SNL UK renewed for season 2
- Sky has renewed Saturday Night Live UK for a second season before season 1 ends, locking in a new run for later in 2026. - Deadline says season 2 will expand to 12 episodes, even after Variety reported shaky ratings for the first run on Sky. - That early pickup suggests Sky still wants a long-term British SNL franchise, not a one-season format experiment.
British TV just made a pretty clear bet on live sketch comedy. Saturday Night Live UK has been renewed for season 2 before its first season has even finished airing, which is the kind of move networks usually make only when they think a format has real long-term value. The interesting part is that this does not sound like a breakout ratings story. It sounds more like Sky deciding the show is strategically worth building anyway. ### What actually got renewed? Sky has given Saturday Night Live UK a second season, with the new run due later in 2026. Deadline says the pickup is for 12 episodes, and says the first season still has more than a week left when the renewal lands. That means Sky did not wait for the finale or a full postmortem — it moved early. ### Why is the early timing the point? Because early renewals are a signal. Networks do them when they want casts, writers, hosts, and advertisers to know the project is sticking around. In this case, the timing matters even more because SNL UK is a hard show to make — establish chemistry in public. Renewing early says Sky would rather improve the machine than shut it down. ### Was season 1 actually working? Depends what “working” means. Variety says the first season had rocky ratings, but also says multiple sources described Sky as thrilled with the show anyway. That sounds contradictory until you remember what this kind of adaptation is for: talent, clips, cultural conversation, and weekly event viewing. If executives think that platform can still be built, weak early numbers are not automatically fatal. ### Why would Sky keep pushing if the ratings were mixed? Basically, because the format itself is valuable. Sky announced the UK version back in 2025 as a major local adaptation of NBC’s long-running franchise, with Lorne Michaels attached as executive producer. That is not insignificant, especially if it can generate clips, guest headlines, and new comedy stars over time. ### What has the first season looked like? The show launched in March 2026 and followed the familiar SNL structure — live sketches, a celebrity host
