Can the legendary American comedy show make the British laugh?

The American television institution Saturday Night Live has entertained the audience and created comedies stars for 50 years. Can the British version reach the same heights?

For five decades, the phrase “Live from New York, it’s Saturday!” Boldly opened the episodes of Saturday Night Live, with a tested combination of relevant comedy sketches, famous comedies and music guests.

Now in London’s state, after Sky has announced the plans of the UK Stars, headed by British comedic talent to launch next year.

Watching the creator of the original US show Lorna Michael, who is now the 80th, the television company promises the same “lively, fast style” as his American cousin.

Since the launch of Michaelos in 1975, SNL has been a living bridgehead for comedic talents such as Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fay, Will Ferrell and Mike Meers.

Joe Piskop, who held his permanent role, summed up it in the documentary, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the show: “They raised a sketchy comedy to a completely different level,” he said. “Comedy slowly became rock -n -role.”

The unpredictable live prerequisite in combination with its longevity helped to maintain its status. No other show was nominated (331) or won (90) more Amy awards.

“I don’t think you can underestimate this heritage with the current success,” says Guardian Aroesta, a television and comedy writer. “This is what the UK version is obviously not be able to imitate.”

Heritage is one of the reasons that the show is still attracted by major young stars, such as Timothy Chalamet, who grew up, watching as even linear television audiences fell sharply in the era of streaming.

“The United States is often informative in the US – they also know that their presence creates a lot of publicity, so this is a win -win situation,” Aroests adds.

“I would be surprised if the UK version would be able to attract the same caliber guests.”

Atlantic writer Helen Lewis says that the overall branch reaction is that entering the British version is a “brave” step – wishing the team of success with a “complex proposal”.

There are some marked differences between two transatlantic television branches.

The SNL US budget will be much higher than in the UK, paying for the great acting and team of writers working on the wire to keep the jokes.

“In the American version, this is a very expensive format that has a writers’ number and the storage of actors on maintenance is essentially all the time. It’s really expensive,” Lewis said the Prime Minister of the BBC Radio 4.

Lewis believes that the culture of the US comedy is also different.

“Humor can sometimes be much more slap. Quite a long time, Americans are fighting British humor because they believe we are extremely vile.”

The writer’s comedy writer Jack Bernhard agrees that there are different comedy traditions. UK sketching groups are often formed through friendships and demonstrate their talent in the Edinburgh fringe, whereas many American comedians train in makeshift and sketch clubs, in particular, sewing their skills for such shows as SNL.

Bernhard says that these differences are “it is necessary to correct, putting into operation the SNL version in the UK is a whole comedic culture that should change.”

“It doesn’t mean you can’t do another,” he adds. “Just the fact that this version of the sketch show does not necessarily play the unique forces of the UK comedy. And this is even before we get in difficulty with the live show.”

Given these problems, imports of the outdated brand name like SNL may seem gambling If the UK TV Industry disappears.

However happiness in the USA In this decade spent relatively firmEven if the ratings are much lower than the previous stream.

Vulture It turned out that SNL averages 8.4 million weekly viewers, surpassing all other late night shows in combination. It is also the main series of entertainment on the US network among adults between the ages of 18 and 49.

“You rarely hear anyone asked if you will SNL” survive “only as Michaels moves on,” wrote reporter Joseph Adalian. “Linear television can fight for your life, but SNL seems safe.”

The main thing is that the sketch format is perfectly amenable to the age of social media, easily absorbed on digital platforms. According to economistSNL online clips make up an average of 216 million episode views on Tiktok, X and YouTube. Of course, these viewers do not watch live broadcasts, but the content undoubtedly lives.

Previous attempts to translate us in the late evening to the UK often fight.

However, in the 1980s, on Saturday live on the night on Friday night in Live – ran four seasons and assisted Career Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry and Rico May, and the 11 -hour show gave Ricky Glavi Baron Coen.

For the British British Comedy Veteran Jimmy Molville whose Hat Trick Productions has made a show, including I have news for you and whose this case?

“If Sky turns it out, they will create new stars, and from that they can unscrew other shows with these performers,” he explains. “These shows can be fantastic, they can continue for years, and they can constantly nominate new talents.”

He says that the manufacturers will need to collect the right team of writers and performers.

“If this is well produced, I do not see why it should not be successful,” says Malvil, who is jointly with insiders: television podcast.

He recently spent a long -launched topic BBC panel. One US talent agent warned that the show was “too British” to work on the reservoir, he recalls.

“I said,” Yes, but I’m going to write it to Americans and performed by Americans for Americans. “

Reverse will be true for SNL. “In the UK, you will write this by British writers with British performers for the British audience. So, it’s no longer an American show.”

Indeed, being “Live from London” will not be enough on its own, and SNL UK will need to feel a truly British comedy, not just an preheated imitation of the American hit.