Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night Live‘s best sketches!
In honor of some of the show’s content from the SNL Vault being available on Peacock, NBC’s new streaming service, we’re looking back at of our personal favorite sketches of all time from the storied show.
Since the program first aired in 1975, we’ve seen hundreds of hilarious sketches full of characters, impressions and jokes that make us laugh, but there are a few that stand out above the rest.
Whether it’s the era of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader or the most recent seasons with players like Leslie Jones, every generation has been blessed by watching some of the funniest people in the business entertain us from the famed Studio 8H.
For Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex customers, you can enjoy even more SNL because Peacock is available for you today! Later this summer, on July 15, the service will also roll out for everyone to enjoy.
Until then, check out roundup below and then sound off on which is your favorite.
10. Sarah Palin and Hillary Address the Nation
The dream team of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey together on SNL is one of our favorite eras, and between sketches like “Meet Your Second Wife” and “Mom Jeans,” it’s hard to pick which of their collaborations is their best.
However, when the two appeared as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin in the midst of the 2008 Presidential race, their impressions instantly became iconic and the hilarious writing proved Saturday Night Live‘s standing as essential political comedy.
It also may be this sketch showcasing the hilarious duo that led to them landing the gig to host the Golden Globes together from 2013 to 2015 and, thankfully, the pair is slated to host the show again next year.
9. Two Wild & Crazy Guys
Some of Saturday Night Live‘s greatest players included Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd, whose recurring Festrunk Brothers characters always made us laugh as they tried (and failed) to pick up women.
Plus, their catchphrase was insanely quotable.
8. The Californians
What are YOU doing here?
L.A. stereotypes get fully played out in this recurring sketch featuring players like Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, whose soap-level drama always includes the best way to avoid the 405.
7. Dear Sister
Mmm, what’d you say? The over-the-top second season finale of the teen series The O.C. got the parody treatment from Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig, who like us seem to question why Imogen Heap‘s “Hide and Seek” was the song choice for when Marissa shot Trey.
6. Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks
SNL‘s Jeopardy-themed sketches have always been a hit, such as the iconic “Celebrity Jeopardy” segments, but 2016’s “Black Jeopardy” with Tom Hanks perfectly tackled race and divided politics without invoking stereotypes.
It also was a part of one of the sketch series’ best episodes ever, with Hanks’ delighting us later in the episode as David S. Pumpkins.
5. D*** In a Box
The Lonely Island era of Saturday Night Live coincided perfectly with the rise of Internet comedy, gifting us with amazing Digital Shorts sketches like “Lazy Sunday” and “I Just Had Sex.”
However, the comedy group’s best contribution may be “D*** In a Box,” where Andy Samberg is joined by Justin Timberlake to gift their girlfriends with something better than a house in the hills or a diamond ring.
4. Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood
While we all adored Mr. Rogers, Eddie Murphy‘s parody of America’s favorite neighbor is still one of SNL‘s best recurring characters.
In the various sketches, Murphy’s Mr. Robinson teaches kids a valuable lesson in a much grittier and often illegal way than Mr. Rogers would, and the comedian even brought back the bit when he hosted in 2019.
3. Matt Foley: Van Down By The River
One of Saturday Night Live‘s all-time greats was Chris Farley, whose physical comedy made sketches like “Chippendales Audition” some of the best in the series’ history.
However, in our book, Farley’s best was when he played Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who tries to scare kids straight lest they end up “living in a van down by the river!”
2. Wayne’s World
Back in the day, Saturday Night Live sketches were so a part of the zeitgeist that they spun off movies like MacGruber and A Night at the Roxbury, but the film that broke out even to non-SNL fans was Wayne’s World.
The spin-off was inspired by the sketch by the same name featuring two metalheads (played by Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey) who broadcast a show out of Wayne’s parent’s basement about all their exploits. In a word, these sketches were always “excellent!”
1. More Cowbell
One of Saturday Night Live‘s greatest players was Will Ferrell, who has had so many memorable characters and sketches that there are two DVD sets of his greatest hits from the show.
But for us, seeing him thrash around with a cowbell while Christopher Walken demands even more showcased the performer at his best.
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