Saturday Night Live UK’s Best and British-est Sketches

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When Saturday Night Live UK was first announced, many Brits were skeptical. Could a British version of the famous American sketch comedy show ever live up to the original, which had its share of good and bad moments? Tina Fey addressed this negativity when she hosted the first episode. She joked that British audiences often expect things to fail, and that she’d only been asked to host because no one else wanted the job.

Honestly, I went into SNL UK not expecting much, but I’ve been really pleasantly surprised! It’s been a breath of fresh air for British comedy, seeing a bunch of newer comics just go for it and be genuinely weird and funny on live TV. Yes, Lorne Michaels is involved and they kept ‘Weekend Update,’ but it’s quickly found its own unique style. It’s not perfect – like the original SNL, sketches sometimes drag on a bit too long – but the first season really shines when it embraces British humor. Think Celeste Dring getting hilariously carried away with wine, Annabel Marlow perfectly capturing a Gen-Z take on Enid Blyton, or Emma Sidi’s character desperately trying to get the NHS to listen. Despite what you might think about British politeness, we’re actually full of quirky people, and the writers have been brilliant at finding those eccentricities and turning them into something really funny.

When discussing the British version of the show he created in 1976, Lorne Michaels predicted that Saturday Night Live UK would be “cooler” and used to criticize the original SNL. While it might not be considered ‘cool,’ SNL UK has proven funny without trying too hard to appeal to American viewers. By using uniquely British humor and a more cynical perspective, the show successfully set itself apart during its first season. Here are some standout moments from that first season, demonstrating why it rightfully earned a second season renewal.

The Last Supper

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=lILVObugHtQ&pp=ygUhRGF2aWQgQXR0ZW5ib3JvdWdoJ3MgTGFzdCBTdXBwZXIg

Making a strong first impression is crucial for new cast members on Saturday Night Live, and this sketch from the season premiere showcased several potential stars. The sketch revolved around a celebration of David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, with George Fouracres playing Attenborough and subtly hinting at his age. It featured a gathering of famous British figures, including Winston Churchill (Al Nash), Freddie Mercury (Larry Dean), actual royalty, and host Tina Fey as Agatha Christie. However, it was Jack Shep’s portrayal of Princess Diana that truly stood out. Channeling Kristen Stewart’s performance in Spencer, Shep perfectly captured Diana’s innocence and immediately established himself as a performer to watch.

Pub Song

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=rY15PLImY3E

Jamie Dornan, as a guest host, helped create one of the season’s most memorable musical moments. The song playfully satirized the common experience of British tourists seeking out familiar pub culture while on vacation in Europe. Lyrics like “It’s just like the pub by my house but hot” and “Everything we need, menus we can read” cleverly mocked typical British behavior abroad. The song mentions classic pub staples like chips, darts, and uninspiring football matches, leading to Sidi’s character’s dismay after spending a year learning Spanish. Dornan then steps in to suggest a change of scenery: an Irish-themed pub, highlighting the idea that travel can truly broaden one’s perspective.

OG FM Pirate Radio

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=Csf7dAuRiWw

I grew up listening to pirate radio – stations like Radio Caroline and Rinse FM were huge! It’s funny though, if you had to search for those stations on your dial, you’re probably showing your age now. That’s what makes this sketch so brilliant. Ayoade, Hammed, and Nash are playing DJs spinning classic 90s tracks, but the real star is Riz Ahmed as Dr. Rishi, dropping some seriously important health advice. Let’s be honest, it’s mostly an excuse for Riz to show off his rapping skills as Riz MC, and it totally works! Hearing a doctor rap about checking for blood in your urine and calling 111? It’s ridiculous, but it’s also hilarious and, surprisingly, memorable!

Traitors: A Very Confident Mistake

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=OuSzG_DzVNo

The British and American versions of The Traitors really highlight how we stereotype each other. The U.K. version feels like a cozy gathering with stars like Stephen Fry and Celia Imrie, while the U.S. version is a much louder, more dramatic competition. But both versions have been criticized for similar issues, and this sketch playfully points that out. It features reality TV contestants trying to figure out who the mysterious “Great Big Crab Man” is among them. Is it Sebastian, who looks suspicious? Or could it be Imran, one of the only two people of color at the table? The sketch cleverly addresses the hidden biases often found in British reality TV, while still letting the Crab Man defend himself.

Mastermind

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=DeY5DWJ_SnI

This sketch cleverly adapts a classic Saturday Night Live format – the game show parody – by setting it within the framework of the British quiz show Mastermind. While shows like The Traitors have become popular in the US, Mastermind hasn’t had the same success. Host Jack Whitehall plays a contestant whose specialized knowledge is bizarrely focused on gossip his mother shares about people he doesn’t know. He’s asked incredibly specific questions like, “Who had a tire stolen from their caravan in Dorset?” and “Why does Linda from Pilates need an extra wheelie bin?” The sketch is made even more interesting by the fact that the host, Animashaun, actually appeared on Celebrity Mastermind earlier in 2024, and his specialty subject was another show popular in both the US and the UK: The Office.

45 Seconds With Fouracres

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=-fkt15VUGgE&pp=0gcJCQQLAYcqIYzv

George Fouracres, a comedian with a background in theater – including performing Shakespeare at the Globe and time with the Cambridge Footlights – instantly connects with a live audience, making his sketches particularly strong. He really made a name for himself with the first installment of his recurring “45 Seconds With Fouracres” segment on SNL UK. While much of today’s sketch comedy relies on familiar situations and relatable characters, Fouracres does something different. The bit features him dressed as a lounge singer in a 1970s-style room, rapidly switching between various Irish accents. He’s then joined by Nicola Coughlan of Derry Girls, who tries to correct his pronunciation of the show’s name, but he playfully interrupts her, declaring that none of it matters because it’s all just a performance. It’s a unique style – reminiscent of the energy of Rik Mayall and the humor of Bob Mortimer – but distinctly his own, and a perfect example of what makes SNL UK stand out.

Captain Birdseye

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=McJBjcl12i4

If you ask most people in Britain to name a sea captain, they’ll likely say “Captain Birdseye”—the fictional character from frozen food commercials. In a strange sketch on “Weekend Update,” comedian Pete Nash impersonates Birdseye, connecting it to a recent on-air discussion about British naval power during the Iran-Iraq War. Initially, the character cheerfully offers advice on cooking fish fingers, but the sketch quickly becomes disturbing as Birdseye starts recounting violent acts, including a graphic description of attacking a mercenary. The sketch ends with Nash revealing a necklace made of human fingers. It’s a truly unsettling and shocking bit of comedy.

British Pork

You can now watch full episodes of SNL UK on Peacock in the U.S., which is great news since individual sketches haven’t been released online very quickly. Many clips from the first episodes are still missing from U.S. YouTube, including a particularly memorable sketch playing on British nostalgia. The sketch is a parody of a bizarre 1980s pork advertisement—not for a specific brand, just pork in general—and features Aimee Lou Wood, considered by many to be the season’s best host, and her husband (Fouracres). They present a delicious piece of meat to their guests, with the tagline “British pork. What’s it got? It’s got the lot.” The director then asks for more intensity. It turns out the British Pork Board, represented by a disturbingly cannibalistic pig, wants the ad to be even more frightening. Fouracres, who has been fascinated with the original commercial since childhood, struggles to keep a straight face while delivering a deliberately hateful and menacing monologue that feels more unsettling than appealing.

A Bidding Frenzy Has Broken Out Over 10 Downing Street

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=10xBbgCk_Qw

Just like its American counterpart, the British version of Saturday Night Live (SNL UK) has primarily used its opening sketches to tackle political issues. In a time of strong political division, SNL UK found common ground with British viewers: widespread dissatisfaction with Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader. Actor Miles Fouracres perfectly captures Starmer’s perceived weakness in these sketches. This has been a challenging year for Starmer, who has faced issues including a scandal involving Peter Mandelson, difficult relations with Donald Trump regarding Iran, and disappointing election results. This struggle provides excellent material for satire, continuing a strong tradition of British political comedy seen in shows like The Thick of It and Have I Got News for You? A sketch from the season finale shows Fouracres’s Starmer trying to watch Eurovision while potential replacements – Wes Streeting (played by Shep), Andy Burnham (Paddy Young), and Angela Rayner (Dring) – appear, each with their own quirks. It’s a fitting end to the season, reinforcing the show’s portrayal of Starmer as a temporary leader unable to prevent his party from losing ground.

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2026-05-21 00:02