A Look at the Continuing Rise of “Saturday Night Live UK”
Murmurs of a British version of the hit late-night comedy show, Saturday Night Live, broadcast around the world from 30 Rockefeller Plaza for the last 51 years, have been circulating since 2021. Last April, the show was confirmed for Sky, with longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels attached to the project. Ever since this announcement, social media and the tabloid press have been full of dismissal and doubt for the UK adaptation of the American television institution. Some of us, however, myself included, waited for the show’s debut in March of this year to make any judgment of what it would bring to the wider picture of UK television (even if they might have been sceptical).
Electric Start
What we saw on the night of the 21st of March truly defied expectations. SNL veteran Tina Fey crossed the pond to host the show’s debut episode, in what proved to be a fantastic move from the production team. She guided the show’s cast through what I can only imagine was the most stressful 75 minutes of their lives, helping keep everybody in gear and everything flowing as planned. SNL is famous for being one of the trickiest ships to steer on live TV, and the lack of slip-ups or technical faults in the first broadcast only made the show more appealing to those who had their doubts.
Within its first outing on Britain’s television sets, SNL UK delivered some already iconic moments. Sketch comedy has to land its opening, and a fantastic Keir Starmer impression in the cold open from rising-star George Fouracres became a staple of the show. Another uniquely British moment from the episode was the sketch parodying Oscar-nominated Hamnet, with Fouracres and Fey’s back-and-forth as Fouracres performed a camp William Shakespeare, bringing the biggest laughs of the night from the live audience. Fouracres continued to stand out with the final sketch of the night, ‘Forty-Five Seconds with Fouracres’, in which he ranted at the camera, delivering exquisite impressions of the different types of Irish Grandfathers, acting as the most original moment of the episode.
Cut Above Comedy
It is this originality and lack of fear to break from the mould of the US version that has made the show such an instant success. For British audiences, the show didn’t bring American comedy to their screens, but instead shone a light on the talent of the UK comedy scene and what can be produced if a little faith is placed in it. Like the original, the UK show found its talent in the circles of stand-up and sketch comedy clubs around the country.
From ‘Weekend Update’ anchors Paddy Young and Ania Magliano, to Ayoade Bamgboye and Celeste Dring, the show’s cast of players have their roots in fringe festival comedy and pub stand-up. This gives the show an undeniably British feel, something that makes it a special product rather than just an American money grab.
As a fan of the American original, I think it is far from outlandish to suggest that the eight episodes of SNL UK have outshone the most recent season of NBC’s prized possession. Season 51 of SNL has felt diluted and weak in several places, with too large a cast and several writers leaving after its historic 50th anniversary. This left it in a transition state during its most recent run, opening the door for the UK alternative to offer fans something new.
The show has breathed new life into live television in this country, averaging 154,000 viewers per episode, up from the 28,000 expected for its 10 pm time slot. Most of its success has come online, however, with the short-form content created from the live sketches proving popular on social media. Deadline reports that SNL UK content has received 86 million views online, making it by far the most successful part of the show so far.
The Future
The future of SNL UK looks bright. It has been renewed by Sky, with the number of episodes increased to 12, up from the eight we got this series. The show will also return in September, aligning it with its US counterpart. So far, this is all we know about its return, with more developments expected over the summer. But it’s definitely true that audiences should be excited. Any low points of series one will hopefully be ironed out, and any new additions to the cast or writers’ room will only allow for grassroots British sketch comedy to shine on the newly laid best stage in town.
Another article you may enjoy – https://thebadgeronline.com/2026/05/are-we-too-old-or-this/
