Saturday Night Live UK launches with ambition, humour and occasional misfires

Saturday Night Live has at last arrived on British television, with Sky introducing the first official UK version of the legendary American sketch comedy show on Saturday evening. The 51-year-old format, still overseen by its notorious creator Lorne Michaels, made its British debut with an 11-strong cast drawn from more than 1,200 applicants and supported by a 20-strong team of writers. Presented by Tina Fey, the former SNL lead writer and creator of 30 Rock, the first episode presented an ambitious combination of political impersonations, absurdist humour and satirical sketches that was largely successful, despite occasional misses and the occasional sketch that overstayed its welcome.

A daring debut that mostly succeeds

The initial moments of Saturday Night Live UK established the tone for an evening that alternated between bold ambition and occasional missteps. George Fouracres got things started with an impression of Keir Starmer, a sketch that was either remarkably brave or foolishly risky – a man whose very presence, even in parody form, threatens to drain the comedic energy from a room. Yet the show pressed forward, keen to establish itself as something worth watching, and by the time Tina Fey’s monologue finished with Graham Norton’s clever pop quiz on Britishisms, the inaugural episode had gained its footing.

What surfaced across the 90 minutes was a show unafraid to take risks, even when those risks didn’t always pay off. A particularly memorable sketch about an forcefully potent skincare range called Undérage by Pedolay showcased the writers’ willingness to push boundaries with darkly absurdist humour. Elsewhere, Hammed Animashaun gave two outstanding turns as an brutally candid film critic and as part of a team committed to rendering the internet worse. Whilst not every sketch landed – a laboured segment about an publicity-hungry newborn fell decidedly flat – the general sense was of a show that had cleared a significant hurdle on its opening night.

• Keir Starmer impersonation kicks off proceedings with political satire
• Tina Fey’s monologue warms up with Graham Norton guest appearance
• Skincare sketch “Undérage by Pedolay” delivers dark comedy
• Hammed Animashaun steals the show with a pair of strong performances

Comedy bits that thrived and ones that fell flat

The main points

The evening’s most compelling moments came when the writers adopted absurdist humour with confidence and precision. The skincare sketch “Undérage by Pedolay” proved to be a masterclass in dark comedy, drawing laughs from genuinely uncomfortable subject matter with remarkable dexterity that suggested the writing team understood exactly how far they could push their audience. Hammed Animashaun proved to be the evening’s standout performer, presenting two consecutive sketches that demonstrated impeccable comic timing and character work – first as an brutally honest film critic unable to comprehend why audiences enjoyed terrible films, then as part of a team tasked with making the internet “as terrible as conceivably possible.” These sketches proved that the show had discovered its comedic voice.

A sketch presenting a disturbingly convincing portrayal of Princess Diana, performed by Jack Shep during a surreal David Attenborough Last Supper segment, showed the cast’s range and readiness to tackle adventurous, visually sophisticated comedy. These successful moments suggested that beneath the sporadic unevenness and overly lengthy sketches lay a authentic grasp of what made SNL work in its original American version – the ability to aim high, knowing that some attempts would miss but that the ambition in itself was worth celebrating.

The less triumphant moments

Not every swing connected, however. A sketch centred on a woman delivering an attention-seeker proved to be the show’s most significant misfire, stretching far beyond its comedic premise with heavy-handed execution that undermined the possibilities the concept might have possessed. The segment about David Attenborough’s Last Supper, whilst showcasing Diana’s memorable turn, became bloated and difficult to follow, exemplifying a recurring problem throughout the evening – sketches that simply didn’t know when to end. This habit of outstaying their usefulness is admittedly an SNL tradition stretching back decades, but it felt especially noticeable during the first British episode.

Tina Fey’s opening monologue stumbled initially with a cameo from Nicola Coughlan that fell short of generating the expected laughs, though it regained enough momentum to end on a stronger note. These stumbles, whilst underwhelming, didn’t disrupt the overall flow of the show. They acted as reminders that Saturday Night Live UK, like its American counterpart, would flourish through experimentation – accepting that not every idea would work, but banking on the hits would outweigh the misses over time.

Creating impetus for upcoming instalments

Despite the periodic missteps, Saturday Night Live UK has created a solid groundwork upon which to expand. The show’s readiness to embrace risk-taking – from politically provocative opening sketches to surreal comedy that challenges conventions – suggests the producers recognise that comedy thrives on ambition rather than cautious conventionality. With a robust team of writers drawn from over 1,200 applicants and a cast demonstrating genuine versatility, the elements required for sustained achievement appear to be established. The inaugural episode’s most significant accomplishment may ultimately be that it demonstrated the format could function within British soil without simply becoming a pale imitation of its American counterpart.

The real test will surface in the weeks ahead, as the show creates its own identity and refines what resonates with UK audiences. Preliminary feedback indicate viewers are ready to support the show’s experimental approach, recognising that not every sketch will succeed but appreciating the effort nonetheless. If the production team can maintain this equilibrium of ambition and execution whilst cutting back on some of the lengthy sketch segments that hampered the first episode, Saturday Night Live UK could secure its place as a major presence in British broadcast comedy. The groundwork has been established; now comes the substantially tougher task of creating something genuinely special.

• The cast displayed strong comedic timing and character development throughout the evening
• Writing quality fluctuated yet demonstrated potential in satirical and absurdist material
• Tina Fey’s involvement brought credibility and experience from SNL’s US operations
• Sketch duration control will be vital for maintaining audience engagement moving ahead
• Future episodes should capitalise on the show’s willingness to tackle topical political humour

What creates this version unmistakably British

The UK version of Saturday Night Live’s greatest strength lies in its commitment to celebrating characteristically British sensibilities rather than simply transplanting the American formula in its entirety. The opening cold open featuring Keir Starmer, though admittedly risking the same fate as the Prime Minister himself – draining energy from a room – demonstrated the show’s commitment to addressing current UK political issues with irreverent humour. Similarly, sketches like the Undérage skincare parody and the internet-ruination team sketch drew upon British comedy heritage of absurdist satire and cultural observation that feel native to these shores. The inclusion of British comedy veterans such as Nicola Coughlan and allusions to characteristically British cultural touchstones suggest the producers recognise that success requires adaptation to local audiences, not mere replication.

The writing team’s make-up, selected across over 1,200 applicants throughout Britain, ensures the show resonates with British audiences in their own comedic language. Where American SNL often relies on celebrity culture and Hollywood satire, the British version has already shown inclination towards sharper cultural commentary and institutional critique. The Graham Norton cameo in Tina Fey’s monologue, including a test on Britishisms, illustrated this strategy – using distinctly British cultural references to anchor the humour. This localisation strategy, if sustained regularly across future episodes, could prove vital to establishing Saturday Night Live UK as more than merely a regional extension of the American original.