"When your table finishes, let a Team Member know and everyone will receive an Icedream Cone as a reward. Are you up for the challenge?”
Saturday Night Live is launching a British edition on March 21, with Tina Fey hosting the debut episode live from London, marking the 14th international attempt to adapt a format that has failed 13 times before.
The Basics
SNL UK is a British adaptation executive produced by Lorne Michaels himself. It follows the same format as the American show — opening monologue, topical sketches, a live musical act, and the Weekend Update news segment — but trimmed to 75 minutes from the U.S. version’s 90.
The series airs at 10 p.m. local time on Sky One and streaming service Now. For U.S. audiences, episodes land on Peacock with next-day availability, meaning you can watch each one on Sunday.
Sky TV confirmed Monday that the first three hosts and musical guests are set. Fey takes the premiere on March 21, paired with English band Wet Leg. Jamie Dornan follows on March 28 with Wolf Alice. Riz Ahmed rounds out the announced slate on April 4 with Kasabian.
Why Tina Fey for the Debut
Fey is not just a celebrity booking. She joined SNL as a writer in 1997 and became the show’s first female head writer in 1999. She joined the cast in 2000 and stayed until leaving to create and star in 30 Rock in 2006. She has hosted SNL six times.
Choosing her to launch the UK edition signals that Michaels wants institutional credibility from the start, not just star power.
Dornan, known for The Tourist and the Fifty Shades of Grey films, brings film-world visibility. Ahmed, who stars in the Prime Video series Bait, set for release later this week, adds a different dimension. The mix of an SNL veteran, a movie star, and a prestige-TV actor suggests the show is casting a wide net for its opening weeks.
Michaels and Seth Meyers Are in London
Variety reported that Michaels and SNL alum Seth Meyers have recently been in London observing table reads as the cast and writers prepare for the premiere. That level of direct involvement from the original show’s leadership is unusual for an international spinoff.
James Longman is lead producer. Liz Clare directs. Daran Jonno Johnson is head writer.
The cast includes 11 performers: Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young.
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A Format That Has Failed 13 Times
SNL UK is the 14th international attempt to adapt the format. Only the South Korean version is currently still airing.
Live sketch comedy is notoriously hard to transplant across cultures because its appeal depends on shared political references, comedic timing rooted in local humor, and the unpredictability of a live broadcast that actually feels dangerous.
What makes this attempt distinct is that Michaels is directly executive producing, the format is unchanged rather than loosely inspired, and the show has institutional backing from Sky, one of the UK’s largest broadcasters.
How to Watch in the U.S.
Episodes land on Peacock with next-day availability. The 75-minute runtime, 15 minutes shorter than the U.S. version, means a tighter show.
