Saturday Night Live is probably one of the greatest shows of all-time…and I’m not just saying that because it’s my favorite show. With 44 seasons since its premiere in 1976, SNL holds the record of the most Emmy nominations at a groundbreaking 252. Now, while I have not seen all 861 episodes yet, I am in the process of doing so as it was my New Year’s Resolution. While it was a difficult process, I narrowed my favorite sketches from 2000 and on, to a list of 10. Here is my ranking, in no particular order:
1. “New Girlfriend”
Starring SNL legends, Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen, Sudeikis plays a man who brings his girlfriend home to meet his friends. Armisen happens to play his girlfriend. This sketch is beyond hilarious as Armisen acts as an outrageous woman with an inability to contain her emotions. Not only did the viewers find it amusing, the rest of the cast did as well and could not seem to be able to hold it together as Armisen’s performance continued to escalate throughout the sketch.
2. “Celebrity Jeopardy”
An iconic recurring SNL sketch starring a variety of actors, this sketch always features Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek and Darrell Hammond as either Sean Connery, Phil Donahue or John Travolta. While the sketch has been redone 15 times since its premiere in 1996, it has featured 13 cast members. Ferrell and Hammond never disappoint and my personal favorite rendition of the episode is the 40th anniversary edition from season 40.
3. “Girlfriend’s Game Night”
The “Girlfriend’s Game Night” sketch stars Cecily Strong as a woman bringing her new husband Horace (Bill Hader) to game night. Her friends are shocked when they realize that her husband is about 90 years old. Strong and Hader’s banter is one that makes me laugh every time, regardless of how many times I’ve seen it. It’s a hard one to explain… you just, have to watch it.
4. “The Kissing Family”
Another iconic SNL sketch that has been redone more than once is about a family who has an incredibly uncomfortable and disturbingly intimate way of greeting each other – kissing! Each sketch has a similar plot consisting of a member of the family bringing home a friend who is disgusted to learn of the family’s…interesting custom. The BEST part of this sketch is always the cast’s hilarious chemistry.
5. “Diner Lobster”
Written by John Mulaney and Colin Jost, this sketch is incredibly creative. It stars John Mulaney as a waiter in a small town diner, and it follows the hilarity that ensues when a man (played by Pete Davidson) orders the lobster. Kenan Thompson nails the part of the lobster, and it becomes practically a Broadway number as the cast sings the song, “One Day More” from Les Miserables. Kate McKinnon plays the part of the young daughter of the old lobster, named “Clausette” which just makes it even funnier. This sketch is one of my favorites because it is clever and weirdly beautiful, as well as funny.
6. “Sean Spicer”
THIS is the sketch that got me completely hooked on SNL, so I have Melissa McCarthy to blame for my messed up sleep schedule and out of control obsession with the show. The entire cast has outstanding impressions of current political figures such as Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, Kate McKinnon as Jeff Sessions and Beck Bennett as Pence. McCarthy’s impression of Sean Spicer takes the cake for me. If you don’t believe me, check it out and see if you agree.
7. “Debbie Downer at Disney”
Some of my favorite SNL sketches are the ones where the actors break character because they cannot conceal their own laughter. “Debbie Downer at Disney” stars Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, Lindsay Lohan, Chris Farley and of course, Rachel Dratch as the miserable recurring character of Debbie Downer. The group, including Dratch, CANNOT keep it together as this six-minute sketch progresses. I guarantee you will laugh along with them.
8. “Bar Fight”
Venturing back from vintage SNL into more recent SNL, “Bar Fight” is one I watched on this current season, just a couple of weeks ago. The host this night was Don Cheadle, so it stars him and my favorite current cast member Beck Bennett, as two guys getting into a bar fight in a small town pub. Something unexpected ensues. What makes this sketch extraordinarily funny is the unpredictability of what is to come!
9. “Stefon on Halloween’s Hottest Tips”
This sketch combines 2 of my favorite things: Weekend Update and Bill Hader. Weekend Update is the famous segment that occurs on each new episode of SNL every week, and Bill Hader is one of the most revered cast members of SNL that went on to have a wildly successful career in Hollywood. He also happens to be one of my favorite cast members, and he has been in 3 of the sketches I have mentioned in this article! If you do not know who he is, check out this sketch to see him in his element, embodying one of his most outrageous and mastered characters known as Stefon.
10. “Close Encounter”
I watched this sketch last year on the first episode of season 43 where Ryan Gosling was host, as it was the second rendition of the sketch titled “Another Close Encounter.” This sketch stars Gosling, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, Bobby Moynihan, and the FUNNIEST current cast member, Kate Mckinnon as the lead. In the sketch, Bryant and Moynihan’s characters are conducting government research with three citizens telling their story of being abducted by aliens. Strong and Gosling’s characters have similar stories, while Mckinnon’s is a little different. Her incredible performance describing her rouge alien abduction story as a cigarette smoking, slightly disheveled, totally inappropriate red neck, is one that has all four other actors just losing it from the minute she opens her mouth.
If you don’t already watch Saturday Night Live, I certainly hope I have convinced you to do so. I literally cannot fall asleep without watching at least half of an episode; the satire is not only funny, but they are political, engaging and smart. I feel like SNL is a part of me, and it has played a role in making me who I am today. I encourage you to watch at least one of these sketches, as the show represents an unprecedented and unique part of the entertainment history, providing an unparalleled exposure for any young aspiring comedian. And ultimately, the show stands as a trailblazer for comedy.