And it could have been a lot better… honestly – it felt refreshing to see an ambition/piece of madness like retooling a legacy U.S. brand for this septic isle even being attempted.”

Charlotte Ivers in the Sunday Times welcomed the edgier humor. “There’s something quite refreshing about seeing TV comedians really push close to the line,” she said, before adding, “Sadly, in many cases the jokes don’t live up to the risk.”

Princess Diana and Winston Churchill were among a selection of dead Great Britons brought back to life with “Jurassic Park” technology in an edgy “Saturday Night Live U.K.” sketch.

In a skit titled “David Attenborough’s Last Supper” in the inaugural episode of the live sketch show, the natural historian, played by George Fouracres, selects a handful of “history’s greatest Britons” using his brother Richard Attenborough’s “Jurassic Park technology” so he could ask them “what really makes Britain great.”

In the sketch, Fouracres introduces himself with: “I’m David Attenborough and it can’t be long now” – a nod to the fact that Attenborough is set to turn 100 years old in May.

“Using DNA sampling and my own brother’s ‘Jurassic Park’ technology I reanimated some of history’s greatest Britons for one night only so I can ask them what really makes Britain great,” Fouracres continues. “This is David Attenborough’s Last Supper.”

Among those selected for reanimation is Princess Diana, played by Jack Shep fluttering his eyes behind a menu, joining a table including Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, Mary Seacole, Benjamin Zephaniah, Freddy Mercury, Elizabeth I, Cilla Black and host Tina Fey as Agatha Christie. “Thanks so much for hosting this dinner party Sir David,” Shep-as-Diana says in an upper-class accent.

However, instead of answering Attenborough’s question about what makes Britain great, the guests start arguing over appetizers. Princess Diana reassures Freddie Mercury that if a menu item “has an asterisk next to its name then it comes with free rice.”

“The BBC has spared no expense bringing you back to life,” says Fouracres’ Attenborough. “I’m sure they’re happy to cover one dinner at The Ivy.”

Ultimately, he gives up on trying to get an answer out of his guests, saying: “This experiment has been a complete waste of time and money. The answer I was looking for as to what makes Britain truly great was the NHS and Centerparcs. There. You’ve ruined it. Now we should move onto the lovemaking portion of the evening. Anybody who wants to leave now’s your chance.”

A very different version of William Shakespeare showed up in the first episode of “SNL U.K,” appearing in a sketch that took comic aim at the biggest British film from this year’s awards season.

In “SNL U.K.’s” version of “Hamnet,” an increasingly Gen-Z hipster Bard returns home from staging plays in London to his doting wife (played by Tina Fey) and family.

“Dost thou not think I appear changed?” he asks on his first time back home. “I got a cunty little earring!”

Later returns to the family home see him on an electric scooter, brandishing a tote bag saying ‘Team Anne Boleyn,’ and proudly showing off “me slutty little chain.”

“London hath changed thee,” Fey’s Agnes Hathaway asserts.

“Thou art in Stratford upon Avon, and I’ve been in London upon ketamine,” says Shakespeare. “I’m like Charlie Xcx, sorry, Charlie 10 100 10. I’m in my glow up era, honey.”

In keeping with the plot of the film, Hamnet is seen falling ill, having “taken the powder” from a new purse. But as Shakespeare notes: “He’ll be fine. Tis but a K-hole.”

Following the “Hamnet” sketch, “SNL U.K.” poked fun at another beloved British institution in a skit in which a Paddington Bear immersive experience sees an actual bear let loose upon guests.

“That was amazing. I’ve lost half my face,” says one. “I always thought that three kids was a bit too many, and now I’ve got the optimum amount … none!,” adds another.

“In retrospect, maybe hot glue-gunning the hat to the bear’s head may have made it more angry,” explains Fay’s experience organiser. “I’m taking it to Broadway regardless”

Studiocanal, which has the rights to Paddington Bear and has its very own Paddington experience in London, has already sued the makers of comedy show “Spitting Image” over their depiction of the bear as a drug-taking, foul-mouthed podcast host. It’ll be interesting to see what they make of this one.

For the first-ever edition of “SNL U.K.’s” Weekend Update, one person was given the royal treatment: former Prince Andrew.

Hosts Ania Magliano and Paddy Young did not hold back as they roasted the disgraced royal, who was arrested by the U.K. police in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office after the release of the Epstein files. Prior to that, he was also stripped of his royal title and ordered to leave his Windsor home.

“Coming up on Weekend Update: pedophilia. But first, war!” Magliano said as the segment kicked off, eliciting laughter from the live audience.

After several Iran War-related punchlines and Al Nash guesting as a power-hungry Captain Birdseye, the focus was back on the former prince. “Renovations to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new home, Marsh Farm, have been taking place over the last month, including the installation of Sky TV. So, if you’re watching this Andrew, hello! You’re not gonna like this next bit. Also, I’m older than I look,” Magliano joked, adding: “Andrew’s new residence, Marsh Farm, is of course named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found.”

Next, it was Young’s turn. “It was reported this week that the police investigation into Andrew is set to widen,” he said. “The big question now is, if Andrew is charged, found guilty and put in prison, will he be able to keep his mouth shut? I hope not, said his cellmate’s penis.”

Another winning joke took on the U.K.’s other royal family: the Beckhams. “Feuding father and son David and Brooklyn Beckham narrowly missed each other whilst at the same Beverly Hills hotel,” Young began. “The feud began when Victoria was, quote, ‘inappropriately’ close with her son at his wedding, and escalated after Brooklyn accidentally yelled out his wife’s name during sex with his mum.”