SNL UK? Here’s What We Know

If there’s something American television viewers love, it’s late-night live TV. Think Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmell, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, John Oliver, and even our British export James Corden. While their chat shows have plenty in common, none come quite close to the success of Saturday Night Live, the US’s premiere late-night variety show. The USP? Selecting a different celebrity to host each and every week, and dropping them in the middle of sketches parodying the week’s headlines across news, pop culture and politics – as well as themselves.

Now in its 50th season, the media is getting introspective: Curtis Sittenfeld’s 2023 novel Romantic Comedy delved behind the scenes of an SNL lookalike, while star studded 2024 film Saturday Night chronicled the rise of the variety show from Lorne Michael’s punt to television mainstay. A bounty of household names in American comedy cut their teeth on SNL, including: Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Molly Shannon, Jimmy Fallon, Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal, Seth Myers, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Ben Stiller, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig and plenty more.

But SNL is uniquely American. In the ‘80s, a British version by Channel 4 flopped, and similar stories emerge from most of the countries attempting to replicate the show’s success; Spain, Japan, Russia, Poland and Canada’s Quebec have all tried and failed, though SNL Korea and Israel’s Eretz Nehederet (‘A Wonderful Country’) have found some success.

When clips of sketches cross the Atlantic when SNL has aired overnight, the UK response is often lukewarm: the comedy doesn’t translate perfectly, the political points are heavy-handed, the impressions are too on-the-nose… So what would SNL look like in the UK? It seems we’re about to find out…

Sky Is Working On SNL UK: Here’s What We Know

Last Thursday, Sky officially revealed a British version of Saturday Night Live is on its way. Deadline reported way back in 2021 that the British broadcaster was working on its own version of NBC’s long-running late-night comedy variety show – but new details emerged over the weekend. This includes the rumoured appointment of James Longman as showrunner, who previously executively produced The Late Late Show With James Corden. Insiders hint Longman is already sounding out writers and a cast for the British adaptation.

While Brits might wince at the idea of the producer of James Corden’s chat show (not exactly popular here in the UK) working across SNL UK, rest assured Longman has also worked on British late-night mainstays including Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Alan Carr: Chatty Man. He’s set to be joined behind the scenes by British comedy showrunner Suzi Aplin, who has worked across Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and TFI Friday, as well as Comic Relief and Prime Video’s Backstage with Katherine Ryan.

Beloved Irish actor Paul Mescal hosted Saturday Night Live in December 2024, here pictured with musical guest Shaboozey (left) and comedian Chloe Fineman (right). (© NBC/Sky Comedy)

What’s The Deal?

There’s a lot of synergy here. Sky is owned by Comcast, the same media conglomerate that owns NBC, which produces Saturday Night Live. It’s believed SNL creator Lorne Michaels will be closely tied to the UK version of his series, though it is understood showrunner Longman (or whoever is appointed in the role) will have more of an oversight of the day-to-day.

‘For over 50 years Saturday Night Live has held a unique position in TV and in our collective culture, reflecting and creating the global conversation all under the masterful comedic guidance of Lorne Michaels,’ says Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Sky’s chief content officer. ‘The show has discovered and nurtured countless comedy and musical talents over the years and we are thrilled to be partnering with Lorne and the SNL team to bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year – all live from London on Saturday night.’

Who Will Star?

According to Deadline’s insiders, ‘Every comedy name and writer in the UK has already been approached about’ British SNL, and there is a ‘palpable excitement’ due to Michaels’ involvement. Sky has added British SNL will stay true to the original’s ‘live, fast-paced style’ with a cast of ‘the funniest British comedians around’. And this is where the controversy emerges.

As well as its long-lasting heritage (it’s even older than the UK’s EastEnders), the beauty of Saturday Night Live is the transformation of unknown writers and sketch comedians into familiar faces as more of their jokes land with each episode. It’s all about discovery. While the UK’s ‘comedy names’ are being approached for British SNL with the hopes their involvement will boost the profile of the variety series, this means we skip that unknown phase straight to the comedy shows we already know (and tolerate). With British TV comedy already struggling to please its audiences, British SNL needs freshness to succeed: new writers, unknown comedians, fresh faces.

Will SNL Work In The UK?

It’s safe to say British and American comedy have their differences. British broadcasters have attempted to replicate American success stories countless times. While Graham Norton, Alan Carr and Jonathan Ross have found success with the late-night chat show format, the culture is meagre in comparison to the success these US shows boast. Likewise, panel shows like Have I Got News For You, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Would I Lie to You and 8 Out of 10 Cats draw huge audiences in the UK, but American versions have flopped.

Appealing to the uniquely British audience will be key to SNL’s success on this side of the Atlantic. So will SNL shake off its stateside persona and don a British cap? It seems not: Michaels is said to be putting British comedy writers through a series of masterclasses over the coming months, hoping to ‘teach’ Brits ‘the SNL way’ with the help of American writers.

Over the weekend, Brits have offered mixed reactions to the news. BBC TV critic Scott Bryan hopes for a ‘distinctively British’ adaptation as ‘a lot of SNL humour doesn’t translate’. Meanwhile, on his The Rest is Entertainment podcast, Richard Osman pointed out how tricky it will be for Sky to hold on to a talented cast when more lucrative deals arise elsewhere – while most of the criticism for SNL UK so far stems from the hint that well-known comedians will be cast rather than fresh faces.

When Is SNL UK On TV?

Hold your horses: SNL UK is expected to debut in 2026 – so still a little while to wait. It’ll be broadcast live from London.

How To Watch Saturday Night Live In The UK

The current season of Saturday Night Live (season 50) is available to stream on Now TV. SNL has aired on Sky Comedy weekly since 2020. Before that, we could only watch clips on YouTube.