Innovative television comedy and music show broadcast in the UK by Channel 4 from 1985 to 1987. Heavily influenced by the American show Saturday Night Live (in particular its use of guest hosts), it was produced by Paul Jackson and made stars of Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and featured appearances (in some cases first television appearances) by Patrick Marber, Morwenna Banks, Chris Barrie, Emo Philips and many others. Comedy is the use of humor in the form of theater, where it simply referred to a play with a happy ending, in contrast to a tragedy. ... Music is an art, entertainment, or other human activity which involves structured and audible sound, though definitions vary. ... Channel 4 is a public service television broadcaster in the United Kingdom (see British television). ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... Paul Jackson (sometimes credited as K. Paul Jackson - his first name is Kevin) is a British television producer. ... Ben Elton (born May 3, 1959) is an English comedian and writer. ... Harry Enfield (born May 30, 1961) is an English comedian educated at the University of York who quickly came to prominence after appearing on Channel 4s Saturday Live in a number of different personae created with Paul Whitehouse. ... Stephen Fry on the cover of his autobiography (US Edition) Stephen John Fry (born 24 August, 1957) is an English comedian, author, actor and filmmaker. ... Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in House James Hugh Calum Laurie (born June 11, 1959) is an English actor and writer. ... Patrick Marber is a British actor and writer associated with the kind of playwriting referred to as in-yer-face theatre. ... Morwenna Banks (born 1964 in Flushing, Cornwall, England) is a British actress and comedian. ... Actor Chris Barrie as Gordon Brittas in The Brittas Empire. ... Philip Soltanek better known by his stage name Emo Philips (born 7 February 1956) is an American actor, producer and stand-up comedian from Downers Grove, Illinois. ...

It was succeeded by Friday Night Live, a shorter and slightly more tightly-formatted version with Elton as the permanent host, which ran for a single series in 1988. Some consider it as the greatest show to ever come out of the UK.

External links

• BBC Comedy Guide - Saturday Live
• BBC Comedy Guide - Friday Night Live