Live from London, it’s Saturday night! SNL taking sketch comedy across the pond

Lorne Michaels attends the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

LONDON (AP) — Live from London, it’s Saturday night!

Wait, London? You heard that correctly. Saturday Night Live announced Thursday that it plans to launch a British version of the U.S. sketch comedy show that is celebrating its 50th anniversary across the pond.

The U.K. version, produced with Sky Studios, will have a British cast of comedians — to be announced later — and follow the same format with famous guest hosts and star musical acts.

SNL creator Lorne Michaels will be the executive producer of Saturday Night Live UK, while staying in the same role with the show on NBC in New York.

“For over 50 years Saturday Night Live has held a unique position in TV and in our collective culture, reflecting and creating the global conversation, all under the masterful comedic guidance of Lorne Michaels,” said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, chief executive of Sky Studios. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Lorne and the SNL team to bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year — all live from London on Saturday night.”

The long-established show regularly roasts the powerful. U.S. President Donald Trump and tech titan Elon Musk have been skewered lately, and both have previously hosted the 90-minute show.

SNL airs live at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time from a studio at Rockefeller Plaza and typically opens with a sketch that wraps as the actors turn to the camera, break character and announce, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

Its mix of political satire, zany skits, fake commercials, comic music videos and its regular “Weekend Update” spoof on the news has launched the careers of many comedians and actors.

Its roster of famous cast members include the late John Belushi, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon.

Efforts to launch SNL in other countries, such as France, Japan and Italy, have typically been short-lived not though a version of the show remains on the air in South Korea.

Brian Melley, The Associated Press