Sky Says It Is Committed to ‘Saturday Night Live UK’ for the Long Run After Successful First Season

Sky has told industry audiences it plans to keep developing “Saturday Night Live UK,” saying it is in the project “for the long run” after what it described as a successful first season. Philip Edgar-Jones, Sky’s chief for unscripted programming, made the remarks while speaking at the Edinburgh Television Festival on Aug. 26, according to Deadline.

Edgar-Jones’ comments framed the decision in terms of continuity rather than a near-term trial run. He pointed to the performance of the show’s initial slate of episodes, and suggested that the UK adaptation could continue beyond the second season, which is set to premiere next month.

The series is positioned as a British adaptation of NBC’s long-running sketch format. Sky’s remake began with a first season that the broadcaster characterized as meeting expectations, and the network’s management said that outcome is informing its planning for later chapters of the show.

Edinburgh is also being used this week as a venue for other unscripted and commissioning announcements across the British television sector, and Sky used the festival appearance to outline its approach to sketch comedy in particular. Edgar-Jones’ “long run” language indicates Sky is willing to treat the program as an ongoing franchise rather than a limited experiment.

While details beyond the existence of a second season and the upcoming premiere next month were not provided in the report, the remarks establish a clear message to viewers and the industry that Sky expects the show to remain part of its programming ecosystem past the immediate renewal window.

The timing of the comments places them just ahead of the second season’s rollout, meaning the “long run” commitment is being indicated before audiences see how the next batch of episodes performs in its new release cycle. Any further decisions about casting, episode counts, or commissioning timelines were not specified in the Deadline report.

For the creative team and performers, Sky’s stance could affect how they plan and execute material for later episodes. For the wider media business, the message reinforces that major UK platforms are still investing in formats associated with large-scale writers’ rooms and recurring live or live-adjacent production schedules, where continuity can matter for audience retention.

Sky’s commitment statement also sets expectations for stakeholders, including talent, writers, and production staff, at a moment when public schedules and franchise visibility typically factor into negotiations and planning for subsequent seasons.