In a bold “Saturday Night Live U.K.” sketch, historical British figures such as Princess Diana and Winston Churchill were humorously brought back to life using technology reminiscent of “Jurassic Park.”
Featured in a skit called “David Attenborough’s Last Supper” during the show’s first episode, natural historian David Attenborough, portrayed by George Fouracres, utilizes his brother Richard Attenborough’s “Jurassic Park technology” to revive several of “history’s greatest Britons” to inquire about “what really makes Britain great.”
Fouracres begins the sketch by introducing himself with: “I’m David Attenborough and it can’t be long now,” alluding to Attenborough’s upcoming 100th birthday 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 explains. “This is David Attenborough’s Last Supper.”
Among the notable figures brought back to life are Princess Diana, humorously depicted by Jack Shep, who is seen fluttering his eyes behind a menu. She joins a diverse group including Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, Mary Seacole, Benjamin Zephaniah, Freddie Mercury, Elizabeth I, Cilla Black, and host Tina Fey as Agatha Christie. Shep, as Princess Diana, remarks in an upper-class accent, “Thanks so much for hosting this dinner party Sir David.”
Rather than addressing Attenborough’s question on what defines Britain’s greatness, the dinner guests engage in a humorous debate over appetizers. Princess Diana amusingly assures 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,” quips Fouracres’ Attenborough. “I’m sure they’re happy to cover one dinner at The Ivy.”
In the end, he concedes that the effort to find an answer was futile, stating: “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.”
