John Oliver Doubts UK SNL Ahead of 2026 Launch

John Oliver has voiced strong skepticism about the planned British version of 'Saturday Night Live,' describing the idea as 'terrible' and questioning whether the show's unique American 'cult' culture can translate to the U.K. Speaking on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers,' Oliver criticized SNL's tradition of making writers stay up all night as unnecessarily intense, arguing that such practices are not essential for great comedy. He noted that the U.K. already has a strong sketch comedy tradition that does not depend on extreme work routines. Both Oliver and Meyers agreed that SNL's demanding environment is an outlier in the comedy world. The U.K. adaptation, produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels, is now set to premiere in 2026 on Sky. Oliver remains doubtful that the new version will achieve the original's success.