With Ben Elton back at the helm

Ben Elton is to host a revival of Friday Night Live – the Channel 4 show which made his name.

The variety programme is being brought back to celebrate the broadcaster’s 40th anniversary this year.

Originally called Saturday Night Live, the programme ran from 1985 to 1988 and featured the cream of the alternative comedy circuit, including Harry Enfield,Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, and Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson as The Dangerous Brothers

The 90-minute revival will feature ‘the hottest new wave stand-ups and character comedians alongside some original show legends in a dangerously live night of comedy’, the broadcaster promised.

The programme previously enjoyed an eight-episode revival on ITV in 1996 and a 2007 one-off, Saturday Live Again, which was hosted by  Marcus Brigstocke, and feautre Mitchell and Webb,, Jimmy Carr, Lee Mack and We Are Klang.

Friday Night Live is one of a number of commissions announced by Channel 4 today under the banner Truth And Dare, including a Frankie Boyle film about the Monarchy, a Prince Andrew musical from comedian Kieran Hodgson and a programme about ‘cancel culture’ with Jimmy Carr.

The broadcaster’s chief content officer Ian Katz said: ‘This season shows that Channel 4 is still as mischievous, disruptive and distinctive as when it was born 40 years ago.

‘Instead of a nostalgia-thon of highlights from the last four decades, we are celebrating with a collection of irreverent, thought-provoking and hugely entertaining shows that no other broadcaster would air. If we must age, we plan to do it disgracefully.’

Published: 22 Aug 2022