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‘In the weeks before the @snluk premiere, the misgivings of onlookers curdled into open hostility. When Humphrey Ker, one of the show’s writers, appeared on Chris Moyles’s Radio X programme, Moyles dispensed with any pretence of neutrality. “Is it going to be funny?” he demanded, adding, with some relish, that the programme had already been widely slated. “We’re aware there’s an awful lot of weight of expectation,” Ker replied, graciously. Graham Norton, who appeared in the first UK episode alongside its American host Tina Fey, later admitted on his podcast that he, too, had doubts. “I was there and I was knocking it,” he said. “I was thinking: ‘This is going to be so bad.’”

It wasn’t. In the opening monologue to the first show, Fey offered viewers a brisk tour of the British comedy canon, signalling both her own fluency and the format’s appreciation of the national inheritance into which it was intruding. She confronted the scorned premise directly: why even start a new SNL? “Like so many large-scale American operations these days,” she joked, “no one really knows.” Almost immediately viewers witnessed the force of the show’s young ensemble: Jack Shep’s unhinged portrayal of Princess Diana, Sidi’s range and comic precision, George Fouracres’s twinkling absurdity. The reviews, when they came, reinforced the feeling of wary surprise. The Daily Telegraph described the episode as “shockingly competent”. The Independent noticed a “huge groundswell of support” from viewers who had previously written it off. Even the New York Times drew favourable comparisons with the American original, citing a “promising debut” with “as many, if not more, funny premises than in a typical episode”.’

For @obsmagazine I spent time with SNL UK’s cast and crew (with an unexpected cameo from JJ Abrams?!) to find out how the show defied its legions of naysayers.

As famine spread through besieged Leningrad, the city emptied of food. Pets disappeared. Pigeons vanished from the squares. Even Pavlov’s famous dogs were slaughtered.

In the centre of the city stood the world’s first great seed bank, a quarter of a million specimens collected by the botanist Nikolai Vavilov. The scientists who guarded the vaults refused to eat the collection, believing that those seeds might one day prevent famine elsewhere. Many did not survive the siege.

The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad is a story of science, endurance, and an extraordinary act of faith in the future.

Finalist for the Orwell Prize and the Royal Society Book Prize it is available wherever books are sold.

And come see Simon talk about the story at the As famine spread through besieged Leningrad, the city emptied of food. Pets disappeared. Pigeons vanished from the squares. Even Pavlov’s famous dogs were slaughtered.

In the centre of the city stood the world’s first great seed bank, a quarter of a million specimens collected by the botanist Nikolai Vavilov. The scientists who guarded the vaults refused to eat the collection, believing that those seeds might one day prevent famine elsewhere. Many did not survive the siege.

The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad is a story of science, endurance, and an extraordinary act of faith in the future.

Finalist for the Orwell Prize and the Royal Society Book Prize it is available wherever books are sold.

And come see Simon talk about the story at the @ashmoleanmuseum in Oxford on Thursday 14 May 2026, 2-3pm.

in Oxford on Thursday 14 May 2026, 2-3pm.

Such a joy to be part of this year's @theorwellprize, and to attend such an inspiring celebration. Thank you to the judges, and the other finalists––especially @mishalhusain who has been so encouraging, and whose book, Broken Threads, is a spectacular achievement. And please pick up a copy of Victoria Amelina's extraordinary, winning book, 'Looking at Women, Looking at War'. Victoria was killed in 2023, in a Russian missile strike while reporting in Ukraine. The book was published posthumously, and stands as a powerful witness.

Car fox, Brighton station.

Meet the new James Bond

In 007 First Light, @amazonmgmstudios and @ioi_studios are reimagining the spy for a new generation

'The question of who will next wear the tuxedo on screen is unresolved – though a new movie is in the works, written by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight, and to be directed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve. An equally important consideration for the studio, however, is one of identity. Is Bond still an emblem of postwar British style and pluck, a reassurance of Britain’s save-the-day relevance in a post-imperial world? Is he just an advertisement for the intelligence services, a handsome rack on which to hang luxury goods?

'For young people these associations are mostly irrelevant period details. While the media classes obsess over which Hollywood actor will next inhabit the role, a successful video game probably has the better chance of introducing Bond to the audience on whose interest the character’s longevity now depends.

'It helps, then, that IO Interactive has chosen not to begin with Bond fully formed. Instead 007 First Light imagines him in his late 20s, before he has become 007, an agent still in formation. “Even in Casino Royale, Bond has already had his first kill when the story begins,” Hakan Abrak, IO’s chief executive, says. “Here, he hasn’t.” That premise gave IO both a dramatic motor and narrative freedom.

'“When we created this Bond, everything about him – his demeanour, his values, his personality – had to be thought about through the lens of interactivity and gameplay. We knew that if we were trusted to create an original Bond from the ground up, it would give us much more motivation and energy to make something special.”'

Read the full piece by @simonparkin at the link in bio

007 First Light is published by IO Interactive on 27 May

Meet the new James Bond

In 007 First Light, @amazonmgmstudios and @ioi_studios are reimagining the spy for a new generation

'The question of who will next wear the tuxedo on screen is unresolved – though a new movie is in the works, written by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight, and to be directed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve. An equally important consideration for the studio, however, is one of identity. Is Bond still an emblem of postwar British style and pluck, a reassurance of Britain’s save-the-day relevance in a post-imperial world? Is he just an advertisement for the intelligence services, a handsome rack on which to hang luxury goods?

'For young people these associations are mostly irrelevant period details. While the media classes obsess over which Hollywood actor will next inhabit the role, a successful video game probably has the better chance of introducing Bond to the audience on whose interest the character’s longevity now depends.

'It helps, then, that IO Interactive has chosen not to begin with Bond fully formed. Instead 007 First Light imagines him in his late 20s, before he has become 007, an agent still in formation. “Even in Casino Royale, Bond has already had his first kill when the story begins,” Hakan Abrak, IO’s chief executive, says. “Here, he hasn’t.” That premise gave IO both a dramatic motor and narrative freedom.

'“When we created this Bond, everything about him – his demeanour, his values, his personality – had to be thought about through the lens of interactivity and gameplay. We knew that if we were trusted to create an original Bond from the ground up, it would give us much more motivation and energy to make something special.”'

Read the full piece by @simonparkin at the link in bio

007 First Light is published by IO Interactive on 27 May

So excited to have edited and contributed to this beautiful collection of new and previously published pieces about @naughtydog’s ‘The Last of Us’.

Includes stories from the New Yorker, the New York Times, Time and GQ, as well as two extensive, intimate, and never-before-seen interviews with the game’s director, Neil Druckmann, one captured in the days before the first game’s launch in 2013, the other at the start of this year, after the broadcast of the second season of HBO’s adaptation.

Preorder from @tuneandfairweather now.

So excited to have edited and contributed to this beautiful collection of new and previously published pieces about @naughtydog’s ‘The Last of Us’.

Includes stories from the New Yorker, the New York Times, Time and GQ, as well as two extensive, intimate, and never-before-seen interviews with the game’s director, Neil Druckmann, one captured in the days before the first game’s launch in 2013, the other at the start of this year, after the broadcast of the second season of HBO’s adaptation.

Preorder from @tuneandfairweather now.

So excited to have edited and contributed to this beautiful collection of new and previously published pieces about @naughtydog’s ‘The Last of Us’.

Includes stories from the New Yorker, the New York Times, Time and GQ, as well as two extensive, intimate, and never-before-seen interviews with the game’s director, Neil Druckmann, one captured in the days before the first game’s launch in 2013, the other at the start of this year, after the broadcast of the second season of HBO’s adaptation.

Preorder from @tuneandfairweather now.

So excited to have edited and contributed to this beautiful collection of new and previously published pieces about @naughtydog’s ‘The Last of Us’.

Includes stories from the New Yorker, the New York Times, Time and GQ, as well as two extensive, intimate, and never-before-seen interviews with the game’s director, Neil Druckmann, one captured in the days before the first game’s launch in 2013, the other at the start of this year, after the broadcast of the second season of HBO’s adaptation.

Preorder from @tuneandfairweather now.

I’ll be speaking about my book, ‘The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad’—a finalist in the Orwell and Royal Society book prizes—at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford this Thursday. Come and hear the true story of the botanists who protected a collection of irreplaceable seeds from bombs, fire, ice, and their own desperate hunger pangs—even to the point of starvation. Tickets here:

https://www.ashmolean.org/event/the-forbidden-garden-of-leningrad-book-talk-simon-parkin

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

Inside the high-stakes launch of SNL UK — the £2m-an-episode gamble that turned scepticism into surprise success. From backstage chaos to live-TV magic, @simonparkin goes behind the scenes of Britain’s boldest new comedy experiment

Read the full article on our website now - link in bio or pick up a copy of the magazine in the paper tomorrow - available nationwide.

✍️ @simonparkin
📸 @sky_uk

For this week's cover O, The Observer Magazine @simonparkin delves into the world of#SaturdayNightLive UK.

After more than half a century, Saturday Night Live, the great American comedy institution, has launched a British version (which sounds like an SNL sketch in itself). Employing 300 people and costing over £2m an episode, it’s a huge gamble. Has it worked?

Pick up a copy of the magazine, in the paper on Sunday, to find out.

PLUS:
@nigelslater a sideways take on crab, we spend an hour with @petercapaldimusic, a photo essay from @valery.poshtarov on Dads and sons holding hands, and @evawiseman talks about the truth of fakery.

Editor: @moshakis
Photographer: @just.metz
Picture editor: @agentortiz
Art director: @c_ll_ct_v_ly / @lolaemilyw

#SaturdayNightLive

Thanks to everyone who came out to The Audience Versus the last few months, and to @wangpix, @iaindoesjokes, @glennrogermoore and @bendraytonproducer for making this week’s show glorious. More soon!(?)

snl.

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info

And now some stills I took during my time covering the fabulous show The Audience Versus. There's one show left of the year, The Pleasance, 28th April with Phil Wang and Iain Sterling. Go check it out! See my previous post of the video work for more info