31 Mar The UK SNL
TheOffShoot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The UK’s SNL: Importing an American Treasure
A British SNL? Why not—American pop culture has reimagined British television shows for ages. Sometimes the results are surprisingly good, despite the loyalists to the original who will crow about this superiority as long as you let them—e.g., The Office—and sometimes the results are so unspeakably bad they are tantamount to a war crime—e.g., The Inbetweeners.
Unlike some adaptations, which seem to have only the title of the original source material in common—take 1993’s hallucinatory Super Mario Bros. starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, who both got through working on the movie by getting drunk for the majority of filming—The UK SNL is exactly what it sounds like. Saturday Night Live, but in England (London, to be exact).
The format is remaining the same. It’s still a sketch show, with a big-name host performing an opening monologue. There’s a musical guest, pre-taped sketches, and a Weekend Update.
Then what is different?
The cast for one (obviously).
Mainly, the difference is the distinctive British humor—dry, understated, periodically pitch black—as well as including specific British references. To illustrate this distinction, let’s examine a few sketches. In David Attenborough’s Last Supper, Attenborough hosts a dinner party where the guests—all British icons—are seated “Last Supper” style. The figures best known to American audiences will probably be Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, Princess Diana, Agatha Christie, and Freddie Mercury.
In the sketch, there’s “cheeky” humor with references to Epstein and silly math jokes (that are either charming or lame, depending on your disposition).
Moreover, unlike on the other side of the pond, the UK SNL can say “naughty” words without the FCC throwing a hissy fit. For example, in another sketch, a character proclaims they have a “c***y little earring,” in the opening monologue, Tina Fey drops the f-bomb, as well as other “outrageous” moments detailed by one of the bastions of journalism and pointless “quizzes,” Buzzfeed.
The U.S. of A’s SNL has lasted for over half a century and has given us comedic giants like Tim Robinson (who has only recently seen the credit he deserves, after The Detroiters was cancelled after two brilliant seasons, because sometimes life is often cruel and pointless, but still surprises us by turning disappointment into something wonderful, i.e., post-Detroiters we got I Think You Should Leave and The Chair Company).
Other stars that came out of the SNL machine are Will Forte, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, Michael Myers, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman, Bill Hader, and many, many others.
With this in mind, it’s entirely possible that the British SNL could churn out its own comedic giants. In this article, we’ll delve further into England’s most precarious of ventures: putting a new cultural spin on something mega-popular—which may or may not be well past its prime, depending on who you ask…as long it’s not Lorne Michaels, the enigmatic creator of SNL, who swears that every generation thinks the best SNL lineup was the one they grew up watching in high school, which, sure.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The Hosts and Their Big Shadow
SNL has always been defined by its hosts. George Carlin ushered in the first episode, and since then, they’ve continued to get the biggest stars, athletes, and musicians in the world. Recently, they had Ryan Gosling hosting for the fourth time (his wedding toast sketch was one for the ages). The show has also had its fair share of controversy with its hosts. Some have been banned for their behaviors, say Sinéad O’Connor; others have been protested for their perceived misogyny: Andrew Dice Clay. Yet other hosts, e.g., Donald Trump, have resulted in a fair share of controversy from the cast and America at large. According to Lorne Michaels’ biography, the stunt casting had former SNLer and American treasure Tim Robinson proclaim, “Lorne has lost his f***ing mind and someone needs to shoot him in the back of the head.”
Thus, to maintain SNL’s storied legacy, the UK SNL has to attract (and be hosted by) an equally brilliant star wattage. So let’s dive into who’s already hosted and who’s slated to host next.
Who’s in the British SNL Cast?
The UK SNL cast is made up of Paddy Young, Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Celeste Dring. Some are more well-versed in theater; some are more straight-up comedians. For a full rundown on the cast, see Bleeding Cool’s comprehensive breakdown.
Who’s Hosted Already?
By the time this article comes out, SNL legend—and co-creator and star of the eminently rewatchable 30 Rock—Tina Fey hosted on March 22, 2026. Mr. “50 shades of zero chemistry with famously wooden co-star” Jaime Dornan hosted on March 28th, 2026.
On April 4th, 2026, Riz Ahmed is set to host.
What Have the Critics Been Saying (So Far)?”
You don’t have to go far to find people who have opinions on SNL—even reclusive author J.D. Salinger had some complaints. So there’s no shock to be had that a British SNL is ripe for think pieces and outright critical navel gazing. However, overall, the feedback has been positive, if couched in armchair expert analysis.
Some of the feedback has been wildly exultant, e.g., “SNL UK proved everyone wrong: it’s a big, British, Saturday riot.” Others have been more tepidly optimistic: “Saturday Night Live UK: A lot to improve but it’s a welcome addition to late-night television all the same.” There’s been some backhanded praise: “‘SNL UK’ is surprisingly funny, but is it British enough?” The Telegraph called it “shockingly competent,” which sounds more like feedback you’d give to a drunken contractor. Some critics, like The Guardian, have been less kind, offering thoughts such as, “it didn’t fail and it could have been a lot worse.” Then there’s Deadline’s assertion that it’s “laugh free.”
As of its first episode, the British SNL had a 91% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although to be fair, MacGruber, a comedic masterpiece, starring SNL alum Will Forte, and counts Christopher Nolan has one of its biggest fans, only has a 36% and 47% rating on this bewildering site, proving both that taste can be subjective, and people can be horrendously wrong, possibly even suffering from massive head trauma when they review an unequivocal classic.
How to Watch SNL UK
If you’re in England, you can watch the UK SNL on Sky One and NOW. If you’re in America and wondering how to watch SNL UK, it’s on Peacock, where you can also watch the television-follow-up to MacGruber, where critics seem to have recovered from their brain injuries that impacted their sense of taste, giving it double the review numbers on Rotten Tomatoes (which are still far below what it deserves) all for the same humor as the original film.
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