Saturday Night Live UK has made its long-awaited debut, receiving a cautiously positive response from critics following its first broadcast. Let me also mention that some say it is without doubt the cringiest tv show ever produced.
Let’s get into it. The original American version of the show, aired on NBC, has built a formidable legacy over five decades, helping to launch the careers of numerous comedy stars. Bringing the format to a UK audience has long been seen as both an opportunity and a risk, particularly in an increasingly fragmented television landscape.
Expectations were high for the Sky-backed adaptation, though scepticism lingered about whether the distinctly American format could translate successfully to British audiences.
Writing for Chortle, Steve Bennett suggested the debut had struck a promising balance. “Whisper it, but I think they might just have nailed it,” he wrote, noting that reactions had ranged from excitement about its potential to revive British sketch comedy to doubts about its compatibility with UK humour.
“Neither is absolutely true but tonight’s episode, a very strong opener, offers great hope it’s the former.”
UK Viewing Figures And Audience Response For SNL Debut
According to official BARB figures reported by Deadline, the opening episode attracted 226,000 viewers in its 10pm slot on Sky One, securing a 3.2% share of the available audience.
Critical reception reflected a mix of praise and reservation. Nick Hilton, writing in The Independent, awarded the show three stars out of five, describing it as featuring “some hits, some misses, and a bang-on Princess Di impression”.
“Judging a show like SNL off its opening episode is foolish,” he wrote, adding that the programme demonstrated “a willingness to push the envelope, to risk bad taste. Borrowing a beloved American format might feel a bit stale, but there are notes of new ingredients that could offer something fresh.”
Critics Highlight Strengths And Weaknesses Of Saturday Night Live UK
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian also gave the debut three stars, saying it “didn’t fail and it could have been a lot worse”. She added: “The general feeling, I think, will be that the inaugural episode of Saturday Night Live UK… did work.”
“It could have been a lot, lot worse,” she continued. “And it could have been a lot better… honestly – it felt refreshing to see an ambition/piece of madness like retooling a legacy US brand for this septic isle even being attempted.” However, she noted that one sketch was “an absolute piece of rubbish”.
Charlotte Ivers, writing in The Sunday Times, welcomed the show’s willingness to embrace edgier humour, stating: “There’s something quite refreshing about seeing TV comedians really push close to the line.” She added, however, that “sadly, in many cases the jokes don’t live up to the risk”.
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Ed Power of The Daily Telegraph offered one of the more favourable assessments, awarding four stars and praising the debut as “shockingly competent”, while also crediting guest host Tina Fey.
“Funny in places and never actively harmful to your emotional well-being, it went about as well as could be hoped,” he wrote. He also pointed to what he described as excessive canned laughter, adding: “If the chuckles genuinely were artificial, then it was surely overkill on the part of the producers.”
“Against all reasonable expectations, this homegrown Saturday Night Live was more than capable of raising real laughs on its own,” he added.
Future Episodes Confirmed As Show Looks Ahead
Ahead of the premiere, Sky confirmed that two additional episodes had been commissioned, extending the first run to eight instalments.
Tina Fey’s very British education. #SNLUK #SNL #SaturdayNightLive pic.twitter.com/DzgRTcWzdn
— Sky TV (@skytv) March 22, 2026
Saturday Night Live UK is set to return on 28 March on Sky and Now, with Jamie Dornan hosting and music from Wolf Alice.
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