Road to SNL UK: The history of Saturday Night Live
The US comedy variety show Saturday Night Live has launched many showbiz careers since its 1975 debut. Now Sky is set to air a British version, SNL UK…
Image: The cast members of Saturday Night Live UK features a variety of homegrown, up-and-coming talent | Saturday Night Live UK / Sky
‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!’
For more than 50 years, those words have rang out week after week, heralding each new episode of Saturday Night Live. However, this hit comedy variety show has been limited to an American audience… until now. The UK is finally getting its own version of SNL, complete with homegrown, up-and-coming talent.
The first-ever Saturday Night Live, or SNL, episode premiered on NBC on 11th October 1975. The show’s addictive mix of comedy sketches and musical performances has since catapulted many stars into, well, superstardom. Do the names Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Chris Rock ring any bells?
So, don’t be surprised to see Saturday Night Live UK cast members – like Al Nash, Jack Shep and Celeste Dring – also become household names. Firstly, though, how did SNL become a staple of US entertainment, and why is now the right time for SNL UK? We at Sky HISTORY have the answers.
The birth of Saturday Night Live
Back in 1975, the US broadcasting network NBC aired The Tonight Show, including repeats on Saturday nights. However, host Johnny Carson wanted these repeats to be shown on weeknights instead, as this would free up time in his schedule.
To fill the vacuum that would be left in the Saturday-evening slot, NBC commissioned a new show aimed at 18 to 34-year-olds. Lorne Michaels created Saturday Night Live, and has served as its showrunner for most of its history since.
Initially called NBC’s Saturday Night, this new comedy variety show brought together a young, untried roster of comedic talents. They included the late John Belushi, Gilda Radner and George Coe along with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd (host of Sky HISTORY’s The UnBelievable).
Lorne Michaels is now also executive producer of SNL UK. The on-screen cast includes Taskmaster alumni Ania Magliano and Emma Sidi and Black Ops lead Hammed Animashaun.
How SNL broke the comedy mould
Given the programme’s incredible longevity, it’s unsurprising that Saturday Night Live has had a constantly revolving door of performers and writers. This makes it all the more extraordinary that SNL has continued to deliver consistent laughs not only year after year but also decade after decade.
What’s the secret to SNL
’s success? One crucial factor is the show’s well-established format – including the ‘cold open’ sketch where a cast member breaks character to utter the immortal line: ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!’
Then there’s the SNL tradition of guest hosts who also appear in sketches. The power of the SNL brand has enabled the show to keep attracting big names from outside the comedy field – including actors, musicians and politicians.
SNL has become especially famous for parodying politics and current affairs, as typified by its ‘Weekend Update’ segment. In this recurring sketch (which debuted in the first-ever SNL episode), cast members act as news anchors providing their own amusing commentary on real-life stories.
Some of SNL’s most iconic moments
Saturday Night Live’s topical material has played a big part in its enduring cultural relevance. Tina Fey’s performances as VP candidate Sarah Palin in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election fuelled the fame of both Fey and Palin.
Of course, plenty of US presidents, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, have also been vividly depicted on the show. In a 2015 documentary, Will Ferrell hinted that his endearing SNL portrayal of George W Bush possibly helped the Republican to win the White House.
Why the time is right for SNL UK
You might have noticed that the Yanks can’t get enough of British celebs. Those to have guest-hosted SNL in recent years include Dua Lipa and Harry Styles. Meanwhile, actor Regé-Jean Page – famous for playing the Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton – appeared in an SNL sketch inspired by the Netflix period drama.
This all underlines why British comedy is just the right fit for the SNL format. The American version of the show has already incorporated many British influences. Now SNL takes it all a step further with SNL UK, tailoring the award-winning US template to suit British viewers’ distinctive comedic tastes.
The first six-episode series of SNL UK is set to start airing on Sky One and the NOW streaming service from 21st March. Get ready to hear the words: ‘Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!’
With the arrival of SNL in the UK, it’s a great time to learn more about the British cultural past by signing up for the Sky HISTORY newsletter.
