It's astonishing that Saturday Night Live has endured for over 45 years and continues to deliver laughs every week.
Even from turbulent beginnings, this late-night sketch TV show brought us the best comedy talent—both on camera and behind the scenes—that went on to bigger successes in movies and TV.
But what sticks in our memory are those amazing sketches that had us gasping with laughter. They're quotable, they're thought-provoking, they're remembered for their casts' outrageous performances.
The segments in SNL range from live sketches to recorded skits, with the latter comprising concepts like commercial spoofs, Lonely Island videos, and one-off or recurring performances. Regardless, as long as they're hilarious or thought-provoking, we're counting them.
Here are my picks for the best and funniest SNL skits and sketches of all time. If you're ever feeling down, watch these for a lift!
25. Olympia Café
Let's start from the humble beginnings of SNL, back when sketches were starting to break the mold, ranging from silly to surreal. The "Olympia Café" skit achieves both extremes.
In this one, Greek staff members (comprising John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, and Bill Murray) run a busy diner that serves fast food. However, due to the language barrier, the cooks are only able to serve "cheeburger," "cheeps," and "Petsi."
Not only is it funny to utter "Cheeburger, cheeburger, cheeburger!" but it's amazing how this greasy spoon staff can keep their business afloat with incompetence that turns to amusement.
24. David S. Pumpkins
The "David S. Pumpkins" sketches have perplexing appeal—so much so that even Tom Hanks doubted them. But they work! Everyone loves the sheer randomness of Tom Hanks in a curly wig and Halloween coat.
Every appearance of David S. Pumpkins has him set up as one of the attractions for a Halloween-themed ride. With him are two skeletons who help him "answer" questions about Pumpkins's origins and purpose.
For sheer variety alone, David S. Pumpkins stands out as one of the most memorable characters of modern SNL.
23. Church Chat (The Church Lady)
Enid Strict is the no-nonsense host of the "Church Chat" segment, featuring celebrities, personalities, and politicians who are frequently the subjects of the latest news headlines.
But as a church lady, Enid Strict always disparages her guests for their supposed sins. Her attempts to sway them from "naughty parts" often involve her harshly judging her guests.
Dana Carvey based the character of Enid Strict on the stereotypically uptight attitudes of elderly women at church who frequently check on the attendances of other church members. Enid's relentless demeanor makes her one of Carvey's best characters.
22. The Californians
Soap operas are one of the easiest genres to parody. SNL's "The Californians" proves that, given that it's one of the most popular and frequently recurring sketches of the last decade.
Long story short, this multi-part skit revolves around the outrageously dramatic revelations involving Stuart (Fred Armisen), Devin (Bill Hader), and Karina (Kristen Wiig).
Almost every character speaks in a heavily exaggerated Valley Girl accent, and their dialogues often incorporate road-based navigational directions for getting around the Valley area.
Like most soap operas, "The Californians" embraces its absurdity, charm, and cheesiness while mocking first-world problems. It can be repetitive, but it's still hilarious—especially the dress rehearsal cuts!
21. Farewell, Mr. Bunting
A spoof of Dead Poets Society (particularly its ending scene), this sketch nearly mimics that of the 1989 drama. It has a John Keating stand-in in the form of Fred Armisen's Mr. Bunting. It has a crude headmaster. And it has the all-boys class standing on top of their chairs.
This was all played straight... until the last student climbs onto his desk. I won't spoil it, but it's bloody funny!
20. Darrell's House
Zach Galifianakis is an unpredictable performer. While he did not make it onto the SNL regular cast, he's hosted the show three times so far. With each instance, he got to show his awkward presence and manic energy in every sketch he graced.
His best sketch is "Darrell's House," a sendup of public-access TV shows. In it, he plays a frantic host struggling to film, with many flubs along the way. There are two parts: the shooting and the edited version. For any editors reading this, you'll find this sketch truly relatable.
19. Close Encounter
In this recurring sketch, three people are being questioned for their presumed experiences of anything paranormal (e.g. aliens, ghosts, etc). The third person being questioned is Colleen Rafferty, who shares explicit and gross details of her encounters.
Kate McKinnon, who plays Rafferty, careers the sketch with her oddball presence and straight delivery. However, in his two appearances, host Ryan Gosling steals the show by nearly breaking character and laughing. We cannot help but laugh with him.
18. The Roxbury Guys
You may know about this from the memes you've seen. Or the Haddaway song "What Is Love." Or the movie A Night at the Roxbury. But when it first aired, this SNL skit was a showcase for then-cast members Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell to display their dance moves.
The premise of this recurring sketch? Two clubbing brothers and their companion jump from one club to another, trying to pick up women and failing. Hijinks and bopping heads ensure. The funniest one is, no doubt, the one with Jim Carrey as the companion.
17. Colon Blow
The classic SNL sketch with cereal commercial spoof "Colon Blow" is played straight like an ad. We have Phil Hartman eating breakfast as the voiceover encourages him to try an alternative to his fiber-enriched cereal, which apparently has high fiber levels.
It's hilarious that a product called Colon Blow would improve digestion. And the way that the sketch is executed? Ingenious. While SNL has its fair share of great commercial spoofs, this one is the best.
16. Lazy Sunday
People were doubtful about "Lazy Sunday" when it first aired, but it became one of SNL's earliest viral sensations that launched Andy Samberg to stardom, helped launch SNL's Digital Shorts, and even popularized YouTube as the world's biggest video platform.
In the sketch, Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell boldly rap about their mundane Sunday activities: stopping at Magnolia Bakery, using Google Maps, buying with $10 bills, and watching a Chronicles of Narnia matinee. Really random but uproariously funny.
15. MacGruber
Will Forte stars in "MacGruber," a parody of MacGyver where every segment involves MacGruber and his companions trying to defuse a ticking bomb—but their personal issues and sudden revelations distract them, resulting in the bomb exploding.
In under a minute, the sketch packs a lot of laughs, from MacGruber's secret relationships to heavy topics handled awkwardly. Its success is well-deserved, and there's even an upcoming Peacock TV series.
14. Emily Litella
Gilda Radner is one of the MVPs of SNL's first roster of Not Ready for Prime Time Players. She gave us many unforgettable characters (like Roseanne Roseannadanna and Baba Wawa) but her best will always be her most frequent persona, Emily Litella.
Litella is an old woman with reading glasses and a hearing problem. In "Weekend Update," she often gave counterarguments to the issues discussed—often based on misheard words (malapropisms). Thanks to Radner's energy, Litella is a hilarious character.
13. Total Bastard Airlines
Do airline services often fail you? If so, you have an answer with SNL's "Total Bastard Airlines" skit where David Spade and the host play the cabin crew of the titular fictional airline. Needless to say, they give the most unpleasant treatment to their passengers.
The sketch can be best remembered for its catchphrase "Buh-bye!" and the way Spade and company dryly address the passengers with it. That's the entire punchline, and yet the laughs deliver every time.
12. George W. Bush vs. Al Gore Debate
Of course, Saturday Night Live would not be Saturday Night Live without its political sketches. Here's one cold open that spoofs the Bush/Gore presidential debates of 2000. Will Ferrell plays George W. Bush and Darrell Hammond plays Al Gore.
Ferrell's Bush throws any catchphrase that sticks, while Hammond's Gore rambles along with his "meaningful" anecdotes. But what truly sells it is Bush's "strategery." That line alone sums up the absurdity of the Bush administration and makes for brilliant satire.
11. Black Jeopardy
On SNL's second version of Jeopardy, contestants are called to answer with responses that come from African-American lingo, speech, and terms. The third contestant, played by the host, would either be confused by the questions or determined to gel with them.
This recurring skit proves the true complexity of working-class African-Americans. While each segment has its cleverness, none can stand against the time when Tom Hanks played Trump supporter Doug. Doug seamlessly answers the questions, except for the last one.
10. The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise
SNL has its great share of movie and TV parodies, among which is "The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise"—a direct sendoff to the cancellation of Star Trek back in 1969.
The sketch follows John Belushi as William Shatner playing Captain James T. Kirk trying to keep in character, even as NBC staff are dismantling the set. Many doubted the sketch's reception, but it proved to be truly spot-on. Plus, Belushi as Shatner/Kirk is genius.
9. The Shooting AKA Dear Sister
Andy Samberg and crew didn't just make music videos for their Lonely Island stints. He also produced brilliant video sketches under his Digital Short label, among which is "The Shooting"—a filmed sketch that parodies the second season finale of The O.C.
Also known as "Dear Sister," the characters in this sketch dramatically shoot each other to the tune of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" on every shot. This is how dark comedy can be uproariously funny.
8. Weekend Update's Stefon
Stefon is one of the most memorable characters in SNL. Played by Bill Hader, this character is a "Weekend Update" regular who gives advice to tourists for special occasions. However, his tips are less family-friendly and more New Yorker bizarre.
Hader truly sells this flamboyant character with his delivery, while co-creator John Mulaney ups the laugh factor by changing Hader's rehearsed lines with even weirder tips. That allows for one of the best moments of Hader breaking character.
7. Debbie Downer
When it comes to SNL sketches where cast members break character, the best one might just be Debbie Downer.
Debbie Downer is a sullen girl who joins social gatherings but only disrupts the mood with her negative thoughts, doubtful views, and concerns about feline AIDS. Every thought is followed by Debbie's knowing look to the camera and a "wah-wah" sound.
Rachel Dratch makes Debbie a most unforgettable character. If you need proof, watch her extremely funny debut where nearly every cast member, including host Lindsay Lohan, breaks character.
6. Wayne's World
Here's the SNL skit that launched several careers. "Wayne's World" involves Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as metalhead hosts Wayne and Garth, respectively, in a segment that has them discuss their favorite bands, share random anecdotes, and do countdown lists.
Just the sheer party-ready excitement from the cheerful Wayne and the coy Garth makes every segment of theirs unforgettable. Throw in their signature catchphrases and you have a skit that defined SNL.
It's no surprise that this successful skit went on to become two great feature-length movies in Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2.
5. The Delicious Dish
"The Delicious Dish" is a food radio show hosted by Ana Gesteyer's Margaret Jo McCullen and Molly Shannon's Teri Rialto. Every segment, they feature a guest and their special dish—but trying those meals comes with some explicit details.
The sketch's most memorable entry has to be Alec Baldwin's first turn as Pete Schweddy with his "Schweddy Balls." Even just the hosts' dull delivery and their obliviousness to the double entendres make this sketch a comedy gold staple.
4. Celebrity Jeopardy!
One of the most common elements of any SNL episode is the use of celebrity impressions. The "Celebrity Jeopardy!" spoof features Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek struggling with celebrity contestants who disrupt the game with their ego or ignorance.
Recurring elements include Norm MacDonald's Burt Reynolds demanding a name change and Darrell Hammond's Sean Connery sharing explicit details about Trebek's mother.
3. Mister Robinson's Neighborhood
Eddie Murphy was a standout during his time at SNL, and with him came memorable characters like Buckwheat, Velvet Jones, Gumby, and Mister Robinson—who was his funniest SNL creation.
A parody of Mister Rogers, the sketch follows the same manner as the PBS show... but rather than educational lessons, Mister Robinson teaches about his impoverished lifestyle and hustles.
Robinson's overgrown cynicism and street-smart schemes are what set up the punchlines for the sketch. Nobody but gritty Eddie Murphy could've made Mister Robinson work.
2. Matt Foley
Still in the lane of signature characters, we have Chris Farley's Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who's anything but motivational. He constantly sweats on his convictions, harshly stresses that he "lives in a van down by the river," and clumsily sets his composure.
Check out his debut to see how Farley displayed his physical comedy skills with his manic nervousness and table pratfalls. The laughs from David Spade and host Christina Applegate say it all.
1. More Cowbell
And now we come to the most legendary and most recognizable SNL sketch ever made, which remains the best to this day.
In this parody of Behind the Music, Blue Öyster Cult is about to record their hit song "Don't Fear the Reaper," but their producer Bruce Dickinson (played by Christopher Walken) demands their cowbell player Gene Frenkle (played by Will Ferrell) to play louder.
This sketch is packed with many memorable moments. From Walken's stone-faced delivery, to Ferrell's tight shirt, to the cast breaking character, to the catchphrase "the only prescription is more cowbell." It all makes this sketch truly unforgettable and wildly funny.
