‘Doomed in the UK’: SNL’s long-awaited British debut gets dragged despite huge celeb names

After 50 years of dominating US screens, Saturday Night Live, aka SNL UK, has finally landed, but not everyone’s laughing.

Sky TV

The first episode aired this weekend on Saturday Night Live’s UK counterpart, and while the critics offered a mixed-to-warm reception, plenty of people weren’t convinced.

From the start, there’s been scepticism about whether the iconic sketch format would translate for British audiences. That concern only partly eased when the cast was revealed, made up largely of up-and-coming talent rather than household names.

Behind the scenes footage after last nights SNL UK. pic.twitter.com/btz45H0km5

— DavidWilson34 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@Wilson34David) March 22, 2026

Behind the scenes, industry confidence hasn’t exactly been high either. With Sky investing heavily in the project, some questioned whether the show could justify its price tag, especially because it’s streaming on Sky One rather than a major free network like BBC or ITV. That decision has already drawn criticism, with overnight ratings reaching just 226,000.

honestly the biggest obstacle for SNL UK is that it’s out on sky one, and I know as brits we have to shit on everything but honestly for live music and new comedy we should be hoping this is a success. This doomer attitude assuming it will be a facsimile of the US show is weird

— Cuz (@HeIsTheCuz) March 20, 2026

The debut episode followed the familiar SNL format, overseen by creator Lorne Michaels. It featured a guest host, pre-recorded sketches, live skits, and musical performances; this time from Wet Leg.

i love the ”im hosting the first EVER episode of snl uk” like okay queen we know you’re lorne’s fave please never stop bragging about it pic.twitter.com/35hsF3cbrF

— valeeen. ୨ৎ orangowangotango !! (@saturdynghts99) March 19, 2026

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Hosting duties fell to Tina Fey, who rose to fame on the original series, alongside cameo appearances from Nicola Coughlan and Graham Norton.

The 75-minute opener included sketches riffing on Paddington, Hamnet and Sir David Attenborough, with reactions landing somewhere between “hit and miss”.

One standout moment came from Jack Shep, whose perfect portrayal of Princess Diana, complete with the iconic revenge dress, delivered some of the biggest laughs of the night and hinted at the kind of viral moment the show needed.

BAFTA for this icon. #SNLUK pic.twitter.com/nHJ70YWX3Q

— putasinghonit (@putasinghonit) March 21, 2026

Still, reviews suggest the show has a long way to go. Writing in The Guardian, Lucy Mangan awarded it three stars, noting it “didn’t fail and could have been a lot worse”.

Others were far less optimistic. Nicholas Harris from The New Statesman was more blunt, declaring that Saturday Night Live is “doomed in the UK”.

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Featured image credit: Sky TV