Live From Around The World, It’s International Versions Of Saturday Night Live!
It looks like the people in China will have a reason to stay up late on Saturday nights. China is the latest country getting their own “Saturday Night Live”. Lorne Michaels and Chinese search engine and video provider Sohu.com are now working together to bring a version of SNL to China. According to Rolling Stone, the comedy series is a joint effort between Michael’s Broadway Video and Sohu founder Zhang Chaoyang.
The Chinese company put out a statement saying, “SNL, which combines the best elements of live music and sketch comedy, will be a refreshing new option for Chinese viewers”. So far, there’s no schedule on when the sketch comedy show would premiere, but in the next few months, there will be a casting call looking for Chinese comedians and sketch comics to use in the first cast.
The Chinese version of SNL is the latest effort by Lorne Michaels to turn Saturday Night Live into an international franchise. America’s 40 year old comedy variety show has been produced with different results in several countries around the world, including the all of the former Axis Powers nations.
Here’s some of the ways people around the globe enjoy Saturday Night Live!
Spain – Saturday Night Live Spain
Aired: 2009
SNL Spain sadly only lasted a few episodes before it was canceled. Here’s a fun fact: It aired on Thursdays despite still being called Saturday Night Live. It actually just took material from American SNL and rehashed it with slightly different references. You can watch below a much funnier take on the classic Will Ferrell/Christopher Walken cowbell sketch. What the country of Spain was able to do with this will blow. your. mind.
South Korea – Saturday Night Live Korea
Aired: 2011 – Present
South Koreans are loving their version of Saturday Night Live. This version has digital shorts as well their own Weekend Update anchors and it’s still going strong. They just had one of their sketches go viral when they spoofed “50 Shades of Grey”. Here’s hoping we see SNL In North Korea sooner rather than later.
Japan – Saturday Night Live JPN
Aired: 2011
SNL Japan lasted only six months. It had a permanent host, only aired once a month and was only 45 minutes long. The lack of tentacle monsters and school girls might of been what doomed the show from the start.
Germany – RTL Samstag Nacht
Aired: 1993 – 1998
RTL Samstag Nacht was one of the first major hit comedy shows to appear in Germany and featured nine players. Oddly enough, it wasn’t live, it was promoted as live to tape instead in its opening.
Italy – Saturday Night Live From Milano
Aired: 2006 – 2010
SNL from Milano lasted four seasons in Italy before getting pulled. Below you can check out an entire episode. This is going to be hysterical if you speak Italian and get references from Europe in the mid 2000’s.
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