SNL's UK Adaptation Packs a Budget 4X Bigger Than Typical British Sketch Shows

The British attempt at 'Saturday Night Live' is already making waves, but not for its jokes. The big story here doesn’t involve a biting sketch or surprise musical guest—it’s the eye-popping budget. If you thought British TV was always on a shoestring, think again.

Why Is SNL UK So Pricey?

Some actual numbers: each episode of SNL UK is reportedly clocking in at almost £2 million—that’s about $2.6 million. For comparison, most sketch shows over there get made for around £300,000 to £500,000 per episode. This show is basically burning four times the usual sketch show money every single week. (Nope, it still can’t outspend the American original, which sits comfortably atop this pile.)

So where is all that money going? For starters, the production has snagged exclusive use of the massive TC1 studio at London’s Television Centre—yes, the same place that usually hosts The Graham Norton Show (Norton’s crew has to wait their turn this season). Instead of bouncing around or tearing down after each episode, SNL UK just sets up shop for the whole eight-episode run. All the sets, gear, and staff stay put the entire shoot, which isn’t how things usually work in UK TV land.

Big Cast, Big Crew, Big Ambitions

This isn't just a case of spending all the money on lights and sound: the show is also shoveling cash toward a much bigger creative team than British sketch TV is used to. There’s an 11-person cast, roughly 20 writers, and a small army of production staff—including Lorne Michaels himself as executive producer (because of course he is), with James Longman on producing duties. Multiple original sets and costumes also helps run up the bill.

• Budget: ~£2 million ($2.6M) per episode
• Studio: Full exclusive run of TC1 at Television Centre
• Cast: 11 principal cast members
• Writers: About 20 on staff
• Production Team: Lorne Michaels (Executive Producer), James Longman (Producer)
• Comparison: Typical UK sketch show: £300K–£500K; SNL UK: ~£2M; US SNL: Even more
• Debut: March 21 on Sky One and NOW
• First Episode Host: Tina Fey
• Viewers (Episode One): 226,000
• Critical Reaction: Mixed

Not the Usual British Approach

Normally, British comedy shows haul their sets in and out of shared studios week to week. Not these folks: they're camping out in London’s top TV facility, which means all their production bits—from office space to technical rooms—stay in place, no resetting required. That sort of luxury is basically unheard of in UK television.

Expansion Plans... Already

Oh, and just to flex a bit more: the series was originally meant to be a tight six-episode run. Before launch, they bumped it up to an eight-episode order. Clearly, Sky is investing a lot in making this thing look and feel huge.

And if you’re wondering how it’s going so far—well, Tina Fey hosted the opener, 226,000 people tuned in, and the critics gave it a polite but unenthusiastic round of applause. Whether it’s money well spent? Let’s just say the bar (and the budget) is high for comedy on British TV now.

As one insider put it: 'The scale really stands out, both for the budget and the fact that SNL UK just parked itself in London’s biggest TV studio for the duration.'