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The Hollywood Reporter was gifted one of London’s hottest tickets on Saturday night: a seat at the season two finale of SNL UK .

At the city’s Television Centre, it is a behemoth operation. Hundreds of people eat, sleep, and breathe this show for the entirety of its two-month run. Entering the building is not unlike being back at university — the food hall is bustling, people nervously hug one another, and the sound of a live band rehearsing floats through the walls. Unlike university, security here is almost uncomfortably overbearing. A jittery energy — and distinct buzz — percolates. It’s 9 p.m. The countdown to showtime is on, and this team still has something to prove.

The Sky spinoff of Lorne Michaels’ long-running NBC sketch show boasted solid viewership numbers in its first installment earlier this year, led by SNL hall-of-famer Tina Fey.…