# Saturday Night Live UK pilot **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** talk-variety-show\ **Created:** [March 25, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761 "2026-03-25T16:24:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/1 "2026-03-25T16:24:43Z")
Did anybody watch this? I liked the Starmer sketch and the first bit of Fey’s monologue. The Helium joke was quite good but surrounded by a lot of clunkers in the newsroom sketch, the Paddington sketch was an amusing take on Wonka but really only a 1-note joke. The Attenborough sketch was amusing when it appeared that all the “great” people were just going to argue about petty bill sniping when they had only an hour for discussion but the ending was pretty poor. The Underage sketch really made no sense with live action actors who we could actually see. The Shakespeare one was just awful. All in all it was more miss than hit, probably won’t watch again. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/2 "2026-03-25T16:33:51Z")
If you’re familiar with the American version of SNL, you know that traditionally most of the shows have been hit or miss, with one or two sketches in the entire show that really score. Did the UK version have Weekend Update? That’s traditionally the strongest part of the show, and even it is only about 2/3 good. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/3 "2026-03-25T16:36:25Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Did the UK version have Weekend Update? Is that the news? There was a news sketch, I can’t recall if it was called Weekend Update or not. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/4 "2026-03-25T16:38:18Z")
It seems weird to me that it’s only after the original American show has been on for over fifty years that anyone thought to export the concept. And of course, there have always been many sketch comedy shows in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/5 "2026-03-25T16:42:41Z")
There has been a [Korean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_Korea) version of SNL for many years. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/6 "2026-03-25T16:46:45Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Did the UK version have Weekend Update? [SNL UK Weekend Update](https://youtu.be/3GfaNehE_ts?si=fUcE0_96WbnGjRs2) Eh! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/7 "2026-03-25T16:51:22Z")
The helium joke was weak to lead with, but the Andrew jokes were pretty good, IMHO. Of course, I’m American, so the humor (humour) may hit differently over there. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/8 "2026-03-25T16:59:32Z")
I don’t watch SNL here in the US, so perhaps the following comments based on the Weekend Update clip are gratuitous: Didn’t like the way the woman smirked at her own jokes. The man was slightly better in this regard. I would expect a British version to be more topical to the UK, and therefore more-or-less incomprehensible to Americans. Even the Andrew formerly known as Prince is international news. Too bland. Finally: bring back Mock the Week! ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/9 "2026-03-25T17:12:30Z")
For the Attenborough sketch, how well known are Mary Seacole, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Cilla Black? I only about Seacole, and that’s only because she was in a Doctor Who episode. Are the other two obvious choices for dead Britons who would make great dinner guests, or are they just easily imitated? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/10 "2026-03-25T17:17:47Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > All in all it was more miss than hit It’s a sketch show; it’s got to be hit and miss, that’s what people expect! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OE_Glg85-60/hqdefault.jpg "That Mitchell and Webb Look - Hit and Miss Subtitulado") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE_Glg85-60) ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/11 "2026-03-25T17:17:47Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Finally: bring back Mock the Week! They did. Last month. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/12 "2026-03-25T17:18:33Z")
No kidding?! I wonder how long before I will be able to see it on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/13 "2026-03-25T17:22:14Z")
Seacole has definitely been given a lot of raised prominence recently as people scrabble to find examples of black Britons who are historical figures. Zephaniah I’ve heard of but really don’t know much about. Black was a long running “national treasure” but probably included just for the mannerisms. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/14 "2026-03-25T18:27:42Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > No kidding?! I wonder how long before I will be able to see it on YouTube. Already there, apparently 7 episodes so far, i have my binge-watching for the day lined up now. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/15 "2026-03-25T18:36:08Z")
Here is a list of the various international versions of SNL: > **[Saturday Night Live | International versions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live#International_versions)** > > Because SNL has been a huge success in the United States, channels in other countries have created their own versions of the show, including Brazil, Germany, Spain, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Canada, Finland, France, Italy, and Poland.\[clarification needed\] > In the mid-late 1980s Channel 4, in association with London Weekend Television, created a show for British audiences called Saturday Live and Friday Night Live, the repeat version was entitled "Saturday Almost Live". It was based on the SNL ... The only thing different about the new SNL UK is that it will be produced by Lorne Michaels. The other versions were based on the American SNL but produced by other people. So this can be expected to be closer to the American version. Incidentally, do you all know that Lorne Michaels was born in Canada, although since the late 1960s he’s spent most of his time in the U.S.? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/16 "2026-03-25T18:38:13Z")
I watched it. I watch the American SNL every week, and watch a lot of British panel shows, so I kinda am a good person to give an opinion on it? I thought it was great! I had very low expectations for it. It’s nice they have a cast of unknowns. It would be very unfair to have all of the regular panel show folks. I think it would rank up there with the best episodes of the last 2 regular SNL seasons, to be honest. Surprisingly, I found Weekend Update to be the weakest. Ania is the only cast member I was familiar with, from Taskmaster, and she and the other anchor did not impress me at all. Hopefully that gets better. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/17 "2026-03-25T18:51:32Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I thought it was great! I had very low expectations for it. It’s nice they have a cast of unknowns. It would be very unfair to have all of the regular panel show folks. Of course the cast should all be unknowns; this sort of thing is how you get a cast cheap and how many people establish their careers. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/18 "2026-03-25T18:55:36Z")
Very, very weak. British comedy is capable of much better than trying to replicate SNL. I think Tina Fey hosting was an appropriate nod, but ultimately indicative of the biggest weakness - it’s an imitation at best. If the American version of SNL were a big hit in Britain, I could understand it, but it’s not, and there are good reasons for that. SNL with a British accent is not SNL UK. _Some_ of the bits were funny - a lot of the Keir Starmer bit was hilarious, but trying to replicate the American cold open took away from it. Graham Norton was funny. Nicola Coughlin was not. 99% of the show was about being able to say ‘fuck’ on TV in Britain. They were clearly pandering to Americans watching (and I’ll bet most of the viewers were American anyway). Full disclosure: I’m American and grew up on SNL from the original to the Eddie Murphy era. I think American SNL is borderline funny, but I watch it anyway, even though I’m not the target audience. I’ll probably approach the UK version the same way, but I really expected them to have better musical guests. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/19 "2026-03-25T18:58:59Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > Very, very weak. British comedy is capable of much better than trying to replicate SNL. I think Tina Fey hosting was an appropriate nod, but ultimately indicative of the biggest weakness - it’s an imitation at best. Several programmes or series were remade in the US based on the UK originals (Shameless, The Office, etc) and in many cases, the first episode or so was almost word for word the same. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761/20 "2026-03-25T19:25:04Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Several programmes or series were remade in the US based on the UK originals (Shameless, The Office, etc) and in many cases, the first episode or so was almost word for word the same. I think for The Office that’s a requirement from the original producers. It’s fun because you can watch the pilot of the various international versions and follow along even if you don’t know the language. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-night-live-uk-pilot/1028761.md?page=2)