Saturday Night Live is getting a new spinoff in the UK, and while that's exciting to some, one notable UK celebrity isn't as thrilled. John Oliver is always good at giving stark commentary with some biting wit, whether it be talking about pro wrestler names or Fall Out Boy covering a classic song. So, it totally makes sense that Seth Meyers would want to know his thoughts on SNL coming ot the UK, though I'm not sure he expected such a thumbs-down response.
Before being the host of Late Night With Seth Meyers, the titular host was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. John Oliver wasn't on SNL, but as one of the more famous English comedians in the United States. Therefore, they seemed like two people qualified to discuss the upcoming spinoff. So, Meyers asked Oliver his thoughts on SNL UK during an episode of Late Night, and unfortunately, the Last Week Tonight host wasn't too jazzed about it, saying:
Well, Seth, it's a terrible idea.
Last Week Tonight often revolves around John Oliver delivering depressing news about the state of the world, so I doubt he was phased at all about telling Seth Meyers he wasn't into the idea of Saturday Night Live launching in the UK. I'd say maybe he'd have some fear of how Lorne Michaels (who is an EP for the spinoff) or others at NBCUniversal would respond to him saying that on their network. However, given that he's in the habit of not attending celebrity parties, I doubt he'll ever have to rub shoulders with them.
At the same time, Seth Meyers wasn't going to let John Oliver drop that remark without some sort of explanation. As usual, Oliver had a valid point to make and was able to inject a bit of humor into it to take the sting off shooting down the potential of a UK version of Saturday Night Live:
Well, it just sounds like a bad — we have had sketch comedy before...And it just feels like Saturday Night Live is such a unique group. It’s a cult. I’m trying to not say the word. It’s a cult. And so I don’t know how you can impose that cult onto the U.K.
He has a point. While Saturday Night Live is an American institution with a long history and frequently generates interest with its celebrity hosts and musical guests, it's hardly the first show of its kind. There's nothing stopping any outfit from starting its own live sketch comedy series should it choose to do so, and John Oliver noted that it doesn't necessarily have to be under the SNL umbrella to be successful.
Of course, I don't think anyone can deny there's an appeal of having name recognition these days in Hollywood, and having the Saturday Night Live branding may help the UK series get off the ground as opposed to if it were a similar premise with an entirely different name. It might fail, but it also could be a hit, and wouldn't that be exciting?
Think of all the former SNL stars who returned to the series years later as celebrities who blew up thanks to the show? Having a UK-based show that offers the same kind of platform for young actors and comedians on the other side of the pond could be beneficial. And if the UK SNL ends up having international appeal, we may get a new wave of big-name stars from the region, similar to how we get them here.
Saturday Night Live UK is expected to begin in 2026, and if we're lucky, it will also get a critically-acclaimed movie about its first episode decades from now. Let's hope for some positive momentum on the way to its premiere and more reasons to get excited about this sketch series!
In the meantime, you can keep up with the flagship SNL by watching new episodes on the 2025 TV schedule every Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. You can also stream it (as well as Late Night with Seth Meyers and other NBC programs) with a Peacock subscription.
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