With Saturday Night Live UK debuting this weekend, it joins a surprisingly long list of international attempts to recreate NBC’s late-night institution. Over the past three decades, broadcasters from Germany to Japan to South Korea have all tried their hand at localized versions of Saturday Night Live.
A few became genuine hits. Others vanished after a handful of episodes.
Taken together, those experiments offer an unofficial rulebook for how to make—or break—an international SNL. Here are eight lessons learned from the many attempts to take SNL global.
1. Air the show on Saturday night
Yes, it may seem obvious, but not every country has taken the hint. Despite beginning each episode with a cry of “¡estamos en directo y esto es Saturday Night Live!” (“We are live and this is Saturday Night Live!”), Spain’s version of SNL aired on … Thursdays. Calendar confusion wasn’t the only reason the show lasted just 12 episodes—but it surely didn’t help.
2. Show up weekly
Despite its copycat credits, Japan’s version of SNL barely resembled its namesake. It was 45 minutes long instead of 90, had a permanent host rather than visiting celebrities, and aired only once a month. You can’t blame Japanese fans for forgetting the show existed when it disappeared for weeks at a time. SNL Japan ended its run after only six episodes.
3. Be careful adapting classic SNL sketches
One reason “More Cowbell” was such a memorable sketch? The obscure (but hilarious) reference to the clanging cowbell in Blue Öyster Cult’s classic-rock banger, “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Spain opted to remake the sketch by replacing the band with Barón Rojo, a massive Spanish heavy metal band that … doesn’t use a cowbell? France tried “More Cowbell” too, with equally meh results.
Then again, maybe adapting classic sketches works?
SNL Québec did a French version of “Schweddy Balls” that a reviewer for Cult MTL said “translated perfectly and comprised the sole bright spot in the show’s first third.” Producing versions of “Debbie Downer” didn’t help the show last more than two seasons, however.
4. Don’t sweat the “live” part—at least in Germany.
The high-wire act of a live show is part of the charm of the original SNL, but one of the most successful international versions—Germany’s RTL Samstag Nacht—went “live to tape” for its episodes. Seemingly against all odds, it worked, becoming one of the country’s most successful comedy shows and launching the careers of several cast members. You’re doing something right when Mel Brooks shows up to host.
5. Keep your hands to yourself.
Saturday Night Live Korea has been one of the most successful international iterations to date, but it found itself in hot water after a promotional bit went sideways. In 2016, the show posted a behind-the-scenes video on Facebook featuring boy band B1A4. In the video, female staffers grope the band members before running offscreen.
After fans protested, SNL Korea removed the video and apologized, but that just invited more accusations from other boy bands alleging similar harassment. The show was canceled after six seasons; a revival launched five years later and continues to air.
6. Hire enough funny people
Finland’s version of Saturday Night Live had one major issue: the cast featured only four comedians. While the current American version has a bloated 16-person cast that could stand some pruning, four comics isn’t enough to get the job done. No wonder it only lasted 12 episodes.
7. Lean into political comedy…
Another reason for Saturday Night Live Japan’s abbreviated run (aside from its aforementioned once-a-month airings) could be that it shied away from jokes about current events and politics.
Japanese comics see political comedy as “easy,” star Koji Imada told The Japan Times. “Japanese comedians would prefer to create their own characters, their own world, and to set those up as antitheses to the real world. That is how they make their critiques.” Fair enough, but it seems like a missed opportunity.
Politics were even touchier for Saturday Night Live China, which had no intention of ridiculing the government. But Chinese viewers familiar with the American SNL complained on social media, according to The New York Times. “SNL is supposed to be a show poking fun at current affairs and politicians, and this is impossible in China,” posted one would-be fan. “Therefore, the show already has a congenital defect, not to mention inferior jokes.”
SNL China aired just three episodes before it was abruptly canceled.
8. Unless the government can cancel you
SNL Arabia was one of the few international versions that could claim to be a bona fide ratings hit, but that wasn’t enough to save it. In 2018, according to Arab News, Egypt’s Supreme Media Council suspended the show for its naughty innuendo.
“The program has always used words, phrases, and sexual implications deemed inappropriate to viewers,” said the council, though it didn’t specify which jokes got its members’ underwear in a bunch.
In the U.S., angering government officials often boosts ratings. In Egypt, it means you’re done.
Whether SNL UK becomes the next SNL Korea or the next SNL China remains to be seen. But if history is any guide, success abroad isn’t just about copying the original—it’s about making the show feel local while preserving what makes Saturday Night Live tick.
SNL UK premieres across the pond Saturday March 21, 2026 at 10 p.m. GMT on Sky One and streaming on NOW. Peacock will stream episodes in the U.S. on Sundays.
