Keeping in tradition with its American progenitor, the first ever Saturday Night Live UK began with a political send-up cold open.
A sketch featuring a cowering Keir Starmer played by cast member George Fouracres saw the British Prime Minister trying to avoid a call from President Donald Trump.
“Oh, golly! Wh-what if Donald shouts at me? What do I say?” the British Prime Minister asks his deputy, David Lammy, played by Hammed Animashaun. He’s eventually coaxed into answering, and begins playing up some familiar tropes to garner a little favor.
“Hi Donald. I’m afraid I can’t go to war with you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be chums,” says Starmer. “America and Britain have a long, proud tradition of cooperation and nothing can take that away. Remember the good times: Remember D-Day, remember Live Aid, remember Iraq – the first week and then none of the rest… remember Helen Baxendale on Friends, remember Hugh Laurie on Friends, remember the episode of Friends when they all came to London, remember the one where Joey put on all of Chandler’s clothes – that was a funny one!
“Most importantly, remember the one where Ross and Rachel were on a break. I think that’s what we need… not forever, just until you’ve got all this war out of your system. Listen, we want different things… I know how badly you want to start World War III, and that’s great, you should absolutely do that, but we can’t be a part of it. You can, however, use the naval bases whenever you want.”
After ending the call, Lammy says: “Good work, sir. You did the bare minimum, and that’s all people expect from you.”
The sketch came before Tina Fey broke down the plan for the British version the seminal U.S. format. She began her first monologue as the first SNL UK host, she answered the question of why the show had even been made: “Like so many large scale U.S. operations these days, nobody really knows why,” she said.
She was quickly interrupted by Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, who questioned from the audience why an American was presenting the first ever Saturday Night Live UK.
“The way it was explained to me was that for this first episode, anyway, how do I put this politely, none of you fuckers would do it,” replied Fey, who appeared on the original SNL between 1997 and 2006, initially joining as a writer before becoming its first female head writer and a performer, notably playing the co-anchor on the popular Weekend Update news sketch.
Shouting from the audience, Coughlan joked Fey could “educate yourself” between the differences of Irish and British people before Arrested Development star Michael Cera jumped in. He was surprised by the idea swearing could be included in the British version, saying the words, “Shitbird” and “fucking bollocks…” with a cheeky smile on his face. He also joined in the “educate yourself” theme by noting he was there as a Canadian – part of the British Commonwealth.
TV host Graham Norton then jumped on stage, noting the show was filmed in the same studio as his perennially popular talk series The Graham Norton Show as he too questioned Fey’s credentials.
Fey was put through her paces on British comedy history, and impressively – given the live nature of the production – reeled off impressions of Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served and Monty Python and the viral Jet 2 Holidays voiceover advert.
The show is debuting in the UK this evening in Europe, with the first British episode coming a full 50 years after Saturday Night Live launched in the U.S. as NBC’s Saturday Night. Fey, so instrumental in SNL‘s modern era, was drafted in to add some gravitas to the UK incarnation. There have been several other versions in countries such as Japan, France, Italy and Korea.
The broadcast almost began in chaotic fashion, as a Brentford-Leeds United English Premier League match on Sky One ran deep into injury time. As the referee blew for full-time on the dull 0-0 draw, Sky quickly cut over to its new sketch show just in time to hit the billed 10pm slot.
Fey hosted the inaugural episode, with Wet Leg being the musical guest. They joined SNL UK‘s debut cast – Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young.
The atmosphere over the show in the UK has been apprehensive, with many in the UK industry skeptical that the series can justify the significant outlay Sky will have put down. One long-time TV industry source called the production the “slowest car crash in TV history” prior to the episode launching, and many others have struggled to see how the American format would work in a country that has broadly rejected late night TV and many comedy formats.
The initial reaction from our sources has been broadly positive, with comedy market watchers saying most sketches landed well, and Fey’s appearance in particular given praise.
Comedians in the UK had already come to SNL UK‘s defense, highlight the rarity of a sketch show in the UK – let alone one with this type of financial backing. Stevie Martin, an actress in one of the more recent examples, Channel 4 sketch show Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping, passionately hit out at detractors.
Urging audiences to give SNL UK a chance, she said: “If you don’t like it, shrug and move on, and it will lead to more shows that you maybe do like. TV sketch comedy in the UK is on its knees right now. Just let it try.”
The series will run for eight episodes, having been extended for an extra two yesterday.
