By Grace Parsons, First Year, French and German
When SNL UK (2026-) was initially announced, the main response from the British public was to simply ask why? Many, including myself, were skeptical. The US version isn’t particularly funny, so is there really an audience for a new version? And yet, over the past seven weeks SNL UK has slowly won people over with its British references and proving time and time again that it’s not afraid to get weird with its sketches.
The show was initially contracted for six episodes although this was extended to eight and has now been renewed for a second series starting in September. It certainly took a few episodes to find its footing, with some of the earlier episodes missing the clear personality the show has now developed, but it has quickly become a weekly favourite.
The show follows much the same format as SNL (1975-) with a political cold open, mix of pre-filmed and live sketches and a weekend update segment. Whilst the sketches can be hit or miss, I have to say the cold opens have been more of a miss. George Fouracres’ Kier Starmer impression, although initially entertaining, has quickly become tired, with each opening starting to look very much the same. On the contrary, Weekend Update (hosted by Ania Magliano and Paddy Young) has blossomed over the course of the first series, embedding ongoing jokes alongside a satirical report of the week's news packed with daring one-liners.
Alongside the fan-favourite weekend update hosts, the cast is made up of 11 previously relatively unknown British comics. And although the cast work amazingly as a whole, Jack Shep and Annabel Marlow have definitely stood out - bringing a much needed Gen Z voice to the show. Jack Shep in particular has really shone in his roles, clearly having settled into his performance of campy, silly characters from last weeks slightly extra dating expert to the viral shy Diana from the first episode.
As well as the cast, much like the original show, SNL UK has hosted a variety of British and Irish celebrities (alongside American SNL icon Tina Fey) from Aimee Lou Wood to Riz Ahmed. These celebrities have been well integrated into the sketches, even including sketches specific to the guest host such as a Magic Faraway Tree inspired parody song in Nicola Coughlan’s episode. However, the monologues could do with some work. Personally I’ve found that, much like on the US show, unless you are a fan of the celebrity, the monologues can go on for too long and are often simply boring without specific celebrity knowledge. Like was I really supposed to know that Jamie Dornan collects rocks?
In terms of sketches, highlights have definitely been the sketches centred around British cultural references. From a parody of creepy British Pork adverts from the 80s that had the whole cast struggling to keep it together, to a play on traitors calling out the contestants inability to see whats right in front of them and even a modern day Shakespeare complete with a lime bike and vape. Other sketches have suffered from simply not knowing when to stop - dragging down what would have been a funny sketch with every minute added, but this is a pretty consistent problem across sketch shows.
What’s really stood out for me is that the show is completely unafraid to be over the top, making for some random yet funny moments, like a celebration of David Attenborough’s 100th birthday that ended in a full-scale boxing match. These exaggerated, weird sketches alongside the risqué weekend update one liners and quintessentially British humor really make the show - setting it apart from SNL and catering to its British audience.
Josie Horneff
With season two having just been announced, it will be interesting to see where this show goes in the future. Having had a promising start, I hope that the show can iron out its current issues and continue to evolve into something greater, showcasing upcoming UK talent as well as making genuinely funny and relevant TV.
Featured Image: IMDb / Saturday Night Live UK | Illustration by Epigram / Sophia Izwan
What did you think of Saturday Night Live UK?
