Saturday Night Live UK: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
The British version of the legendary American sketch show
Year: 2026
People have tried to do a version of the US sketch show Saturday Night Live on UK TV for years - the similarly titled Saturday Live in the 1980s, 90s and the 2020s, on Ch4 and ITV - but it's never lasted.
Sky's promising series should have longer legs. It has the backing of Lorne Michaels, the force behind the US SNL since its creation in the 1970s, and follows the American format closely with a mix of sketches, musical performances, anchorman-style riffs on the news in the 'Weekend Update' section and a celebrity guest host each week from 10pm, starting with Tina Fey - a comedians' comedian who went on to a stellar career in writing and performing after she left the US show in 2006.
Let's hope SNL UK provides a similar launchpad for its British cast. There are 11 performers, many of whom you won't have heard of, which is hopefully a good sign of a thorough search for up-and-coming talent. The most high profile in TV terms are Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops) and Celeste Dring (The Windsors), while the 20-strong writing staff features sketch veteran Humphrey Ker (The Penny Dreadfuls) and the very British absurdist-satirist Lorna Rose Treen (Radio 4's Time Of The Week).
Sketch is arguably the hardest and certainly the most expensive form of comedy, especially done this way with built sets and full costumes, but hopefully the level of talent and investment in SNL UK will give this show and its stars the best shot possible. After Fey and the opening guest musical act Wet Leg, future weeks will feature Jamie Dornan and Wolf Alice (28 March) and Riz Ahmed and Kasabian (4 April).
A selection of sketches are being made available for free on YouTube, much like they do with the US version. (Eight episodes)
