Here’s the intro to the new Japanese version of SNL that premiered last weekend. It’s very similar to the US intro! They even got Don Pardo (or someone who sounds a lot like Don Pardo) to do the voiceover! Also, apparently Coke is a major sponsor of SNL JPN, which is interesting. But overall, this looks relatively faithful to the original. It makes sense; the Spanish version of SNL would often remake popular American sketches for a local audience.
Unlike the original, this version airs monthly rather than weekly, but it’s still broadcast live, which is somewhat of a rarity in Japan. And the comedy? Apparently, “the heavy influence of Japanese Konto style slap-stick comedy has replaced the more character focused sketches that any viewer of the original show might be used to.” It’ll be interesting to see whether or not this hybrid of an American comedy institution with Japanese sensibilities, working within the well-established Japanese comedy world (the cast comes from the famous Yoshimoto comedy agency), takes off.