Tag: Entertainment-Variety

The Banff World Media Festival has revealed nominees for the 2026 Rockie Awards International Program Competition, which takes place Tuesday, June 16, at the annual event. Hosted by Allana Harkin (“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”), the event takes place at the same time as the Banff Gala Awards.

The Rockie Awards this year features 151 nominees from 21 countries across 29 categories, while the Banff Gala Awards recognizes top creative talent and executives.

“At a moment of incredible transformation for the global entertainment industry, the creativity behind this year’s nominated projects is truly remarkable,” said Banff World Media Festival executive director Jenn Kuzmyk. “The programs and talent selected as standouts by our international jury exemplify what it means to be pushing boundaries, taking risks, and proving that original ideas continue to thrive even in times of great change.”

BBC leads the nominations with 26, followed by National Geographic (10). Among countries, the United States was tops with 55 nods, followed by the UK (39) and Canada (28).

New categories focus on outstanding drama and comedy performances. For drama, that includes Malin Åkerman (“The Hunting Wives”), Jacob Elordi (“The Narrow Road to the Deep North”), James Nelson-Joyce (“This City is Ours”), Narges Rashidi (“Prisoner 951”) and Amanda Seyfried (“Long Bright River”).

And in comedy, that includes Performance in a Comedy: Mawaan Rizwan (“Juice”), Timothy Spall (“Death Valley”), and Nabhaan Rizwan, Suranne Jones and Aimee Lou Wood. all from “Film Club.”

Here are this year’s Rockie Awards nominees:

Arts & Entertainment

Comedy Variety

“Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts” (ITV America, Winter Coat Films, TheYearOfElan Productions)

“Michael McIntyre’s Big Show” (Hungry McBear, BBC One)

“Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2024 Induction Ceremony” (Tenth Planet Productions)

“The Graham Norton Show” (So Television)

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Competition Series & Game Shows

“Destination X” (Twofour, BBC One)

“Next Level Baker” (BiggerStage, Studio Ramsay)

“Shark Tank” (Sony Pictures Television)

“The Box” (Seefood TV, TV 2 Norway, Seefood Distribution)

“The Traitors Canada” (Entourage Production TV inc.)

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Docuseries

“Call Her Alex” (Unwell Productions)

“Crip Trip” (Catapult Pictures)

“Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams: The Ultimate Test” (South Shore Productions)

“Harlem Ice” (Imagine Entertainment, Disney Branded Television)

“The Death Coast” (Forte Entertainment, Bell Media, Crave, USA Network, A+E, History Channel, Picture Farm, Sugar 23)

“Tous en choeur” (Sphere Media, AMI Télé)

“Wildfire” (Optic Nerve Films, CK9 Studios)

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Lifestyle

“Earth Oven” (Hi Mama Productions, Blue Ant Media, Sky Television New Zealand, SBS Australia)

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (Endemol Shine North America, Hello Sunshine, Walt Disney Television Alternative)

“No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski” (Studio Ramsay Global, National Geographic)

“Sort Your Life Out” (Optomen Television Limited)

“Tucci In Italy” (BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions, Salt Productions, National Geographic)

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Reality Series

“Bloodlines” (Seefood TV, TV 2 Norway, Seefood Distribution)

“Jay & Pamela” (Jarrett Creative, TLC)

“Le calendrier de l’avent” (Sphere Media, Bell Media)

“Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 : You Are My Destiny” (SBS, Underdog Inc, Big Time Decent Productions Inc.)

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Documentary & Factual

Arts & Culture

“Half Moon” (Selfmade Films, NTR, NPO-fonds, CoBO, Filmfonds)

“Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – The Untold Story” (White Horse Pictures, Elevation Pictures, ABC News Studios, Not A Real Production Company)

“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” (MRC, Network Entertainment Inc., Two One Five Entertainment Inc., RadicalMedia, Stardust Films LLC, ID8 Multimedia, Inc., and Sony Music Entertainment)

“The Last Musician of Auschwitz” (Two Rivers Media, BBC, Access Entertainment, Sphere Abacus)

The Lost Music of Auschwitz (Windfall Films)

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Crime & Investigation

“Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke” (Passion Pictures)

“Don’t Date Brandon” (Wag Entertainment, See it Now Studios, Paramount+, Fremantle International)

“Oklahoma City Bombing” (72 Films)

“Secrets of the Bunny Ranch” (yap films, C3, A&E)

“Undercover in the Police” (BBC Panorama)

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Environmental & Wildlife

“A Real Bug’s Life” (Plimsoll Productions)

“Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles” (Silverback Films, BBC, BBC One, BBC iPlayer, All3Media Limited)

“Ocean with David Attenborough” (Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios)

“Secrets of the Forest” (Windfall films)

“Underdogs” (Wildstar Films, Maximum Effort)

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History & Biography

“Free at Last. Unresolved Stories of Apartheid” (beetz brothers film production, StoryScope)

“Lost in the Jungle” (Little Monster FIlms, Lightbox, Pacha Films, Señal Colombia and Demolition Films)

“Neshoma” (NTR, FamilyAffiars, Het prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, AFK, Claims Conference, NPO-Fonds, CoBO, Filmfonds, Beeld & Geluid, Eye Filmmuseum)

“No Justice, Just Kills” (BBC Eye)

“Separation: Declassified” (CNA, One Leg Kicking, The Ordinary Milkman)

“The Twister: Caught in the Storm” (RAW)

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Science & Technology

“A.I. Love You” (Nordisk Film TV Denmark)

“Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember” (Nutopia, Protozoa, Wild State Productions)

“Once Upon a Time in Space” (KEO films, Freemantle, BBC, PBS, The Open University)

“The Calling: A Medical School Journey” (HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Cineflix Media, American Issues Initiative, First Story Productions)

“Titanic: Digital Resurrection” (Atlantic Productions)

“Why Planes Crash” (Windfall Films, BBC)

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Short Form Non-Fiction Series

“CBC On Design” (Sticks & Stones, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

“Guardians” (Zandland, The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, United For Wildlife)

“Rebels” (Space Pirates)

“The November Project” (Bell Fibe TV1, Two Blue Shirts, Critical Mass Art, Robert Horgan)

“Wild Hope” (I Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films Production)

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Social Issues and Current Affairs

“Hudson Bay(bies)” (Les films Sanajik, PVP MEDIA)

“Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis” (22 Summers)

“Love+War” (Little Monster Films)

“Prisoner 951: The Hostages’ Story” (Dancing Ledge Productions, BBC)

“The Assembly” (Small Army Entertainment)

“The Spoils” (Cave 7 Productions Inc., CBC, Blue Ant International)

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Sports Documentary

“Believers: Boston Red Sox” (ESPN, Religion of Sports, Artists Equity)

“Clemente” (Vinegar Hill, UNINTERRUPTED,  Vantage Pictures, Cookie Jar, a Dream Studios, APX Content Ventures, History Channel)

“Saints And Warriors” (InnoNative, Grand Scheme, Uninterrupted Canada, First Take Entertainment)

“Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire” (Acme, BBC)

“Who Killed the Montreal Expos?” (Attraction, Netflix)

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Children & Youth

Animation Preschool

“ODO” (Sixteen South,  Letko)

“Once There Is” (Miyu Distribution)

“Piggy Builders” (Xilam Animation, Cube Creative Productions, Horta Productions)

“The Scarecrows’ Wedding” (Magic Light Pictures, BBC,  ZDF)

“Woolly Woolly” (Normaal, PVP Media, France télévisions,  TVOkids, Radio-Canada, Knowledge Kids)

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Animation Children

“Kiff: Lore of the Ring Light” (Titmouse, Inc., Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television)

“Pudsey and the Thread of Hope” (BBC Studios Kids & Family,  BBC)

“Super Happy Magic Forest” (Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, Zodiak Kids & Family France, Movimenti Productions, Monello Productions,  BBC, C+, Rai, ZDF, ABC)

“The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball” (Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, WarnerMedia Kids Family’s flagship television animation studio)

“The Weasy Family” (HARI)

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Live Action: Children

“Donkey Hodie” (Fred Rogers Productions,  Spiffy Pictures)

“Follow Me, Go! Global Warming Series” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation [PTS Taiwan])

“Knee High Spies” (Werner Film Productions, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Screen Australia, VicScreen)

“Nature Bug Patrol” (Taigi TV Station)

“The First Snow of Fraggle Rock” (The Jim Henson Company)

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Live Action: Youth

“Crongton” (New Pictures, BBC)

“Night Shift” (Trio Orange)

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (20th Television, Disney Branded Television)

“ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires” (Night Zone Productions Limited, Disney Branded Television)

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Scripted

Feature Length Film

“Disclosure” (W&B Television GmbH, Sperl Productions GmbH)

“If We Die, Let’s Die in Paris” (NHK)

“Mountainhead” (HBO Films,  Project Zeus, Hot Seat Attractions)

“The Carry-On” (Hakka TV)

“What Now?” (ATO Media Inc, TFO)

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Drama Series: English Language

“Heated Rivalry” (Accent Aigu Entertainment, ell Media, Crave, Canada Media Fund, The Bell Fund, Sphere Abacus, HBO Max, Movistar Plus, Sky Atlantic)

“Plan B” (KOTV)

“Reckless” (BBC Studios Productions)

“The Handmaid’s Tale” (MGM Television, Daniel Wilson Productions, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures)

“The Pitt” (HBO Max, John Wells Productions, R. Scott Gemmill Productions, Warner Bros. Television)

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Drama Series: Non-English Language

“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” (CJ ENM, Studio Dragon, Netflix)

“Cold Haven” (Glassriver, SPi)

“Empathy” (Trio Orange)

“Love Scout” (SBS, Studio S)

“Queen of Fucking Everything” (Yle, ZDF, NPO, VRT, NRK, RUV)

“Those Who Lived” (What’s Up Films, Mizar Films, Nac Films)

“The Outlaw Doctor” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation (PTS Taiwan), Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., GrX Studio)

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Comedy Series: English Language

“Abbott Elementary” (Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, Fifth Chance, Warner Bros. Television, 20th Television, Disney Television Studio)

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (FX Productions)

“Only Murders in the Building” (20th Television)

“The Chair Company” (HBO, HyperObject Industries, Zanin Corp)

“The Rehearsal” (HBO,  Blow Out Productions)

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Comedy Series: Non-English Language

“Fag Hag” (Atresmedia, Suma Content)

“Messed Up II” (Topkapi Films)

“Still Looking” (Seefood TV, Seefood Distribution, TV 2 Norway)

“Study Group” (CJ ENM, Studio Dragon,  TVING)

“The Shortest Reign” (Movistar Plus+,  Zeta Studios)

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Animated Series

“American Dad!” (20th Television Animation)

“Brave Animated Series” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation (PTS Taiwan), BIGCAT Studio, ARIES Studio)

“Bob’s Burgers” (20th Television Animation, Bento Box Entertainment)

“Futurama” (The Curiosity Company, 20th Television Animation)

“The Simpsons” (20th Television Animation)

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Limited Series

“Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

“Prisoner 951” (Dancing Ledge Productions, BBC)

“The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (Curio Pictures)

“Trespasses” (Wildgaze Films, Channel 4,  All3Media International)

“What It Feels Like For A Girl” (Hera Pictures,  BBC,  ITV Studios)

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Podcasts

“Betrayal Season 4” (Glass Podcasts, Glass Entertainment Group,  iHeart Podcasts)

“Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer” (Audible Originals, Prologue Projects)

“First Conviction” (RTÉ Documentary On One, RTÉ Investigates)

“Toy Soldier” (The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

“What Could Go Wrong?” (Audible, Plan B)

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Web Series and Content Creators

“Dying Seconds” (Dying Seconds Season One, Just for Just for Entertainment Group)

“Eyes In The Woods” (Numera Films, OUTtv)

“Moonbird” (Kutikina Productions, Sheoak Films, SBS)

“RE:Choice Three Days’ Times” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation [PTS Taiwan])

“The Stories That MADE Us” (Wallop Film, Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, Torque Strategies)

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Best Use of Music in a Series

“Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

“Mix Tape” (Subotica, Aquarius Films,  BBC Two)

“North of North” (Red Marrow Media, Northwood Entertainment, CBC, Netflix, APTN)

“Riot Women” (Drama Republic, BBC,  Britbox)

“Stranger Things” (Picture Music Company, Inc.)

“The Lowdown” (FX Productions)

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Best Performance in a Drama

Amanda Seyfried, “Long Bright River” (Sony Pictures Television)

Jacob Elordi, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (Curio Pictures)

James Nelson-Joyce, “This City Is Ours” (Left Bank Pictures, BBC)

Malin Åkerman, “The Hunting Wives” (Lionsgate Television, 3 Arts)

Narges Rashidi, “Prisoner 951” (Dancing Ledge Productions, BBC)

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Best Performance in a Comedy

Aimee Lou Wood, “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

Mawaan Rizwan, “Juice” (Various Artists Limited)

Nabhaan Rizwan, “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

Suranne Jones, “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

Timothy Spall, “Death Valley” (BBC Studios Comedy)

Sturgill Simpson was not about to go gently down the stream with his latest album. “Mutiny After Midnight,” attributed to Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds, has only been released in physical formats — i.e. vinyl, compact discs and cassettes — but that did not stop it from enjoying a big bow on the Billboard 200. When the chart’s new top 10 was unveiled on Sunday, “Mutiny After Midnight” came in at No. 3, with 59,000 units, all of them in pure old-school sales.

However much withholding an album from streaming might seem counterintuitive in 2026, that actually served to draw attention to the project. That could be a factor in why this is actually the best debut week Simpson/Blue Skies has ever had, under any name and with any combination of formats.

The only albums to come in ahead of “Mutiny After Midnight” were Harry Styles‘ “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” which held onto the No. 1 spot for a second week with 99,000, and Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem,” up one position to No. 2 with 74,000.

Billboard reported that the Johnny Blue Skies album was the first physical-release-only to make the top 10 in almost three years. The previous one to do it was a Record Store Day limited-edition vinyl exclusive from Taylor Swift, “Folklore,” which basically blew through its entire pressing of 75,000 copies in its first day of release. But if you were to leave out RSD LP exclusives, the last physical-only release to reach the top 10 was in 2017, when Garth Brooks put out an archival five-CD boxed set. (Billboard did not say when the last time was that it happened with an LP of actual brand-new material;. Now, that would require some serious memory-stretching.)

Billboard notes that the Simpson/Blue Skies project was available in several variants, including a standard black vinyl LP and CD that were widely available across retail, plus an indie-exclusive red vinyl variant, and five other vinyl editions and a cassette that were exclusive to the artist’s webstore. Although these offered plenty of alternatives for fans, the editions were not significantly different from one another to have probably resulted in the multi-copy collecting common to pop superstars’ fan bases nowadays.

The artist did what in retrospect looks to have been a superb job of self-marketing the album as something distinctly different in his catalog, not just with the formats offered (or not offered), but with the promise that “Mutiny After Midnight” would be “a dance record… centered firmly on groove… each song was written in the moment, on-the-spot.” The promise was also made that the songs would speak to, and/or distract from, the anxious state of the world. If anyone figured any of this would dissuade the part of Simpson’s fan base that came to know him as an alternative country artist first, and not someone who does topical disco, that dissuasion did not materialize.

It also didn’t hurt, apparently, that despite his reluctance to put the album on streaming, Simpson/Blue Eyes did “leak” the album briefly on YouTube weeks before its release. The sales results show that fans must’ve liked what they (temporarily) heard, with word of mouth as strong as reviews ultimately were.

Blue Skies, for his part, has indicated that the “Mutiny After Midnight” album will be released to streaming apps at some point, after he’s proven that people want it even (or especially) in a slightly less easy to obtain or play format.

Styles’ place at the top of the Billboard 200 was still secure for a second week, even though the 99,000 units represented a tumble of 77%. Breaking down the results for “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” the biggest decline was in pure album sales, which were down by 92%, with most of his fan base having secured their vinyl copies in week one. Streaming was down less substantially, by 47%, to a second-week tally of 75 million on-demand official streams for Styles.

Coming in at No. 4 was P1Harmony’s “Unique,” just behind Johnny Blue Skies with 58,000 equivalent album units. Album sales accounted for 56,0000 of those units, with Billboard noting there were 24 CD variants and five vinyl variants for sale. Streaming, meanwhile, was relatively negligible, with only 2.22 million on-demand streams reported for the album.

The remainder of the top 10 consisted of Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” at No. 5 (with 57,000 units), Don Toliver’s “Octane” at No. 6,  Olivia Dean’s “The Art of Loving” at No. 7, Bruno Mars’ “The Romantic” at No. 8, Tate McRae’s “So Close to What” at No. 9 (an 11-point jump, due to a deluxe edition being released) and “KPop Demon Hunters” (enjoying a modest 9% surge after the Oscars). 

Styles’ stay at No. 1 wil likely be a short one, as Friday’s comeback album from BTS is sure to lead the charge next week. Based partly on a spectacular opening day on Spotify, the K-pop group’s first new album since 2020 is widely projected to rack up the year’s best opening figures to date.

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.