Presently from Londontown, It’s Saturday Evening
A British version of 'Saturday Night Live' is in development
If there’s one thing Lorne Michaels is gonna do, it’s get a bag. Deadline reports that a U.K. version of Saturday Night Live is in early stages of development, and that representatives from the show are currently in London hashing out the deal.
In terms of a list of Things We Don’t Need, this one ranks somewhere above “Chris Pratt as Garfield” but below “Chris Pratt as Mario.” Variety noted that the show wouldn’t even air that late at night, because “Britain doesn’t have the same culture around late-night programming as the U.S. and it’s much harder to get shows away in late time slots.”
Apparently lots of British comedians are interested in the project, to which I say: Let’s all stay in our lanes. The U.K. has already nailed the formats for turning comedians into stars and making celebrities seem charming. They are panel shows and Graham Norton, respectively. You’ll have more fun watching this 47-minute compilation of beloved character actress Miriam Margoyles on The Graham Norton Show than you would watching the vast majority of SNL sketches from the last ten years. At least I know I do.
SNL has already proved to be successful in international markets. There are versions in China, Germany, Poland, Japan, and Brazil. I guess if there’s one thing everyone in the world loves to do, it’s laugh. Luckily for the Brits, they’ve already figured out how to put that on television ten times over. Congrats to them. There’s no need for this unnecessary programme, love.