Charles Schreger, president of programming sales at HBO, Maisie Williams, David Butorac, CEO of OSN and Khulud Abu Homos, executive vice president of programming and creative services at OSN.

An Arab version of hit American sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, to be produced by the Dubai-headquartered pay-TV network OSN, will launch in January next year, reported Gulf News.

At an event to announce its slate of new shows and offers in Dubai on Monday, attended by Hollywood star Antonio Banderas and Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams, the network also announced the launch of OSN Store, a digital video store for movies and TV shows, and a new channel dedicated to shows from American network HBO, which won the most amount of Emmy Awards last month.

“The new programming has been developed after extensive market research that revealed the television viewing habits and aspirations of the people,” said David Butorac, CEO of OSN. “We are pushing the envelope and adding a wider portfolio of original and exclusive programming.”

To be shot in Egypt, Saturday Night Live Bil Arabi (Saturday Night Live in Arabic), will feature some of the best comics from across the Middle East, said Khulud Abu Homos, the executive vice president of programming and creative services at OSN.

“We have been prepping for two years, training our creative team and writers. We did it by the book and hopefully we will ensure that this show will be a cornerstone for what it has been in other countries: the platform for launching new comedy talents,” she said.

The show will have the exact same format as the American one, she added.

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