With nearly 50 years on the air, the best Saturday Night Live skits of all time are a reminder of the show’s most iconic moments. The late-night sketch comedy series began in 1975 and has remained a huge part of pop culture ever since. Part of this is due to the big-name stars who have come out of the series, from Bill Murray to Eddie Murphy to Adam Sandler to Will Ferrell to Kristen Wiig. However, its real mark is shown through the best SNL skits that have made people laugh over the years.
Every new season of Saturday Night Live adds new skits to add to the show’s long legacy and while not every skit is an instant classic, there are some that provide the laughs and unforgettable moments that live on through the years. Some come from the early days of the series and helped establish the voice of the show, others showcased bold and new approaches with wild sketches, and others are fairly recent entries that have become a memorable part of SNL‘s long legacy.
30
Washington’s Dream
Season 49
Few skits in SNL have caught on and become recurring features on the show as quickly as Nate Bargatze’s George Washington skits. Here, he plays George Washington in the midst of the American Revolution as he inspires his soldiers with his dreams of what their new country could be. However, it quickly descends into the many confusing rules about measurements and grammar that America will have.
29
The Chris Farley Show
Season 17
Chris Farley is often remembered on SNL for his hilariously bombastic and outrageous characters. However, his recurring skit on “The Chris Farley Show” also showed the sweet and charming side of his personality while also being hilarious. The skit simply features Farley interviewing various high-profile guests who were cameoing as themselves, from Martin Scorsese to Paul McCartney, with Farley rendered almost completely useless because he’s too star-struck to compose himself.
28
Haunted Elevator (ft. David S. Pumpkins)
Debuted in 2016
Tom Hanks is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood, so of course he’s been on SNL a few times. In the “Haunted Elevator” skit, Beck Bennett and Kate McKinnon’s characters go on a spooky ride with Kenan Thompson’s character as the elevator attendant. Hanks plays the character David S. Pumpkins, a beautifully nonsensical creation who is now part of Halloween culture.
27
Single Ladies
Season 34
Considering Beyonce was apparently hesitant to do the “Single Ladies” sketch, the result is even more impressive. Queen B appears as herself, shooting the music video for her smash hit, but with Justin Timberlake, Andy Samberg, and Bobby Moynihan (who was the instigator of the sketch). Never have three men in leotards been so funny.
26
Beavis And Butt-Head
Season 49
The perfect answer to those who claim Saturday Night Live is not as funny as it used to be, this season 49 (2024) sketch proved that the show could still put out instant classics. The sketch starts with an episode of a talk show called News Nation, a straight political interest show that ends up completely undermined by the appearance of two audience members who look exactly like Beavis and Butthead.
25
The Californians
Seasons 37-43
The Californians is a Saturday Night Live sketch that parodies nighttime soap dramas like The OC and Dynasty and regular soaps like Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful. According to Bill Hader in an interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the sketch was created when Fred Armisen was just goofing around one day and described how he got back to his hotel by listing actual directions and road names in a heavy Californian accent.
24
Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base
Season 41
Saturday Night Live has made an art out of spoofing silly television shows. One reality TV show that SNL targeted was Undercover Boss, a series where the main boss of a business goes undercover as an employee to see how morale is and to learn more about the working conditions in their business. In one season 41 episode, SNL took this idea to the extreme with “Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base.” As the name indicates, this was a Star Wars parody as well, with Kylo Ren going undercover.
23
Buckwheat Dead And America Mourns
Season 8
Eddie Murphy created several iconic characters for Saturday Night Live. However, one of the sketches picked up a life of its own and became the one he was most known for. As a result, Murphy wanted to kill that character, and he did so literally. Murphy played a grown up Buckwheat, the character from The Little Rascals who was played by Billie Thomas. Murphy wanted the character gone, so he came up with an idea, and it ended up as one of the best Saturday Night Live sketches in history.
22
Cobras & Panthers
Season 22
Norm MacDonald was famously fired from Saturday Night Live for his controversial Weekend Update jokes about O.J. SImpson, but he was also a gifted sketch artist with this overlooked gem showcasing MacDonald’s unique sense of humor. The premise follows a 1950s street gang with members who perform West Side Story-like musical numbers. However, MacDonald plays the one member who cannot understand why everyone is breaking out into song.
21
CBS Evening News: Katie Couric Interviews Sarah Palin
Season 34
After leaving the show as its head writer in 2006, Tina Fey made several memorable guest spots on the show as Republican politician Sarah Palin. Palin became a media sensation as the surprise pick for John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 presidential race. The fact that Fey bore a striking resemblance to Palin and could pull off a hilarious impression of her set it up to be a hilarious surprise for audiences as Fey and Poehler did their own take on Palin’s infamous interview with Katie Couric.
20
Simon: Summer Drawings
Seasons 16-19
Mike Myers has some of the most iconic of the best SNL skits, from Wayne’s World to minimalist artist Dieter. However, one of his best is also one of the darkest characters ever to appear on Saturday Night Live. Myers plays Simon, a British child who sits in his bathtub and shares his drawings with the audience. There were five skits in this run, and he is often sharing things that are truly horrific, but at his age, he is too innocent to understand the trauma he lives through.
19
The Blues Brothers
Debuted In 1978
Most fans know The Blues Brothers from the movie that spun off of the SNL skit. However, its legacy on the show is one of the most popular of all time while also showing the versatility of SNL when it comes to the different forms of entertainment they share.The first-ever appearance was in 1978 and was simply a way for the duo to show their love of blues music. The rest is musical history.
18
The Church Lady
Debuted In 1986
So many people just remember Dana Carvey from his role in Wayne’s World skits. However, he has another major addition to the best SNL skits of all time with his portrayal of The Church Lady in her show, Church Chat. In an era where televangelists ruled the airwaves, Carvey took on the role of preaching to the masses in the most condescending way possible.
17
The Roxbury Guys
Debuted In 1996
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan’s recurring skit as the Roxbury Guys is a great example of how such a simple premise can be used so effectively thanks to memorable performers. The setup follows these two obnoxious and oblivious guys going out to dance clubs and unsuccessfully trying to dance with girls. Jim Carrey stole the show in one edition of the popular sketch.
16
Black Jeopardy
Recurring Sketch
While there is another Jeopardy-themed skit on SNL that is likely more iconic to fans, “Black Jeopardy” has become one of the funniest and most clever recurring SNL skits in recent years. The skit depicts a game of Jeopardy aimed at Black American contestants with one of the contestants inevitably feeling out of place. The questions in the game show are aimed at stereotypes but used in very smart ways to comment on the different aspects of race, with iconic versions starring Chadwick Boseman and particularly Tom Hanks.
15
Debbie Downer
Debuted In 2004
The first time Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer aired, showing Debbie ruining a family trip to Disneyworld, it devolved into the entire cast breaking character and unable to say their lines through all their laughter. Needless to say, the audience loved it. Other destructive skits followed, but none matched the energy of that first one.
14
Harry Caray
Debuted In 1996
Will Ferrell is regarded as one of the best SNL cast members of all time and Harry Caray is surely one of his best characters. Based on the real-life baseball announcer, Ferrell does a ridiculous impression of the man and has him providing his perspectives on anything not baseball-related. Harry’s disheveled appearance, his unique voice, and his general detachment from the world around him make it an endlessly enjoyable recurring bit that is simply a showcase for Ferrell’s comedic brilliance.
13
Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood
Debuted In 1981
Eddie Murphy’s most iconic moments from the show come from the skits “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood.” The skit parodied the famous show Mister Roger’s Neighborhood starring Fred Rogers. Instead of teaching children life lessons, Mr. Robinson was a criminal who often taught children about illegal things like shoplifting. It’s an incredible showcase of Murphy’s talent as a comic.
12
NPR’s Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls
Season 24
In this simple parody of a typical National Public Radio show, frequent SNL host Alec Baldwin played Mr. Schweddy, owner of a business called Seasons Eatings and his most famous product was a holiday dessert called Schweddy Balls. The skit was full of double entendres mainly about Pete’s balls. Many comedians today wouldn’t have been able to keep their composure, but all three of the actors in the skit did perfectly with none of the characters picking up on the suggestive ways they are describing these Christmas treats.
11
MacGruber
Debuted in 2007
Unique for SNL skits, Will Forte’s MacGruber sketches keep coming back throughout an episode, with each installment adding onto the story that was created. This includes instances of MacGruber having to attend sensitivity training for an inappropriate joke, becoming addicted to plastic surgery, and losing all of his money. The best MacGruber skit of them all sees Jonah Hill revolving around an embarrassing workplace rumor.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
