The 50 Best "Saturday Night Live" Skits
By Lauren Otis, Alex Suskind | Sep 21, 2011 | 12:25 pm | Permalink
The 50 greatest Saturday Night Live skits…where do we even begin? A TV and comedic staple for 30-plus years, SNL has been the jumping-off point for some of the greatest comedians in history; Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Chris Farley, and Dan Aykroyd are only a few of the show’s alums who went on to become household names.
With the newest season kicking off this Saturday, we felt compelled to take a look back at the series’ tastemaking sketches and their unforgettable stars that brought us to where we are now, setting the standard for comedy past and present. From old-school to new, we've rounded up the best of the best commercials, digital shorts, impressions, game shows, political satires, celeb appearances, and more.
So sit back, grab a handful of Schweddy Balls, and feast your eyes on The 50 Greatest Saturday Night Live Skits of all time.
Written by Lauren Otis (@LaurNado) and Alex Suskind (@ClassicSource)
Big Al September 21st, 2011 at 08:40 PM
They blew it by not including the original cast's Super-Hero House Party. Hulk taking a dump and smelling up the toilet? Priceless!
Branman September 22nd, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Neil Diamond - Storyteller, that one always makes me laugh. So wrong but so funny. The list also seems short on Phil Hartman sketches - was always good. Still - lots of good skits here.
Randi September 22nd, 2011 at 02:22 PM
So much missing. Its way too hard to make a list like this...everyone has a different idea of what the best is. Piscopo and Murphy doing Ebony and Ivory, Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz, Billy Crystal and Chris Guest doing "I hate when that happens", the penis song, Gilda, Gumby, Canteen Boy, anything Phil Hartman, etc...
T-BONE September 22nd, 2011 at 04:53 PM
Where is the Chevy Chase Richard Pryor job interview skit????
keithp. September 22nd, 2011 at 05:15 PM
really just a horrible top 50. no emily littela, roseanne roseannadanna. no belushi skit on the news about voting. no richard pryor/chevy chase word association skit(politically incorrect, but funny nevertheless). no richard pryor exorcist takeoff. way too much timberlake, ferrell and sandler.
keithp. September 22nd, 2011 at 05:16 PM
one more where is a point/counterpoint with dan and jane?
rupertsellsitall September 22nd, 2011 at 07:22 PM
No Mr. Bill! No Bill Murray as the Lounge Singer! I think The Death of Buckwheat would have been a better choice than the Buckwheat album ad. One skit I would have found a place for is a skit from the Eddie Murphy era where he was the teacher at a school which taught people to act and talk like Jerry Lewis. Eddie was in full Jerry mode, doing the Laaaaady era Jerry from the 50's, and one of the students got upset with something he was doing and he brings in the Principal, who is Joe Piscopo, wearing a tux and loosened tie as the Telethon era serious Jerry, who starts berating the student. At one point Eddie makes some funny sound which makes Piscopo fall out of character and bust out laughing. It was one of the funniest skits I have ever seen on SNL, a classic.
Z September 23rd, 2011 at 06:35 AM
Stoked that Farley is all over the top 25. RIP- He died on my b day.
ZekWoo WangTung September 23rd, 2011 at 07:09 AM
Looks like those guys are having a lot of fun man. Wow. www.web-privacy.at.tc
Charles September 23rd, 2011 at 10:59 AM
This list is spot on, but my favorite is missing: The Guy Who Plays Mr. Belvedere Fan Club, starring Tom Hanks.