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Some things have profoundly changed about Saturday Night Live, but the basic framework of a celebrity host, a rotating staff of writers and actors who are often comedians or movie stars with separate careers, has remained the same. Over the course of more than 30 years, there have been some famous and hysterical skits that have echoed through the ages, and they’re often mixed with daring satire, political commentary, and offensive language. It’s almost impossible to choose only a few as the best SNL skits in that long and distinguished history, but definitely stick out.

Updated February 17, 2022, by Kristy Ambrose: Saturday Night Live is still going strong after almost 50 years, and the popular show isn’t going anywhere soon. The ongoing show still has a lot of love and laughs to give, and it seems that the world is taking itself too seriously these days, so we’ve added a few more of the funniest SNL skits for everyone’s mental health. Just think, someday all of humanity will look back on these years and laugh.

13 Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks – 2016

SNL has always been a show with a shameless political agenda whether the viewers like it or not. In this case, they used the recurring skit Black Jeopardy to take an interesting look at the phenomenon of Trump voters. It was October 2016 when the skit aired, and the upcoming election promised to be a fierce and bitter one.

In the midst of this chaos, which had only just begun, Tom Hanks returned as a celebrity guest and took on the character of Doug, a devoted follower of the MAGA philosophy who found his way on Black Jeopardy to “win some money.” In the course of his adventure, he learns that he has more things in common with his black neighbors than he previously thought.

12 Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood: Nutrition – 1984

One of the more daring earlier sketches that featured the up-and-coming Eddie Murphy, Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood was a parody of the popular children’s television show, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. This version was set in the part of town that used to be known as “the ghetto” in which the main character recounted his daily experiences, which often included running from the law.

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In this particular episode, Mr. Robinson had stolen a bag of groceries. This naturally led to a hysterical conversation about proper dietary needs and food security, especially given the context. Eddie Murphy recently returned to host SNL, and he reprised his role as Mr. Robinson in a new sketch that dealt with the way inner cities had changed. Or ways that they hadn’t.

11 MacGruber With Betty White – 2010

MacGruber was a parody based on the popular 1980s drama MacGyver. It followed the exploits of the main character, MacGruber, played by Will Forte, and other recurring characters. It had been running since 2007, but the episode in 2010, in which Betty White appears as MacGruber’s grandmother, is one of the funniest SNL skits of the lot.

The skit follows the usual template. MacGruber tries to focus on defusing a bomb, but something distracts him, and the bomb goes off. This time is slightly different with Nana around, who has plenty of embarrassing stories to tell about MacGruber’s childhood before he blows them all to smithereens.

10 Wayne’s World: Aerosmith – 1990

This wasn’t just a hilarious skit featuring two of Saturday Night Live’s most iconic and popular characters, it officially made SNL one of the coolest shows on TV. Wayne’s World would eventually become a cultural icon and would be featured in a hit film that revitalized 1970s rock bands like Queen.

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The skit isn’t just hilarious and one of the best SNL skits of all time, it also features regular visiting star Tom Hanks and other big names in media in the early 1990s. The fan service is part of what makes it so satisfying.

9 Total Bastard Airlines – 1994

It’s funny because it’s true and timeless. Here’s an SNL skit that looks old, but sure sounds like it could have been made yesterday. David Spade is at the top of his game and Helen Hunt, who was the celebrity host for the week and plays an equally rude airline employee, plays off his character perfectly. Mike Myers, Chris Farley, and Adam Sandler also make appearances.

It’s interesting to see how the public’s attitude about airline travel has remained unchanged for so many decades. The dismissive “buh-bye” that’s still part of colloquial English came from this skit, which was so popular that it was reprised with another, recurring episode in a later season with Steve Martin as the celebrity host instead.

8 The Sarah Palin-Katie Couric Interview – 2008

Although this sketch isn’t Tina Fey’s first portrayal of Sarah Palin, this interview is what made her impression famous. Earlier in this same year, Fey and fellow SNL alumni Amy Poehler appeared as Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton in another sketch, which was also brilliantly funny.

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This one, however, gets the recognition not only for the amazing show Fey puts on, but for the hysterically stoic expressions on Poehler’s face as she listens to Palin’s nonsensical answers. The actual dialogue isn’t even that different from the actual interview this is supposed to be making fun of, which makes it all the more cathartic to laugh at it.

7 Colonel Angus Comes Home – 2013

There are a few standout celebrity hosts, and Christopher Walken is one of them. Few other stars could keep a straight face while reading this script, written by fellow star Tina Fey and perfectly executed by Amy Poehler, which is one of the funniest SNL skits of all time.

Normally, a skit based on puns and double entendre’s wear out their welcome pretty fast, but this one takes it to a whole other level instead. The jokes come hard and fast, so to speak, and most viewers need a moment to understand them before bursting into peals of nervous laughter.

6 Olympia Cafe – 1978

The comedy team that was made up of John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, and Bill Murray was lightning in a bottle, and the world will not see its equal ever again. At least it’s on video in the form of the Olympia Cafe skit. Every town has one, and that’s part of the joke in what could be one of the best SNL skits of all time in one of the best SNL episodes.

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The basic premise revolves around a wacky neighborhood café that only has one menu item. This simple but effective system is thrown into disarray when a customer arrives and tries to order eggs and sausage much to the chagrin of the already agitated owner.

5 More Cowbell – 2000

Once upon a time, there were only a few people who noticed this popular song from the band Blue Oyster Cult had a cowbell in the background, but now there’s a whole generation that will always insist on needing more of it because of this SNL skit.

Christopher Walken was famous for keeping a straight face, even in the most absurd circumstances, and all the skits he’s in are famous for their wacky premise even if they aren’t that funny. This skit does both, plus the comedy talents of Will Farrell, making it one of SNL’s funniest and most memorable skits.

4 Van Down By The River – 1993

Another iconic role that defined the decade, it’s hard to tell what’s funnier about this SNL skit. Is it Chris Farley, flailing and twitching, or David Spade and Christina Applegate’s faces as they struggle not to laugh at him?

It’s funny on so many levels, from mocking the “motivational speaker” trend to the ridiculous lengths the “just say no” culture went when it came to touching certain plants. Ironically, Matt Foley, the character that Farley is playing throughout the sketch, succeeds in getting the kids to change their ways and brings the whole family closer together.

3 Djesus Uncrossed (Director’s Cut) – 2013

Every so often, one of the SNL skits takes on a slightly different style and parodies a song or film. In this case, it’s Quentin Tarantino and his style, along with his familiar choices when it comes to character archetypes and certain dialogue choices. The jokes are everywhere, and they lampoon Tarantino, old-school Bible movies, and the trend of shock value in media at the time.

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Christoph Waltz is such a badass anyway, why couldn’t he be the risen Lord and Saviour? And who else could deadpan their way through scene after scene of bloody revenge on a new New Testament scale? This satirical take on what a Biblical epic would look like if Tarantino directed it offended a variety of religious groups, but that’s how you know it’s on-point.

2 Chippendales – 1990

This was a historic SNL episode for a number of reasons. Rob Schneider made his first appearance, and Patrick Swayze, one of the greatest heartthrobs of the 20th century, was the show’s celebrity guest host. He had finished filming Point Break literally days before, and still had the same haircut.

The skit has a simple concept, but it’s the visuals that do the trick, and who better for a visual gag than Chris Farley? He stole the show from Swayze as they gyrated to “Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy, and only missed the cut because of his body type. There was never a question as to his talent or enthusiasm in what is one of the funniest SNL skits of all time.

1 Celebrity Jeopardy – 40th Anniversary Special, 2015

It could be the funniest skit in SNL history. There are other lists on the internet that discuss the same subject, and it’s a guarantee that this SNL skit is on all of them. Celebrity Jeopardy is beloved by fans already, and this particular episode seems to have everyone’s favorite celebrity guest, impersonator, or comedian and the laughs don’t quit.

It’s hard to pin down what the funniest thing about this skit is. Some people point to Norm MacDonald’s impersonation of Burt Reynolds, others can’t stop laughing at Will Farrell’s interpretation of the often-abused host Alex Trebek, or Darrell Hammond as the lewd and offensive Sean Connery. This skit is so funny it’s hard to catch one’s breath while watching it.

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