An interest in SNL underscored most of my pre-teen years. I grew up regurgitating the eccentricities of Kristen Wiig characters, replaying Digital Short tracks like they belonged on the official chart, and believing that all Americans truly spoke like ‘The Californians’. So, you can imagine my excitement when Sky announced they were launching, at last, an ‘SNL UK’.
As a fan of British comedy, it has been disheartening to see the investment in comedic television dwindle in recent years, with a noticeable decline in showcasing fresh talent and commissions of new shows. Some audiences are fatigued by programmes that selectively feature a carousel of the same UK comedians making the rounds on the same panel shows, some of which have been running for years and take precedence over the development of new productions. In 2025, comedian Munya Chawawa delivered the inaugural MacTaggart Lecture, claiming that “British TV (is) dying because it’s lost its willingness to take risks”; but I reassure you, the tides are turning.
The risk taken with producing SNL UK is bold, with lots of financial investment in a show primed for live broadcast, a medium that has suffered staggeringly since the rise of streaming. Some mistake this boldness for foolishness as online criticism pre-empted the failure of a show that had yet to be aired, insisting it ‘cannot compare to the US version’. Alas, following a noteworthy first few episodes I would argue the investment in the show is equally as daring as it is rewarding. Comedy fans, television industry-heads, deprecating critics and anyone of the age where they’re still home at 10pm on a Saturday can tune in to see – it’s pretty good actually.
The accomplished Tina Fey opened the series with her expertise from across the pond, somewhat assuming an ensemble role whilst hosting to showcase the talents of the cast. And boy, is this cast talented. The Cold Open featured an imitation of a bumbling Kier Starmer by the adept George Fouracres, who also has proven to be a captivating performer elsewhere, elevating many of the sketches he is involved in. The charming Jack Shep is also undeniably a standout player, carrying multiple sketches in this premiere whether it was as a giggly “shy” dancing foetus or his hilariously accurate impersonation of Princess Diana.
The pre-recorded sketches were also a highlight, with the quintessentially British humour in the ‘Underagè’ sketch, a faux advertisement for face cream so good, it accidentally incriminates the husbands of the women who use it.
Wet Leg broke in the music stage with their pop-grunge hit ‘mangetout’, a perfect vibe capsule of energetic punchiness. Though, as much as I did enjoy the musical performances, it would be great to see the music stage perhaps develop with creative set designs in future shows as it is currently pretty stripped back.
The stellar Ania Magliano and Paddy Young gave us a satirical rundown of current affairs as the Weekend Update co-anchors. It is clear from the offset they are a quality duo with A-grade jabs at the news cycle, a particular gag from Young about the helium shortage really got me. The pair have hit the ground running, unafraid to truly ridicule authority, which is refreshing to see amongst fears surrounding redaction in today’s broadcasting landscape.
Overall, it was an upstanding first episode and a great start to the series – which has surely been continued throughout the second and third weeks, with amusing sketches such as a ‘Traitors’ parody about the racially prejudiced voting that occurs despite the glaringly obvious real ‘traitor’ and a catchy ‘Pub Song’ about how Brits seek out their own culture and food when abroad. Throughout these initial weeks we’ve also seen sharp performances from Ayoade Bamgboye, Annabel Marlow and the versatile Hammed Animashaun, as well as a range of uncanny impressions from Emma Sidi.
Despite there being more hits than misses, SNL has an imperfect nature, especially due to the tight turnaround of production. Some comments seen online have criticised the lack of regional humour, despite employing a cast from various areas of the UK; similarly, the few jokes jesting cast member Larry Dean’s Glaswegian accent are fairly lazy. Yet, throughout its initial run, the show has managed to cater for a range of viewers, proving that it’s comedic talents have ‘something for everyone’, whether it is parodying an 11-year old meme in football culture or mocking the obscure idiosyncrasies of Gen Z.
Alas, it is clear that SNL UK is powered by a strong community of creatives, employing a stacked workforce of 11 cast members and 20 staff writers from diverse comedic and performance backgrounds. The excellence of the writers also cannot be understated, with key sketches from the minds of character comedian Lorna Rose Treen, comedy writer Ellie Fulcher, and stand-up Bella Hull. The show seems truly committed in giving a platform to this new generation of comics which certainly feels significant, as pointed out by comedian Nish Kumar on his podcast ‘Pod Save the UK’ seeing as “the last generation of comedians that had been brought through by British television is [his] generation of comedians and [they]’re all in [their] late 30s and early 40s now”.
As a 50 year-long running institution, SNL US is renowned for its cutthroat industry, with various histories of firings vs promotions and jibes about the intimidating rule of Lorne Michaels. So, it’s nice to watch an SNL UK founded by performers and writers functioning on an equal level. The freshness of a UK version eliminates any disparity, which is quite lovely to witness.
Unashamedly, I am loving SNL UK so far and it’s wonderful to see such an investment in a new generation of British comedy. ‘Live from London’ has a ring to it…
