... Reviews are in for Saturday Night Live UK after its star-studded debut episode.
SNL UK launched on Sky last night, with viewers across the country tuning in to watch the comedy show. ...
While most critics agreed that the show had a few kinks to iron out, the general consensus was that SNL UK had a much stronger opening than had been anticipated.
The Telegraph's Ed Power gave the first episode an optimistic four stars, highlighting Tina Fey's excellent performance as SNL UK's first host and calling it a "shockingly competent spin-off".
He also pointed out: "Predictions that a transatlantic SNL would crash and burn proved wide of the mark."
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the show three stars, acknowledging the uphill battle the series faced as she noted that it "didn't fail and could have been a lot worse".
Gary Bushell from The Daily Express admitted it wasn't "as bad as I feared" claiming the show was "better than spineless BBC comedy".
The Financial Times' Rebecca Nicholson added: "Britons may be sceptical of Saturday Night Live UK - but its debut episode shows promise With Tina Fey as guest host and some close-to-the-bone humour, Sky's SNL translation was often inventive and sharp."
Metro's Adam Miller called the show "shockingly good", confessing: "It's been a long time since I've rooted for something as hard as SNL UK to succeed." ...
However, not everyone was convinced after the first episode, with The New Statesman's Nicholas Harris claiming Saturday Night Live is "doomed in the UK".
Meanwhile, publications like Variety and The Wrap suggested that the show will become more successful if it decides to lean more into British humour and away from the US format. ...
