It is rare to see British sketch comedy on television. In fact, British comedy on television is so rare that the genre has been deemed “at risk” in recent years. So, naturally, you would have thought that the launch of “Saturday Night Live U.K.” — overseen by legendary executive producer Lorne Michaels, with a heavy investment in a new generation of acting and writing talent — would be welcomed by Brits with open arms. Right? Right?!
Question. Have you met the British?
In reality, there was so much cynicism shared by British viewers online in the run up to Sky One’s first episode on Saturday that it felt like it needed Danny Boyle Opening Ceremony level of turnaround to make it work. The promos ahead certainly did not do “SNL U.K.” any favors. An unremarkable skit with Tina Fey pretending to be Mary Poppins. A photoshoot of the new players posing next to a London bus stop. An underground advert with the show written out in baked beans on toast. All of this together gave the impression that “SNL U.K.” was going to be made by American tourists making assumptions on British comedy rather than a reflection of what it currently is; its eight-episode run the TV equivalent of taking a photo in a phonebox next to Big Ben before dining in an Angus Steakhouse.
Thankfully, “Saturday Night Live U.K.” largely took the basics of what makes the U.S. version work: sketch comedy, rotating guest hosts and the unpredictability of live television, and left the Brits to it. That’s where it works. Overseen by former “Late Late Show With James Corden” producer James Longman, the sketches are darker and surreal than its U.S. counterpart, the comedy much more deadpan. Even if all the sketch itself doesn’t work (hey, they kept that feature too) there’s enough one-liners to keep you going and try out the next.
“I’m David Attenborough… and it can’t be long now,” quipped George Fouracres as the legendary British broadcaster. This was only minutes after he was a spineless Keir Starmer, saying “I’ll do anything, I’ll try anything, except take a stand.” On Weekend Update, the legendary spoof headlines segment, Paddy Young and Anna Magliano did a pitch-perfect bit on influencers fleeing Dubai, with Young joking “but I must stress though, it isn’t all good news.” Hammed Animashaun also delivered a cutting take on film junkets with agonizingly enthusiastic influencer interviewers.
With the U.S. version launching the careers of Steve Martin, Maya Rudolph and Will Ferrell, the U.K. iteration also has the potential to turn the cast into household names. Player Jack Shep seems one to look out for, pulling off a Diana impression so good that when the sketch itself didn’t land you didn’t care. Within minutes, he was in another as a dancing baby fetus. No idea what that was about either, but because of Jack I didn’t mind.
The weakest part of “SNL U.K.” is, well, the “Saturday Night Live” part. Tina Fey promised at the top to not get in the way of the new British cast, but then was in nearly every sketch. She’s great, I mean she’s literally Tina Fey, but with such a presence and having so many lines it resulted in fewer opportunities for us to get to know the new British players, who are the reason why we’re supposed to be tuning into this in the first place.
The monologue at the top of the show also consisted of the typical American shock that on British television you can say swears such as “shitbird” and “bollocks,” when on the American version you can’t even though it airs late. This was then followed by Michael Cera making a surprise cameo just to say “shitbird” and “bollocks.” Hardly revolutionary. Have you met us? By the time Graham Norton came on stage followed by Fey and Norton reciting British catchphrases, ending with them both yelling the advert “Autoglass repair” “AUTOGLASS REPLACE,” you were left wondering why Norton has not been confirmed to be a guest host, considering he’s such a familiar presence here.
I think this gets to the heart of an issue “SNL U.K.” has: who is this exactly for? The set looks American, the pacing of some of the sketches feel American, and the fact it lasted nearly 75 minutes (when British audiences usually love their comedy no longer than 60 cos we’re tired) feels awfully American. At times, watching this feels like visiting a branch of Five Guys. It’s fine, but it’s not like eating in America. If this show is just to celebrate a U.S. institution that a large proportion of Brits have never tuned into and won’t apart from a few viral clips, after the initial hype dies down it’ll fall flat on its face. Yet, if it is left to confidently find its own feet, leaning into something more British and inherently surreal — such as Cilla Black impressions and William Shakespeare turning up on a beeping, stolen lime bike before saying “cunty little earring” — it’ll have a hope.
And, market it as one of the only places you can watch live comedy and music at a time on British TV when there’s shockingly little of both, and they might be onto a winner.
It is a British comedy after all.
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