Saturday Night Live UK could send dozens of comedy careers into the stratosphere

This article first appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

This weekend will see a British adaptation of Saturday Night Live, the most successful comedy show ever, air in the UK for the first time.

So what? It could transform an entire industry. Led by Lorne Michaels, founder and producer of the original version, the initial six-episode run will

• •

  feature Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed as the first three hosts;

• •

  introduce 11 relatively unknown comedians to a wider viewing public; and

• •

  serve as the ultimate test case for whether a beloved US format can translate to the UK.

Origin stories. Weekly sketch shows have been the bedrock of comedy for decades. In the US, Mike Myers, Will Ferrell, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler and Amy Poehler all got their start on Saturday Night Live. In the UK, That Was The Week That Was acted as a catalyst for John Betjeman, Roald Dahl, John Cleese, Peter Cook and Dennis Potter.

Cultural icon. Launched on NBC in 1975, Saturday Night Live changed the humour landscape. “It hit the right mood, like punk,” says Steve Bennett, founder of comedy site Chortle. “It shut up the old order of formal variety shows and fifth generation Rat Pack hangovers. This was raw and live and young people stayed in to watch it or hosted dorm watching parties.”

By the numbers. Broadcast in more than 200 countries, the show

• •

  has won a record 113 Emmys;

• •

  attracted nearly eight billion social media views last year; and

• •

  can take credit for alumni who have made tens of billions of dollars at the box office.

Culture clash. Previous attempts to mimic the format in Britain have faltered. The US version is notoriously expensive, costing around $4m per episode. This is due to the large permanent cast and rotating sets. The closest UK equivalent, Channel 4’s Saturday Live, had enviable names such as Jo Brand and Ben Elton but ended when the cast moved on to solo projects.

Culture war. The BBC has dominated UK comedy for decades but its public service role has caused problems. It cancelled The Mash Report in 2021, with some suggestion that this was due to the show’s perceived left-wing bias. “Sky don’t have those obligations so I would hope it will be gutsy and do interesting political things,” says Nish Kumar, who was the host.

Culture maker. SNL UK is an expensive experiment, with a script that can change at the last minute, dozens of regulars, guests, and writers, as well as some 350 set builders, admin staff, tech crew and directors.

Graveyard of failures. There’s ample evidence that US and UK audiences don’t share the same sensibilities when it comes to humour. The Inbetweeners and Peep Show both failed stateside, while The Office US only worked when it was shorn of its British quirks.

Wait and see. But there’s no reason to think that SNL UK will try to replicate the style of humour of the original, even if it follows some of the tried-and-tested formats.

What’s more… If it succeeds, the cast and writers could be the next stars of British comedy.

Photograph by Charlotte Rutherford/Sky UK