It turns out that there won’t be as much of a wait for Saturday Night Live UK as originally anticipated. Seth Meyers had an update that surprised many!
The Late Night host knows plenty about SNL. After all, he was a head writer at one point in time! So, it’s not surprising that he keeps up to date with everything that is going on behind the scenes of the U.S. series and the UK counterpart that’s to come. He delved into SNL UK on his Lonely Island and Sethe Meyers Podcast on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Saturday Night Live UK is slated to arrive in early 2026
When we first heard of SNL UK, we envisioned a later 2026 release date. That was especially the case with the casting only just taking place. Well, it turns out that we could get it much sooner than that!
While on a trip to the UK, Meyers got a few details about the comedy sketch show that is finally heading that side of the pond. It turns out that it is slated to premiere in March 2026! Yes, really!
However, Sky, the UK broadcaster that will air the series, has not added a release date (or month) just yet. That’s not too surprising when you consider we only recently got a release date for The Traitors UK season 4, which is on New Year’s Day. The release for SNL UK is likely to come in January.
How many episodes will there be on SNL UK?
According to Late Nighter, there will be six episodes to Saturday Night Live UK, which is much less than we’re used to over here. Of course, when you consider the UK markets, it’s about right. A lot of shows in the UK only have six to 10 episodes, and that’s what they’ve been used to for a very long time. Does it work for shows like SNL? Probably not, but I’m sure this is just a start to make sure it works.
There has to be a reason SNL hasn’t attempted to go to the UK in the past. There is likely a fear that this type of program won’t translate, which doesn’t make a lot of sense when you consider the Royal Variety Show that airs yearly and other sketch comedies that the UK audiences have had over the years.
It’s not clear if we’ll get to see SNL UK in the United States. That will be a licensing situation, finding a home on a U.S. network. Maybe Peacock can pick it up in the way it has The Traitors UK.