Saturday Night Live Is Getting A Major Spin-Off
It looks like Saturday Night Live is getting a major spin-off with the iconic branding coming in a different form for a totally new audience.
This article is more than 2 years old
It wouldn’t feel like Saturday Night Live would be the kind of show ripe for spin-offs considering the cast is so central to the main appeal of the program. But at the same time, the comedy of the show doesn’t always play to an audience outside of the United States. That’s why other countries have attempted to adapt and spin-off the original idea just with a cast that speaks more to that geographic region. And it looks like it is about to happen again. According to Variety, Saturday Night Live is getting a British adaptation sooner and is currently in development.
While specifics around the Saturday Night Live aren’t firm right now, according to the reporting it looks like things are picking up steam on this front with a U.K. version more than likely to hit the air sometime in the next couple of years. From an ownership and branding perspective, part of this is easy considering NBC and Sky (Britain’s primary network) are both owned now by Comcast. Having that part of the deal not coming as an issue opens up a path to making sure the series can be in both places.
Considering the comedic sensibilities in Britain as compared to the United States, it stands to reason that a U.K.-based Saturday Night Live would have a distinctly different approach than the American version. Drier and headier, a British series would likely have overlap in name only. There is almost no chance the two shows would look, in any way, alike except for being labeled a sketch comedy series. But that’s the beauty of the new venture, bringing on a format with a new tone all under the Saturday Night Live banner. Variety is reporting that a number of British comedians are already lining up to get a crack at this new show.
Saturday Night Live has been a mainstay of late-night programming for almost 50 years now. First premiering in 1975, the show has held the same time slot almost since its debut. And it’s also given us some of the true comedic talents of a generation over its many decades. Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner headlined that first cast. And it’s only been soon-to-be superstars since. Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Dana Carvey, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, and Billy Crystal are just some of the many (many) stars who’ve gotten their start walking through those hallways.
If Sky and company are able to pull off a Saturday Night Live spin-off, it won’t be the first time another country has taken on the brand name. Versions have appeared in other European spots like Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland. Plus South Korea, Japan, and Russia have all tried it as well. Saturday Night Live is currently in its 47th season. This season’s hosts have included Owen Wilson, Kim Kardashian, Rami Malek, alum Jason Sudeikis, Kieran Culkin, Simu Liu, Jonathan Majors, and this week Billie Eilish.
