Creative Trio Join Lorne Michaels' Late Night Comedy ShowcaseThursday 13 November 2025
Emmy winner James Longman, Liz Clare and Daran Jonno Johnson board Sky Original series "Saturday Night Live UK"
UTAS UK Productions, which is part of Universal Studio Group, and Broadway Video today announced three key appointments to the creative team powering Saturday Night Live UK , which is coming to Sky and NOW in 2026.
James Longman will serve as Lead Producer, Liz Clare joins as Director and Daran Jonno Johnson takes on the role of Head Writer. Together, they bring a wealth of experience across comedy, live entertainment and television production to the London-based series. Lorne Michaels, creator and Executive Producer of the original NBC series, leads as Executive Producer on Saturday Night Live UK .
An eight-time nominated and two-time Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer, James Longman brings more than two decades of experience across comedy and entertainment. His credits include The Late Late Show with James Corden , where he oversaw the comedy side of the show and produced iconic sketches and segments, including Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise and President Biden. His previous work includes some of the UK's most recognisable comedy and entertainment formats, such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks , Alan Carr: Chatty Man , The F Word and The Friday Night Project . Longman is also behind specials like The Jonas Brothers Family Roast , The Friends Reunion and Golden Globe-nominated Jamie Foxx: What Happened Was .
"After several years in LA, it's amazing to come back home to such a vibrant and exciting live comedy scene." said James Longman. Saturday Night Live has set the bar for live sketch comedy for half a century, and to help bring that legacy to London using our amazing on screen and off-screen talent, along with a tremendous investment in UK production, is a massive honour.
Liz Clare has directed some of the most-watched live broadcasts of recent years, including An Audience with Adele , The BRIT Awards , The MTV Video Music Awards , The Voice UK , Britain's Got Talent , and iconic live events such as Glastonbury Festival and The BAFTA Film Awards. Known for her instinctive visual storytelling and ability to command large-scale live productions, Liz has built trusted relationships with leading artists and producers across music, comedy and entertainment.
Daran Jonno Johnson is a writer, comedian and composer, and one third of the acclaimed sketch group SHEEPS. His writing credits include Wedding Season for Disney+, Rose d'Or winner Parlement for France.TV, Siblings for BBC and animated series Elliott from Earth for Cartoon Network. A Grimme Preis winner, Johnson has led multiple writers' rooms and works as a composer and lyricist. His album with Sheeps - "A Very Sheeps Christmas" - for which he composed, produced and arranged the music, was released in 2025 to great cult acclaim. His musical Ricky Whittington, for which he wrote the book, music, and lyrics, was nominated for an Offie in 2016.
Saturday Night Live UK marks the first British adaptation of the long-running U.S. institution, which has shaped comedy and pop culture for five decades. The forthcoming series will follow the same live, fast-paced format as the original, featuring a new generation of comedy players in the core cast, alongside guest hosts and musical performances.
SNL UK will be produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio's UK production team and Broadway Video for Sky and NOW. UTAS UK Productions is overseen by Managing Director Helen Kruger Bratt. Shanna Baynard will serve as Executive in Charge of Production, Andy Smith is the Lead Producer for UTAS UK Productions alongside Sam Salter, Production Executive.
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Creative Trio Join Lorne Michaels' Late Night Comedy ShowcaseThursday 13 November 2025
