A popular online video site is bringing the topical humour of Saturday Night Live to China.
The comedy sketch show that regularly mocks politicians, pop culture and celebrities is being shown exclusively on the website of Sohu Video, a unit of the Chinese online media group Sohu.com Inc.
Ten episodes from the current 39th season of SNL are available now. Future episodes will be available online without subtitles the Monday after airing in the US, and a version with Chinese subtitles and explanations of cultural references will be available at 10pm.
SNL's topics have featured China, including a sketch of a press conference with then Chinese President Hu Jintao berating US President Barack Obama over the national debt.
But Sohu's chief Charles Zhang said he didn’t expect the show’s edgy themes to get them into trouble in China: “Things that are controversial in America are probably not controversial in China. And this talk show is in the spirit of fun and humour. I don’t think there will be any problem.”
Zhang said the show, if popular in China, could inspire Chinese companies to produce shows with similar formats.
* Associated Press
