The 20 most iconic 'Saturday Night Live' skits

In the early days of Saturday Night Live, few talents matched the late Gilda Radner. She was one of those comedic talents who knew exactly how to use her body and intonations to get the maximum amount of laughs, which is very much evidenced in her portrayal of the character Baba Wawa. An over-the-top caricature of Barbara Walters, it became one of Radner’s signature bits and one of the most beloved of SNL’s many skits. Exaggerated yet affectionate, it’s the perfect crystallization of the series at its very best.

When it comes to beloved SNL hosts, they don’t come much more acclaimed than Betty White, who made a huge splash when she finally hosted the series for the first time in 2011. From the moment she began her monologue, it was clear that her comedic gifts had only grown better with time, and no one who watched the episode could forget the innuendo-laden sketch in which she plays Florence Dusty, a widely-renowned baker. Watching White engage in some suggestive dialogue with other SNL greats, Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer, is a hit for the ages, and it just goes to show the extent to which White was at the top of her game, with comic timing that was second to none. 

The late Phil Hartman was one of the most beloved and talented Saturday Night Live cast members. As the title implies, “Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer” was a caveman who had been thawed out in the 20th century and became a lawyer. The sketch was bizarre in the way that so many of SNL’s sketches tend to be, and it was obviously a send-up of shows like Matlock. There’s no question that the sketch’s enduring appeal stemmed from Hartman, who managed to be quite skilled at comedic delivery (with timing second to almost none) with an intellectual bent that gave his caveman character even more bite. 

Many times, SNL tries to ground its sketches in some semblance of normality, but it has also been known to veer off into the downright surreal. For example, those who watched the show in the 1990s undoubtedly remember the segment known as “Deep Thoughts with Jack Handey,” which would then be read by the man himself (he is a real person, contrary to what many people think). These little jokes were often quite strange, but therein lay their humor. The fact that the segments were introduced by the late Phil Hartman just added to the fun.

It’s hard to think of a movie star more universally beloved than Tom Hanks, who definitely deserves his reputation as America’s dad. Like many other stars, he has made some memorable performances on SNL, and few of his characters are more recognizable than David S. Pumpkins. There’s nothing quite as pure as seeing Hanks in a funny suit trying to frighten people. At the same time, there’s no doubt that this is one of those SNL skits that is entertaining precisely because it lacks any greater significance or meaning. It is just a lot of fun to watch, and sometimes that’s enough.

In the history of comedy, few talents have been quite as bright as Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin. They more than left their mark during their time on Saturday Night Live, and their sketch “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” became one of the trademarks of the series as a whole. Aykroyd and Martin excel at playing these two brothers who think they are irresistible to women, and, as so often in SNL, the audience is encouraged to look at the way that gender is very much a construct, something that is a performance rather than innate.

Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri were the ultimate outcasts, playing a pair of cheerleaders committed to school spirit even though they did not get picked to be on the cheerleading squad. The two actors are at the top of their game as these two well-meaning but remarkably terrible cheerleaders. In some ways, they are quintessential SNL characters in that they are just the right mix of insufferable and endearing. Moreover, they make the perfect stand-ins for underdogs everywhere, a celebration of the art of trying no matter what anyone else might have to say.

SNL is arguably at its best when it’s spoofing elements of the real world, including and especially other TV series. An obvious send-up of the long-running series MacGyver, the sketch focuses on Will Forte’s MacGruber, whose attempts to defuse a bomb end in failure because of his own self-involvement. There’s a frantic sort of energy to Forte’s delivery that is perfectly pitched to his imminent demise. Like all of the best spoofs, it manages to contain more than a little of the energy of the original show. Richard Dean Anderson even made a guest appearance himself as MacGruber’s father, MacGyver. 

If there’s one SNL sketch that has remained enduringly popular over the series’ many seasons, it would have to be “Weekend Update.” Though many hosts have filled the chairs of the news anchors of this fictional news show, it has always been a key part of the show’s comedic appeal. What’s more, it’s one of those elements of the show that most explicitly taps into the current events of the moment without losing sight of the fact that it is meant to make the audience laugh. As long as there is an SNL, there will almost certainly be a "Weekend Update."

There’s no question that the 1990s was one of the golden ages for Saturday Night Live  due to the remarkable talent of its main stars. The recurring sketch known as "The Gap Girls" starred three of the heaviest hitters of this period of the show: David Spade, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley, who were, of course, in drag as three Valley Girl-esque employees of the Gap. Their exaggerated femininity is part of the fun, and there’s an obvious camaraderie between the three cast members that makes it that much more entertaining to see them bounce their energies off one another.

While Rachel Dratch may not have attained quite the comedic heights of some of her contemporaries, she was nevertheless one of the most reliably funny regular cast members of Saturday Night Live. One of her most beloved roles was as Debbie Downer in the sketches of the same name. As the title implies, Debbie Downer is the person one can always count on to make things a little sadder. Dratch repeatedly shows a remarkable ability to know when to deliver the line to have the greatest comedic impact and to elicit the most amount of laughs from the audience (and sometimes her fellow cast members). 

Saturday Night Live has always had a knack for poking fun at various gender norms, and "The Roxbury Guys" is one of the sketches that does this most effectively, focusing on the romantic ineptitude of brothers Doug and Steve Butabi. The fact that Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell portray these two hapless characters in all of their night-club glitziness makes the sketch all that much funnier. Though viewers’ mileage may vary when it comes to the film based on the sketch, there’s no doubt that the sketches retain their remarkable hilarity. 

Throughout its history, Saturday Night Live  has had the distinction of being able to take its most popular sketches and make them into successful films, and they don’t come more successful than The Blues Brothers. This partly stems from the undeniable talent of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, who formed the band on SNL. What’s more, it is one of those sketches that works even better in the film version (not always the case with Saturday Night Live). Aykroyd and Belushi even spun The Brothers into an actual band, which surely earns the skit a place in the SNL history books.

Part of the appeal of SNL  has always been its ability to get some of the biggest names in Hollywood to guest star as hosts. One of the most indelible was Patrick Swayze, who also appeared in one of the show’s most memorable sketches, in which he competed with Chris Farley for a spot as a Chippendales dancer. As he would so often do in his routines, Farley let his exuberance dominate the sketch to such an extent that the judges seemed genuinely unsure which to choose. It has proven to be a remarkably controversial sketch given how it uses Farley’s weight for comedy, but it has nevertheless continued to be one of the show’s most memorable. 

Saturday Night Live is one of those shows that always has its finger on the pulse of American political life, and many of its most beloved stars have become famous for their portrayals of famous political figures. It’s hard to forget the moment when the enormously talented Tina Fey portrayed Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her exclamation that she could see Russia from her house while on-stage with Amy Poehler’s iteration of Hillary Clinton. It’s one of those moments where an  SNL impression came to overshadow a political figure in the real world, and it is now almost impossible to think of Palin without also thinking of Fey’s imitation of her.

While some sketches are a one-and-done affair, some become long-running parts of the show, and few have achieved as much fame as Celebrity Jeopardy!  Partly, this is due to Will Ferrell’s brilliant imitation of the late Alex Trebek, whose hosting duties on this fictional version of the show are constantly bedeviled by such nefarious guests as Sean Connery and Burt Reynolds (played by Darrell Hammond and Norm Macdonald, respectively). It’s one of those recurring sketches that manages to be a loving homage to the original show without losing the sharp humor that characterizes SNL at its best.

The late Chris Farley was one of the most talented players on Saturday Night Live.  He knew how to use his body and mannerisms to maximum effect and relished playing every role to excess. One of his most recognizable characters is Matt Foley, and the sketch in which this motivational speaker reprimands two teens, played by David Spade and Christina Applegate, is rightly regarded as one of those skits that is truly brilliant. The physical comedy that Farley marshals to such magnificent effect is matched only by the fact that Spade and Applegate just barely manage to keep their own composure. 

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey were an irresistible duo in the sketch “Wayne’s World,” in which Myers played Wayne Campbell and his sidekick Garth Algar. The two are heavy metal-loving radio hosts who frequently have various guests on their show (including several celebrities). The sketch was an undeniable hit. Not only did it introduce a number of phrases into the popular vocabulary, but it also spawned two movies. The first became a true box office hit (not always the case with movies that emerge from SNL skits). 

Mike Myers is one of those actors who made his name due to his time on Saturday Night Live, and it’s easy to see why. One of his most famous creations was Linda Richman, the host of the show "Coffee Talk."  Richman is the epitome of a middle-aged Jewish woman from New York City, with her gaudy jewelry, long nails, and enormous hair, and Myers is clearly having a blast playing the role. Whether it’s Linda’s idolization of Barbra Streisand or her exclamations of being verklempt — and urging her audience to talk amongst themselves — this is one skit that has withstood the test of time.

Few iconic Saturday Night Live characters are as beloved and hilarious as the Church Lady, played by the great Dana Carvey. With her sanctimonious attitude and sugary-sweet voice, Enid Strict epitomizes a very particular sort of religious intolerance in the zeitgeist in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. This particular sketch is emblematic of the show at its best when it manages to take a particular figure from the public consciousness and turn it into comedy gold. Moreover, there’s nothing quite so discomfiting and amusing as seeing the Church Lady reveal the sins and foibles of her guests.