For over 50 years, Saturday Night Live has been a beloved part of American comedy. The show consistently entertains audiences by honoring stars, satirizing the news, and embracing playful absurdity. Despite some recent changes to its cast, SNL continues to be a reliable presence on television and doesn’t seem to be losing momentum.
The show is doing well enough that its creator, Lorne Michaels, is trying a new version for the UK called Saturday Night Live UK. This spin-off, which launched on March 21, 2026, features a completely British cast of rising comedy stars and offers a similar style of humor, but focuses on current events and popular figures in the United Kingdom.
The new series began with a fantastic start, hosted by comedy icon Tina Fey. Following her appearance, Jamie Dornan, known for Fifty Shades of Grey, and Riz Ahmed, from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, will each host an episode. The premiere also featured fun appearances by Nicola Coughlin (Bridgerton), the beloved Irish comedian Graham Norton, and film star Michael Cera throughout the show’s sketches and opening.
Sky
After the first episode of SNL UK aired, reactions on social media were largely negative. Many critics and viewers expressed disappointment. For example, @StuClark disliked both the new and original versions, criticizing the show for insensitive jokes and poor impressions, and stated they wouldn’t be watching again. @verbisan echoed these concerns, saying the show lacked insightful political commentary or anything truly thought-provoking, and even suggested the writing felt artificial and uninspired.
StephenJKD was particularly critical, stating the show seems “already on life support” after just one episode. He described the sketches as unfunny, pointed out actors stumbling over their lines, and felt Tina Fey was doing all the heavy lifting. He called the premiere “disastrously unfunny” and expressed a desire for the show to be canceled. Markwil72877043 offered a similar, though less harsh, assessment, saying the sketches felt slow and the jokes didn’t land. He compared watching the show to seeing a failed attempt to revive a concept nobody wanted.
This new version of Saturday Night Live hasn’t resonated with audiences as the original has for most of its 51 seasons. Many viewers seem to be hoping the UK version will offer something fresher and more innovative. While the show’s future is unclear, a lot of people are waiting to see if it gets better.
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You can watch Saturday Night Live UK on Sky at 10 p.m. GMT every Saturday, and it becomes available on Peacock the following day.
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2026-03-22 22:28