British Saturday Night Live .... again?

[dissolute ocelot]

Deadline are reporting that plans are at an early stage for a British version of much-abused US TV institution Saturday Night Live. Talks are going on for the show to appear on Sky, which is now owned by Comcast who also own NBC which airs SNL.

I suspect this will not happen, because it's actually quite difficult and expensive to produce an hour of (nearly) live scripted comedy every week, although it is also possible they will produce something 40 minutes long that isn't funny. Also there seems some uncertainty about whether it'll be Saturday Night Live or Saturday Early Evening Live.

[Goldentony]

although it is also possible they will produce something 40 minutes long that isn't funny.

Live, from New York! It's Saturday Night!

[non capisco]

Are they gonna get Lee Hurst to host it again?

[up_the_hampipe]

Have they tried this before? SNL has been on TV since 1975, so I can't imagine this is the first time an attempted UK version has been developed. None of them ever made it to air, I assume.

This is probably the worst time to make it as well. People don't watch TV as much, especially not "Sky originals". There seems to be much less interest in a new generation of talent too.

[Goldentony]

Have they tried this before?

a ton and its always been dogshite, we arent capable or accepting of it

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

This would be the third time. The second time, as non capisco noted, with Lee Hurst was a disaster.

[up_the_hampipe]

Is that 'Saturday Live' you're talking about? Aside from the similar name, that seemed more like a variety show that came about from the SNL concept but became something quite different.

[amateur]

I'll watch it if Lee Hurst is involved.

[Tony Yeboah]

Saturday Shite Dead.

[BeardFaceMan]

This would be the third time. The second time, as non capisco noted, with Lee Hurst was a disaster.

From what I remember, that was where Harry Hill became known, he stole the show every week.

[DrGreggles]

SNL is pretty dreadful though, and always has been.
Fuck knows how/why it's been so popular for so long.

[thecuriousorange]

The Friday Night Project was a format copy. Different weekly star "host" who mucked in with comedy sketches and japes with the regular cast (well, Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins), plus a band performance.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

I'll watch it if Justin Lee Collins is involved.

[Noodle Lizard]

They have a decent chance of managing it now that it's basically geared towards generating viral YouTube clips moreso than live broadcast. This is how Graham Norton's show has survived so long.

[trabuch]

Well if they can come up with something half as funny as the What up with that? series I'm all in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tInUTLxGIRk

[Pimhole]

There is an opportunity for this to be quite good. If they recruited the cast from the new wave of sketch comedy troupes and improv troupes (people like Lazy Susan, the Delightful Sausage, Pappys, that sort of thing) - these kind of groups don't really have anywhere on TV to 'break through' because everything is more geared toward stand up. Plus there is now a quite experienced pool of TV comedy writers on things like New World Order and they're mostly stuck writing for panel shows and The Last Leg. Someone visionary could pull something good together out of quite a large pool of untapped talent.

But it's Sky so I won't hold my breath.

[Famous Mortimer]

new wave of sketch comedy troupes and improv troupes...Pappys

Much as I like Pappy's, their career is older than at least a few CaBbers (probably), and they've already been given a TV show which wasn't a success.

[DrGreggles]

Pappy's are great, but they're a live act - as are others you've mentioned.
The excitement of live gigs has never transferred to TV.