Chinese regulators’ attitude towards foreign content has ebbed and flowed, though growing political control of the media appears to be the current direction. Another U.S. comedy show, “Saturday Night Live,” began airing on streaming platform Sohu.com in 2014. But this year the Chinese-made version of “SNL” was removed from the Alibaba-owned streaming platform Youku after just a few weeks of broadcast.
Politics and sex are typically no-go areas for Chinese shows, and satire of Chinese politicians is not allowed. Corden’s focus on foreign celebrities may have helped the show win censorship approval. Celebrity guests who have appeared on the show include Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Beckham, Julia Roberts,