Lorne Michaels Wants ‘SNL U.K.’ to Be ‘Smarter and Funnier’ Than U.S. Version: It Should Be the ‘Cooler of the Two Shows’

Home TV Columns Apr 14, 2026 11:19pm PT Lorne Michaels Wants ‘SNL U.K.’ to Be ‘Smarter and Funnier’ Than U.S. Version: It Should Be the ‘Cooler of the Two Shows’ By Marc Malkin Plus Icon Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events marcmalkin Latest Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal and More Join Fight to Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger as Open Letter Surpasses 2,000 Hollywood Names 11 hours ago Olympians Adam Rippon, Conor McDermott-Mostowy and Johnny Weir to Attend ‘Broken Hearts Club’ 25th Anniversary Benefit Screening (EXCLUSIVE) 2 days ago ‘The Pitt’ Star Noah Wyle and Creator Explain Supriya Ganesh Exit After Season 2: ‘We’re Going to Miss Her’ 2 days ago See All PMC “Saturday Night Live” creator and longtime producer Lorne Michaels may be involved with recently launched U.K. version of the sketch comedy show, but he insists he’s not too hands-on. “My design for it was that it would be the cooler of the two shows, and it would be the thing they beat us up with that. That it’s smarter, funnier, more original, and it had to be that,” Michaels said Tuesday night at the Los Angeles premiere of his documentary, “Lorne,” on the Universal lot. “It had to be its own thing. It couldn’t be an imitation of what we do.” Related Stories 'Digger' Trailer at CinemaCon Shows Tom Cruise Transformed Into Insane, Cat-Loving Billionaire With a Big Belly, a Comb Over and a Thick Southern Accent