Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a treasured cultural institution in the United States. Next year, it will make the Atlantic crossing with an equally exciting new UK version! This impressive adaptation shines with the best of British comic talent. It plugs along with the same well-worn recipe that’s cultivated a rabid, years-long waitlist in the United States for more than five decades. Industry experts have just started sharing their insights, and the excitement is palpable. Here’s what they’re saying about the hard work and prospects that lie ahead for this game-changing endeavor.
SNL has established itself as a launching pad for numerous comedic legends, including Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, and Mike Myers. The show has become synonymous with live comedy, boasting the iconic phrase, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” The original program is averaging 8.4 million viewers per week, which would dwarf all other late-night shows put together. In addition, it is 30-1 odds to win or receive the most Emmy Awards of any single television series.
SNL deserves its robust budget but thrives because of it. It’s this funding that allows for a massive cast and a full-time staff of writers to churn out new material constantly, keeping the story engaging and dynamic. The U.S. version uses a writers’ room and has actors under contract year-round. This collaborative approach is the secret sauce behind the quality and immediacy of content they produce, something that many would be hard pressed to replicate in the UK.
The UK comedy scene is usually a hotbed of grassroots innovation. Most sketch groups come out of a friendship and then hit the ground running at events such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Rachel Aroesti, a media critic, points out that “I don’t think you can underestimate that heritage when accounting for its current success.” She adds that the UK incarnation of SNL will feature “star-studded” British talent. It won’t get at the same dynamics as the American version.
The UK adaptation, which will be produced live from London, will feature a cast and creative team comprised entirely of British writers and performers. Whether it is able to capture the same spirit as its American counterpart is a question still to be answered. Aroesti raises doubts about the caliber of guest appearances, stating, “I would be surprised if the UK version is able to attract the same calibre of guest.” In the U.S., where guest participation has become a major media event unto itself, that breeds a mutually beneficial relationship between publicity and performance.
Though SNL has certainly blossomed in America, the cultural disconnect between U.S. and UK comedy could be an early hurdle. Joe Piscopo comments on SNL’s influence, stating, “They took sketch comedy to a whole other level.” Still, he’s dubious about how the “too British” jokes will be received by anyone outside of the UK.
Helen Lewis is perhaps the most prominent progressive voice in British media. She acknowledges that for the UK version to work, it needs to be authentically British. She asserts, “Yes it is, but I’m going to get it written by Americans and performed by Americans for Americans.” This addresses a major concern for critics worried about cultural mismatches.
Despite these challenges, the overriding sentiment is one of optimism concerning the project. Josh Widdicombe, British comedian and television presenter, on the new Sky. If they’re able to artfully connect the subtleties of both cultures, they will likely kickstart the next batch of multiversal comedic superstars. He remarks, “If Sky get this right, they’ll create new stars, and from that they can spin-off other shows with those performers.”
Clips from the show average around 216 million views per episode on platforms like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. This digital engagement shows the broad interest in and popularity of the show and sets the bar high for its UK version.
As the UK readies for its own version of SNL, the excitement is tempered with skepticism and doubt. The mark of quality for this adaptation will be just how well they can mix American touches with distinctly British humor. It must, of course, attract the best talent and a passionate public.
Leave a Reply