SNL U.K. Parodies Hamnet, Unleashes Real Paddington Bear
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- SNL U.K. debuted with a 'Hamnet' parody starring Tina Fey as Agnes Hathaway, depicting Shakespeare returning from London as a 'Gen-Z hipster' complete with a 'Team Anne Boleyn' tote bag, an electric scooter, and a 'slutty little chain' aimed at actor Paul Mescal.
- Shakespeare (in the sketch) explains his reinvention by saying 'I've been in London upon ketamine' and declares 'I'm in my glow up era, honey' — and when his son Hamnet falls ill from 'the powder,' he shrugs it off as 'tis but a K-hole.'
- A second sketch mocked a Paddington Bear immersive experience in which a real bear was released on guests; one attendee says 'I've lost half my face' while another celebrates now having 'the optimum amount' of children — 'none.'
- The fictional organizer concedes that 'hot glue-gunning the hat to the bear's head may have made it more angry' and says she's 'taking it to Broadway regardless,' a direct parody of the real-life London Paddington experience.
- Studiocanal, which holds the Paddington rights and runs its own London Paddington experience, has already sued makers of 'Spitting Image' over its Paddington depiction as a drug-taking podcast host — a precedent the source flags as a likely concern for the new show.
Why it matters: SNL U.K.'s debut telegraphed its satirical targets: prestige British IP and beloved family institutions. With Studiocanal having already litigated against 'Spitting Image' over its Paddington portrayal, the rights holder now faces a second Paddington-related jab from a major comedy brand — and the source explicitly flags that legal response is a live question for a show that just launched.
