Saturday Night Live UK met a sceptical crowd - but has it won them over?

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Saturday Night Live UK met a sceptical crowd - but has it won them over? 16 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAnnabel RackhamCulture reporterSky UKOne critic said that George Fouracres' impression of Keir Starmer "is everything I needed it to be"Ahead of the first episode of Saturday Night Live UK, we asked whether the show could make us laugh. Many were sceptical about whether the 50-year-old US sketch-comedy variety show would translate for a British audience.

As its eight-week run comes to a close, with guest-hosting duties performed by the likes of Hannah Waddingham, Jamie Dornan and Aimee Lou Wood, the consensus from fans and critics is, yes, it has made us laugh - but there are caveats. The final episode of the series, hosted by Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, was one of the strongest when it came to the quality of the sketches, showing just how far the show has come in its eight weeks on air. British icons were a running theme, with guest appearances from Louis Theroux, Martin Lewis and even Mr Blobby, reinforcing the message that the Saturday night show had not been created to simply mirror its US counterpart.

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It was also perhaps the strongest week for the topical sketches, with the political spoof cold opening featuring convincing turns from the cast as Sir Keir Starmer, Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner and Liz Truss. The news section, Weekend Update, was also particularly memorable. Sky UKThe SNL UK cast: Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young The cast of the Sky show appear to have gelled well over its run.

Each member has been given licence to express their own personal brand of humour, whether that's parody, musical or absurdist comedy. "My favourite moments of the first season of SNL UK have been when it's been allowed to be really unhinged," says TV critic Natalie Jamieson, who references a Traitors spoof featuring a man dressed as a giant crab. She says each of the show's 11 "fascinating and joyful" comedians (until now, relatively small names) "bring something different to the table".

The group are Annabel Marlow, Ayode Bamgboye, Hammed Animashaun, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young. Where the show has shone brightest has been on social media, with analysis by Deadline showing that SNL UK content received 86m views across its official accounts in its first month. Jamieson says the virality is "comparable" to its US counterpart, adding that the show is "filling a void" of live British comedy at weekends.

Sky's unscripted boss Phil Edgar Jones says the network is "thrilled" with its reception. Last week he announced it would be renewed for a second series, with 12 episodes to be broadcast between autumn 2026 and early 2026.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.