The ongoing controversy involving Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, and Robert Kraft took a satirical turn over the weekend when “Saturday Night Live UK” delivered brutal jabs at all three.

On the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, presenters Ania Magliano and Paddy Young mocked Kraft as a “wealthy corpsemaxxer” while calling Macklemore a “good guy with bad music.”

Meanwhile, Sheeran returned to the stage on Saturday in Philadelphia, but photos circulating on social media appeared to show rows of empty seats.

‘SNL UK’ Takes Aim At Ed Sheeran’s Tour Controversy

“Saturday Night Live UK” pulled no punches in a Sept. 20 segment about the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, targeting Robert Kraft with sharp-witted jokes that quickly circulated on social media.

The controversy began after rapper Macklemore called for a “Free Palestine” during his opening set on Sheeran’s tour a couple of weeks ago.

He was subsequently dropped from the tour after several venue owners reportedly refused to let him perform at their stadiums. In a later statement, Macklemore said Sheeran had told him that Kraft rallied the other owners against his continued involvement.

During the show’s news recap, host Ania Magliano opened by joking that the Israel-Palestine conflict “just got serious” because of the controversy involving the artists.

Robert Kraft Gets The ‘Wealthy Corpsemaxxer’ Treatment

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Magliano went on to explain how the “Shape Of You” singer was under pressure to cancel his tour, joking that the controversy was the worst thing to happen to his fans “since their head injury.”

Calling Macklemore the “good guy with bad music,” she recounted his removal from the tour at Kraft’s request as the billionaire’s picture appeared onscreen. She joked that it showed him “picking a coffin.”

Co-host Paddy Young took over, calling the 85-year-old a “wealthy corpsemaxxer” with a “checkered past.” Kraft was charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution in February 2019. Prosecutors dropped the charges in September 2020.

Young also took aim at Sheeran, showing a photo of the singer and joking about his eyes as he described him as “looking at both sides of the issue.”

He then noted the “Perfect” singer’s longstanding support for Ukraine, quipping that Sheeran was a passionate advocate of “causes that are allowed.”

Ed Sheeran Apologizes For ‘Mistakes’ Amid Tour Fallout

Meanwhile, Sheeran continued to face intense criticism after Macklemore was dropped from the tour.

He returned to the stage on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Philadelphia, where he addressed the situation and apologized to fans for making “mistakes,” per the BBC.

“I never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” Sheeran told the crowd.

The British singer noted that he was used to criticism. However, he said the events of recent weeks “were about something much more important, and I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions – and I am making mistakes – and I’m so, so sorry.”

Sheeran Calls Gaza Conflict ‘Unjustifiable’

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The “Perfect Duet” singer also clarified his position, describing the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks as “horrific” and the conflict in Gaza as “unjustifiable.”

“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian lives, of children’s lives, and this systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked,” he continued.

Sheeran said he was still exploring ways to help victims of the conflict while acknowledging gaps in his understanding of the situation.

Visibly moved to tears, he added that his concert was “still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views.”

Protesters Gather Outside Sheeran’s Philadelphia Show

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Although the show went ahead as scheduled, the controversy remained a focal point outside the venue.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered to criticize Macklemore’s removal and urge Sheeran to take a stronger stand on the Israel-Gaza conflict, per the BBC.

Protest messages appeared on placards and merchandise, including a red baseball cap modeled after President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hat. Its message read, “Make Palestine Free Again.”

Tickets also remained available in the hours before the show began.

Prince Harry opened up about how he cheered up his two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, as they embark on a new school year following the family’s U.K. move.

“At breakfast this morning, they had a bit of Monday morning blues,” Harry, 42, told Hello! before the 2026 WellChild Awards at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Monday, September 21. “There’s always something like Sunday night blues or boarding school… when you’ve been away, or before you go to school.”

The Duke of Sussex added that he managed to cheer up his kids by sharing that he would be attending the WellChild Awards — a charity ceremony held annually to honor those who provide support and care for seriously ill children in the U.K. as well as the kids themselves.

“At breakfast this morning, I decided, ‘You know what? You’re being a little bit tricky, so I’m going to tell you exactly what I’m doing tonight,’” he revealed. “And they were genuinely fascinated and asking all sorts of questions. So, like with all of my work and their mum’s work as well, whatever we can do to try to instill some of that awareness, I think is absolutely crucial.”

Harry — who has been a patron of WellChild since 2007 — added that his dedication to the charity has only increased since he became a dad. (Harry and wife Meghan Markle welcomed Archie in May 2019 and his sister Lilibet arrived in June 2021.)

“Once you become a parent, it does change everything. It’s not the fact that for all the years that I wasn’t a parent that meeting the kids didn’t matter as much, but you suddenly realise how grateful you are to have kids that aren’t sick,” he said.

The prince went on to say, “And again, day in, day out, coming off the back of kids being out [of school] for 11 weeks… but you find yourself going, ‘Wow, in that room with those parents, you really can’t complain about anything.’ Of course, it’s all relative, but the inspiration that I get from these guys — not just the kids, but the parents themselves — it fills me up for a whole year.”

Harry attended the WellChild Awards solo on Monday — just as he did for his first U.K. appearance since moving home at the Invictus Spirit Gala Dinner and Awards in London on September 7. (Meghan, 45, has shared glimpses of her new life in the U.K. via social media but has yet to make any public appearances in an official capacity.)

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The royal couple arrived in the U.K. late last month in time for their kids to start at a new school — but they soon announced they were switching where Archie and Lilibet will be educated.

“The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Hello! on September 14. “The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family. This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there.”

The Sussexes previously lived on the West Coast in the U.S. for six years after stepping down from their senior royal duties in 2020.

Fantasy movies aren’t beholden to any borders. Many of them take place in completely fictional worlds based on an odd assortment of historical, folkloric, and mythological inspirations. Fantasy can come from anyone and anywhere, but in many films, especially those that are high fantasy, there’s a certain inherent antiquity. They take place in worlds that resemble Medieval England, with characters that speak with some semblance of an English accent.

That may be a narrow view of the genre, but it’s prevalent enough that, in 2026, viewers took issue with the actors in The Odyssey using American accents as opposed to English ones. Despite that strange association, many amazing fantasy movies were produced by the good old U.S. of A, and this is a list of the greatest of them. For simplicity, this list will stick to those that are majority American-financed and produced. Based on those criteria, Harry Potter belongs to the Brits, and The Lord of the Rings to the Kiwis, but there are still plenty of great American fantasy films, and these ten are the greatest.

10

‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Gothic fantasy comes to the suburbs in Tim Burton‘s romantic fantasy Edward Scissorhands, arguably his most personal effort that cemented his unique style as a filmmaker. The film is a wonderful modern American fairy tale that could have only come from the mind of Burton. Johnny Depp plays Edward, an artificial man built by an inventor (Vincent Price in his final film role), who is brought out of his castle home and into the brightly colored suburbs by a kindly Avon lady played by Dianne Wiest. Naturally, some of the suburbanites turn out to be far more monstrous on the inside than Edward outwardly appears.

Like much of Burton’s filmography, Edward Scissorhands appeals to those who feel like outsiders. While his aesthetics may have been co-opted by mainstream brands like Hot Topic and, ironically, mass-produced for merchandising, Burton’s legacy as an original voice of American cinema is assured by films like Edward Scissorhands.

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‘Coraline’ (2009)

Image via Focus Features

Burton’s work in fantasy also expanded beyond live-action into the world of stop-motion animation. The unique medium lends itself to the genre, but the film most famously associated with it that bears Burton’s name, The Nightmare Before Christmas, wasn’t actually directed by him. It was the work of famed animator Henry Selick, who also gifted audiences with the whimsical stop-motion movies James and the Giant Peach, Wendell & Wild and his greatest masterpiece, Coraline, a vivid fantasy film filled with dark delights for children and adults.

The film follows the titular pre-teen (Dakota Fanning), who moves to a new home in rainy, grey Oregon with her parents, where she discovers a portal to an alternate universe. Her Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) seems perfect on the outside, but there’s more than meets the button eye. With incredible animation and design, the world of Coraline is both beautiful and unnerving, taking full advantage of the benefits of stop-motion and its inherent creepiness. Selick’s triumphant return to the medium was also the first film produced by animation studio Laika, who have continued the tradition with its own pantheon of fantastic fantasy movies.

8

‘Where the Wild Things Are’ (2009)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

As singular an American filmmaker as both Burton and Selick, Spike Jonze has brought a grounded naturalism to his films, be they a sci-fi romance like Her, a surrealist comedy like Being John Malkovich, or his overlooked fantasy adaptation Where the Wild Things Are. In bringing Maurice Sendak‘s classic children’s book to the screen, Jonze expanded it into a meandering journey of self-discovery and emotional maturity. Despite receiving the most mixed reviews of Jonze’s career, it’s a deeply moving movie that’s unlike almost any other kid’s movie.

The film maintains the same basic narrative of the short book, following hellion Max (Max Records) as he journeys into a fantasy world populated by the titular Wild Things. It’s a stunningly realized world, grounded in majestic Australian location filming and impressive creature effects which combine suits created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop with expressive CGI. Where the Wild Things Are is a more deliberately paced fantasy film that demands deeper engagement but rewards it with pure inspiration and imagination.

7

‘Groundhog Day’ (1993)

Image via Columbia Pictures

Time loops are usually the result of some kind of sci-fi trickery, but there’s no such justification given for the loop experienced by Bill Murray in the romantic fable Groundhog Day. This comedy classic, directed by Harold Ramis, isn’t interested in the mechanics behind the repeated day, but the effect it has on one cynical man and how it inspires him to be better. While it wasn’t the first film to use a time loop as a plot device, Groundhog Day has become so synonymous with the concept that it’s often used as a shorthand description of repeating the same events over and over again.

Murray’s Phil Connors is one of the many sardonic protagonists the comedic actor became known for playing. His outlook isn’t helped when he finds himself repeating the titular day in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The premise lends itself to all sorts of potential, and Murray and Ramis leave no comedic stone unturned, but it’s when the film begins to explore the deeper emotional turmoil of the time loop that it gets interesting. Phil’s arc, from cold-hearted cynic to a genuinely empathetic human being, is more effective through repetition, and Murray gives one of his most nuanced performances in the role.

6

‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)

Image via 20th Century Studios

For as much of a cult favorite turned canonized classic as Groundhog Day was, it can’t compete with the ultimate cult fantasy film, The Princess Bride. Eternally quotable and practically universally beloved, it’s inspired the kind of admiration that can often inspire a frenzied backlash. Certainly, there are some contrarians to it, but the overwhelming joy that Rob Reiner‘s film brings has conquered even the most hardened cynics. It’s got everything: fences, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love and miracles.

The first miracle of the film is its pitch-perfect casting. Cary Elwes and Robin Wright make for adorable star-crossed lovers Wesley and Buttercup, while Mandy Patinkin is the most charming rogue out for revenge, Inigo Montoya, alongside André the Giant‘s soft-hearted Fezzik and Wallace Shawn‘s loquacious Sicilian Vizzini. The second miracle is the tone management of William Goldman‘s screenplay, which balances ironic humor with genuine emotion. The final miracle is Reiner’s direction, walking a fine line between whimsical and parodical that makes the film the perfect evolution of the classic fantasy adventure formula.

5

‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ (1988)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Speaking of miracles, Robert Zemeckis‘ cartoon noir slapstick fantasy Who Framed Roger Rabbit could have only been made at the exact time it was and by the exact creators behind it. While corporate consolidation has made it easier for some modern movies to bring different fictional characters together in a single film, it’s usually just a calculated act of franchise synergy. The act of bringing animated characters from the worlds of Looney Tunes and Disney together for this film was an act of creative passion, and was only accomplished through the sheer producing power of Steven Spielberg.

Zemeckis was the perfect director for such a technically precise film, aided tremendously by animation director Richard Williams. Equally important is the committed lead performance by Bob Hoskins as private eye Eddie Valiant, who gets mixed up in a toon-based conspiracy of greed, sex, and murder. Hoskins plays the role with a hard-boiled authenticity that makes the fantasy of the cartoon characters he interacts with all the more fantastic. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a classic Hollywood fantasy made by some of the most talented filmmakers of ’80s cinema.

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‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)

Image via Paramount Pictures

There have been many Christmas miracles featured in classic American movies—some on 34th Street, others in Whoville, and in more Hallmark movies than there may have been actual Christmases. The greatest Christmas miracle comes in the form of an angel sent to save the soul of one hopeless man named George Bailey, in Frank Capra‘s classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Only becoming beloved after years of perennial airings on television during the holiday season, it captures the kind of hope and magic that only a filmmaker like Capra, working with a leading man like James Stewart, could make feel genuine.

Stewart imbues Bailey with a selflessness and generosity that many actors, both of the same era and now, would have difficulty making feel authentic without tipping into pitiable naivety. It’s that balance that makes Bailey a paragon of his hometown, Bedford Falls, and what makes his depressive spiral into contemplation of suicide so effective. When he’s saved by the angel Clarence (Henry Travers) and shown the impact he’s had on everyone in the town, it’s easy to believe because of how effortlessly Capra and Stewart sell it. It’s a Wonderful Life is an aspirational American fantasy classic.

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‘Pinocchio’ (1940)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

There’s no discussing American fantasy films without bringing Disney into the discussion. For all the many faults of the company, it’s built on a solid foundation of classic storytelling and magical movie-making. Of the many fairy tales that it completely changed the cultural perception of, Pinocchio reigns supreme. Only the second feature film produced under the Disney banner, it’s become a pillar of American animation and the fantasy genre, inspiring hundreds of filmmakers and providing the foundation for every film version of the classic story that’s come since.

Carlo Collodi‘s The Adventures of Pinocchio provided the basic framework for the Disney directors and animators who brought the film to life. The rest is classic Disneyfication, turning the rude wooden boy of the book into a precocious hero and his talking cricket into his singing conscience. Ambitious, charming, and a little bit terrifying, Pinocchio is a classic fantasy for old and young alike, and it’s aged perfectly. The songs are classics, the animation is still astounding, and the fantasy still inspires wonder.

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‘Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)

Image via Lucasfilms / courtesy Everett Collection

Not all American fantasies take place on our planet: some are set in a galaxy far, far away. George Lucas‘ original trilogy of space fantasies changed the cinematic landscape forever, ushering in an era of franchise filmmaking that has continued to evolve and dominate the box office. Beyond that blockbuster success, the films are also the best kind of fantasy storytelling, creating an entirely new world that feels lived-in and wholly unique. Every chapter has something to offer, but part five, The Empire Strikes Back, is the greatest American space fantasy of all time.

With Irvin Kirschner taking over as director from Lucas, the performances are all more natural, while the effects and action are bigger and better. From the opening battles on icy Hoth, to Luke training with Yoda on Dagobah, to Han and Leia lying low in Cloud City, The Empire Strikes Back is one iconic setting after another, adding to the larger universe. It’s the darker elements, the more personal stakes, that really make this sequel one of the best. It’s a far-flung fantasy that set a bar no Star Wars film has been able to clear since.

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‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)

Image via Warner Bros.

The greatest fantasy adventure of all time in the land of Oz also just happened to come from the land of the U.S.A. The Wizard of Oz is paramount to American fantasy cinema, setting many of the storytelling techniques and visual techniques that would become standards in the genre. The transition from black-and-white Kansas into the Technicolor land of Oz is so iconic that it essentially became the official moment that movies went to color, even if it wasn’t.

That iconic status extends down through every aspect of the film’s production, from its makeup and costume design to its Oscar-winning score and songs. It’s the greatest American fantasy film ever made. Judy Garland, who endured well-documented abuse on set, is inimitable as Dorothy, the Kansas farm girl who gets sent spinning into the land of Oz by way of tornado and finds herself on a journey down the yellow brick road to meet the titular Wizard, joined by the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. The setting and characters as depicted here may differ from their counterparts in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, but they’ve become the standard representations by which all others are judged.

As we near the end of the year, it’s time to acknowledge how 2026 has been a pretty good year for comedy. From shows about middle-aged crises and unconventional careers to dysfunctional families and messy friendships, television has produced plenty of reasons to laugh. Some of these have had us cracking up from beginning to end, while others masterfully balance their comedy with stories about grief, relationships, and the general disaster of being a person.

Better still, the best comedies of the year haven’t necessarily been the loudest ones, either. They’ve found humor in awkward situations, deeply flawed characters, bizarre circumstances, and the uncomfortabilities of everyday life. So yes, while more comedies could very well bring us joy as the next few months go by, these are some of our favorites—as of right now.

6

‘DTF St. Louis’ (2026)

Image via HBO

As Clark Forrest (Jason Bateman) and Floyd Smernitch (David Harbour) befriend one another after bonding over their stagnant marriages, the two decide to experiment with a local app intended for extramarital hookups. But tensions soon escalate into a toxic web of lies as Clark begins a secret affair with his new friend’s wife, Carol (Linda Cardellini). Of course, things only get worse when Floyd suddenly turns up dead.

Don’t let the show’s color-grading confuse you. While it does place a murder mystery at its center, DTF St. Louis is much more interested in the absurdity of the people involved rather than crafting a conventional crime thriller. Indeed, the humor mostly stems from watching deeply flawed adults make spectacularly bad decisions, with Bateman, Cardellini, and Harbour playing their characters’ loneliness and terrible judgment completely straight. It’s dark, uncomfortable, and often very funny in the way only a comedy about sex, death, and middle-aged desperation can be.

5

‘Hacks’ (2021–2026)

Season 5

Image via HBO Max

As Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) return to Las Vegas, the two quickly discover a smear campaign has been mounted against the legendary comedian. And yet, despite that (as well as a non-compete gag order), Deborah is determined to defy the odds and chase a career-defining goal: selling out a stand-up show at Madison Square Garden.

While it may be its fifth and final season, Hacks never seems to run out of ridiculous problems for Deborah to turn into her personal crusade. Whether she’s plotting around contracts, chasing the occasional milestone, or refusing to accept that the industry might not give her exactly what she wants, Deborah approaches every setback as though it were a declaration of war. Of course, Smart remains the show’s shining weapon, able to make a vicious put-down or completely unreasonable demand land with impeccable comic timing, while the supporting cast gets plenty of room for its own chaos. And even after all these years, Hacks still knows how to make the entertainment industry feel like the funniest and most dysfunctional workplace imaginable. A truly great send-off to a masterful show.

4

‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ (2026–Present)

Image via Apple TV

Margo Millet (Elle Fanning) is a college dropout and aspiring writer whose life takes an unexpected turn when she gets pregnant by her English professor. Now, abandoned by her baby’s father, she’s left facing mounting bills with very few ways to pay them. As a result, Margo returns to the orbit of her unconventional parents, while also exploring increasingly unconventional ways of making money—including starting an OnlyFans account.

On paper, the premise could’ve easily become a grim story about single-parenthood, but Margo’s Got Money Troubles somehow became so much more. For instance, rather than treating Margo’s decision as a punchline or a cautionary tale, the show takes her sex work seriously and instead finds plenty of comedy in the situations surrounding it. And let’s not forget how Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman make her parents’ eccentricity an attraction in its own right (along with some other surprising appearances). Yet another win for AppleTV’s growing catalog.

3

‘Shrinking’ (2023–Present)

Season 3

Image via Apple TV

Struggling to grapple with the death of his wife, Jimmy (Jason Segel) decides to abandon his professional boundaries as a therapist and start telling his patients exactly what he thinks—even if this creates chaos for his clients, loved ones, and himself. By the third season, Shrinking follows an overarching theme of moving forward as Jimmy and his tightly-knit circle are forced to brave other massive life transitions, whether that be about parenthood, illnesses, or careers.

Despite all the emotional upheaval, Shrinking remains one of television’s funniest shows as its characters are spectacularly incapable of dealing with serious situations normally. Jimmy is still impulsive, intrusive, and very good at making other people’s problems his own, while the show’s found-family dynamic continues to generate plenty of wonderfully awkward and chaotic comedy. At the same time, the season gives its characters room to change, making the jokes feel more meaningful because there’s actually something at stake beneath them. Funny, warm, and occasionally heartbreaking, season 3 has only left us begging for the next.

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‘Adults’ (2025–Present)

Season 2

Image via FX

A tight-knit, co-dependent group of twenty-somethings—Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Issa (Amita Rao), Anton (Owen Thiele), and Paul Baker (Jack Innanen)—live together in Samir’s childhood home in New York while attempting to figure out how to become functioning adults. Stumbling their way through life, their problems range from relationships to family, money, and the increasingly embarrassing realities of being responsible for themselves.

Adults truly stuck its landing this season as the show that perfectly encapsulates the Gen Z experience. For one, it completely commits to turning the mundane humiliations of your 20s into full-blown comic disasters. A fake ID, a dinner party, a workplace mistake, or even switching bedrooms can become the basis for an entire episode of increasingly stupid consequences. Season 2 also makes sure to give the ensemble more room to develop beyond the chaos, since the characters feel more like true friends rather than five people assembled solely to deliver punchlines. So let’s renew the show for season 3, okay?

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‘Widow’s Bay’ (2026–Present)

Image via Apple TV

Set in a fictional New England town, Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is determined to transform the struggling community into a tourist destination. But his plans bring renewed attention to the town’s strange traditions and long-buried secrets, forcing Tom and the locals to confront the unsettling forces that surround them.

After winning an egregiously record-breaking number of Emmys this year, it’s not surprising that Widow’s Bay has once again found itself on top. Rather than turning the horror into an excuse for constant jokes, the show lets the supernatural elements play out with genuine menace while also finding the comedy in the reactions of those caught within them. Rhys anchors the show with a stunningly straight-faced performance that makes the stranger moments even funnier. And of course, that humor is only amplified by the eccentric ensemble who all seem to have their own relationship with the town’s bizarre history. The result is a rare horror-comedy that truly leans into the creepy and the absurd—and somehow makes both sides work.

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Widow’s Bay

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Release Date

April 28, 2026

Network

Apple TV

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Showrunner

Katie Dippold

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Directors

Sam Donovan, Andrew DeYoung, Hiro Murai, Ti West

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