Saturday Live (British TV programme)
British live comedy and music show based on Saturday Night Live.
Saturday Live, which aired as *Friday Night Live* in 1988 and for a 2022 special, was a British comedy and music programme produced by LWT. It originally ran on Channel 4 from 1985 to 1988, with a short-lived revival on ITV in 1996. Occasional one-off editions have appeared over the years, including a segment for the BBC's 1993 Comic Relief telethon. Though inspired by the American sketch show *Saturday Night Live*, it had no formal ties to it.
The series launched the careers of Ben Elton and Harry Enfield, and showcased many comedians—often in their first television appearances—including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Patrick Marber, Morwenna Banks, Chris Barrie, Julian Clary, Emo Philips, Tracey Ullman, Craig Ferguson, Sam Kinison, Craig Charles, and Josie Lawrence. The pilot and first series featured Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall performing as The Dangerous Brothers each week. Paul Hardcastle composed the original theme music.
All episodes were broadcast live, though a small portion of material was pre-recorded. Edited compilations of these recordings were later aired under the title *Saturday Almost Live*. The third series, renamed *Friday Night Live* after moving to that day, was shorter and tighter in format, with Elton remaining as host. Its title sequence used re-forming clay animations, similar to early MTV idents.
The show returned as a segment for the 1993 Red Nose Day telethon on the BBC, hosted by Ben Elton, with appearances from Reeves and Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, Hugh Laurie, and Newman & Baddiel. In 1996, it was revived on ITV in a Saturday slot, hosted by Lee Hurst, featuring comedians like Harry Hill and Simon Munnery; this run lasted eight episodes before cancellation. On 1 December 2007, ITV aired a one-off revival titled *Saturday Live Again*, presented by Marcus Brigstocke, with comedians including Jimmy Carr, Lee Mack, Mitchell and Webb, and Jocelyn Jee Esien, plus a performance by original host Ben Elton. Musical acts included Bon Jovi and Hard-Fi. In August 2022, a one-off special was announced as part of Channel 4's 40th-anniversary celebrations, again hosted by Ben Elton, and aired on 21 October 2022. This special gained attention for a musical performance in which transgender comedian Jordan Gray stripped nude on stage.
A compilation double DVD set, *Saturday Live: The Best of Series One*, was released on 16 April 2007, containing
- field
- Television comedy and music show
- nationality
- British
- network
- Channel 4 (1985–1988), ITV (1996, 2007), BBC (1993), Channel 4 (2022)
- known_for
- Launching careers of Ben Elton and Harry Enfield; live comedy and music format
- first_broadcast
- 1985
- last_broadcast
- 2022 (one-off special)
Lore & Background
All episodes were transmitted live but contained a small proportion of material recorded beforehand. Recordings of shows were edited into compilation repeats, titled Saturday Almost Live. The third series, Friday Night Live, reflected its scheduling move to Friday and retained Ben Elton as regular host. The show's title sequence consisted of re-forming clay animations, highly comparable to early MTV idents. The show was resurrected as a segment for 1993's Red Nose Day BBC telethon, hosted by Ben Elton, with appearances by Reeves and Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, Hugh Laurie, and Newman & Baddiel. The show made a return in 1996 on ITV, regaining a Saturday slot and retitled accordingly, hosted by Lee Hurst, featuring comedians including Harry Hill and Simon Munnery; it lasted eight episodes before being axed. On 1 December 2007, the programme was revived by ITV for a one-off titled Saturday Live Again, presented by Marcus Brigstocke, with comedians including Jimmy Carr, Lee Mack, Mitchell and Webb, and Jocelyn Jee Esien; Ben Elton also performed. In August 2022, it was announced the programme was being revived for a one-off special as part of Channel 4's 40th-anniversary celebrations, again hosted by Ben Elton, airing on 21 October 2022. The special gained notoriety for a musical performance in which transgender comedian Jordan Gray stripped nude to a live audience.
Reader's Guide
Saturday Live holds significance as a British adaptation of the American Saturday Night Live format, though with no direct connection. It launched the careers of Ben Elton and Harry Enfield and provided early television exposure for many comedians, including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Julian Clary. The show's live transmission format, with some pre-recorded material, and its compilation repeats (Saturday Almost Live) were distinctive. Its legacy includes multiple revivals across different networks and decades, from a 1993 Comic Relief segment to a 2022 Channel 4 anniversary special. The 2022 special attracted attention for Jordan Gray's nude performance. Home releases include compilation DVDs of series one and two, and a set collecting Fry & Laurie and Harry Enfield sketches and Ben Elton monologues.
Did You Know?
- The show was based on the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live but otherwise had no direct connection to it.
- The introductory theme was an original composition by Paul Hardcastle.
- The third series was renamed Friday Night Live to reflect its scheduling move to Friday.
- A compilation double DVD set, Saturday Live: The Best of Series One, was released on 16 April 2007.
More in British stand-up comedy television series 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record