With Saturday Night Live’s 40th anniversary special this Sunday, it seems everyone is posting their lists of all-time best sketches and mean-spirited cast member rankings. And while we appreciate “Behind The Music: Blue Oyster Cult,” “Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker,” and “Sinead O’Connor’s Pope Portrait Gallery” as much as the next SNL-phile, we’d like to recognize a collection of bits that remain near and dear to us… despite, or perhaps because of, their less-famous status.
As ignorant millennials who were born too late for that golden Belushi era (Jim Belushi, right?), our picks lean heavily on post-1990 SNL. This is by no means a comprehensive list – just a group of overlooked sketches that we personally love. Some of these seemed too peculiar to fully land with the studio audience on the night, while others were interesting one-offs that got lost in a sea of more popular recurring characters. And then there are a few beloved cult classics that never seem to make it onto other best-of lists, so we’re putting them on ours. “The Falconer” deserves some kind of lifetime achievement award, right?
The Falconer: Time Travel. The ninth and final “Falconer” sketch is proof that recurring sketches don’t always have to run out of steam – sometimes they end in a blaze of ensemble cast member glory. Oh, Donald.
Mousetrap Seminar. There are just too many fun things at play here – Kevin Nealon’s calm unpackaging of the mechanics of a mousetrap, the way Farley drops his hand, Jan Hooks’ cluelessness as she asks, “Yeah, but what if you really want that cheese though?” – that just makes this sketch work, even if it doesn’t bring the house down.
Tennis Talk with Time Traveling Scott Joplin. “Tennis Talk” is just a perfect sketch, plain and simple. Here’s what former SNL writer Leo Allen told us about the sketch last year:
We had this sketch “Time Traveling Scott Joplin” that I liked, with Maya [Rudolph] playing time traveling Scott Joplin. That was because our office was next to Jeff Richmond, Tina’s husband who did the music. He would have to wait around all night because people would come to him and get him to help them write songs. He was just in his office and he had a keyboard. He was playing ragtime nonstop right next to us. We were supposed to write this sketch that Slovin had pitched, a tennis idea that Lorne liked, and then we realized it was actually a terrible idea. So we had to write something about tennis. That assignment plus Jeff Richmond playing ragtime nonstop for hours turned into that sketch.
Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute. This late ‘70s Aykroyd sketch is the perfect take on “professional hygiene, discretion, and animal gratification” and gives Bill Murray’s “Steve Baxter: Hollywood Gynecologist” a run for its money.
Carpool. It’s rare to see a strong display of acting ability on SNL outside of big characters, but Baldwin and Wiig bounce off each other so well, they elevate this simple premise into a textbook example for all sketch comedians to follow.
TV Funhouse: Saddam and Osama. While Will Ferrell pulled his punches as George W. Bush in the early 2000s, Robert Smigel’s one-off TV Funhouse cartoons helped SNL maintain a biting political edge – especially while sneaking in dark propaganda into children’s programming.
Hidden Camera Commercials. This Tom Schiller short about unaired hidden camera commercial footage quickly devolves into insanity, chaos, and darkness thanks to Chris Farley and Colombian decaffeinated coffee crystals.
Wake Up and Smile. Considering how much SNL players rely on cue cards, it’s risky for the show to air a sketch about morning news show hosts losing it after their teleprompter breaks, but Nancy Walls, David Alan Grier, and Will Ferrell absolutely nail it. “The Order of the Hand will rule!”
Spelling Bee. It’s a shame there’s not a better video of “Spelling Bee,” because it’s Will Forte doing what he does best – taking a simple concept then driving it into complete absurdity.
SNL Spelling Bee - 12/17/05 - Streamable
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Anal Retentive Chef. Phil Hartman never achieved the catchphrase character stardom that Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, and Jon Lovitz commanded, but his few recurring bits are notably nuanced, from his famous Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer to his anal retentive TV host who can never quite get his segment underway.
Googly Eyes Gardener. Christopher Walken recently named “Googly Eyes Gardener” his favorite sketch to be in and broke it down perfectly: “It doesn’t make sense to explain it, but it made me laugh.”
Wade Blasingame: Attorney-At-Law. Will Ferrell seems to get a lot of mileage out of canine hostility, but it’s Chris Parnell who steals the show here – particularly with that glazed-over stare he gives the camera at the end.
Happy Birthday. Because it’s the most badass birthday song of all time.
Maya Angelou Prank Show. The best sketch from the best episode in recent years… it has truly been an honor, Sister Maya.
The Cobras. Dropping Norm Macdonald into a cheesy choreographed West Side Story world makes such a brilliant contrast in “Cobras,” and musical fans and haters alike can appreciate all the hilarious awkwardness that ensues.
Potato Chip. This gloriously bizarre 10-to-1 sketch is sacred among comedy nerds and Forte enthusiasts, with a growing level of appreciation for the energy put in by Sudeikis and Forte over such an odd premise.
The French Chef. This gory classic written by Franken & Davis might be too famous to include on this list, but worth it to show an underrated Dan Aykroyd killing a solo performance.
A Taste of New York. Fred Armisen created tons of fake bands during his run on SNL, but none were as creepy and disturbing as the Alphabet City band A Taste of New York.
TV Funhouse: Shazzang. Smigel had a particularly keen eye for sub-genres of Saturday morning cartoons, which he subverted perfectly with this hero genie who goes too far.
Nude Beach. Conan O’Brien wrote this late ‘80s sketch, which took nearly a year to make it into an episode and features the word “penis” nearly 50 times. NBC received 46,000 complaint letters in response.
Puppet Class. Watching Bill Hader’s haunted veteran pair up with a puppet was such a joy that it was a shame it came so late in his SNL run.
Business Meeting. The Lonely Island were certainly more famous from their music videos like “Dick in a Box” and “I’m On A Boat,” but they’re also pros at quick visual heightening, evidenced by this rapidfire pitch session starring Rainn Wilson.
Baseball Dreams. Chris Kattan as a kid annoyed at all the un-heroic baseball players emerging from his closet was a highlight from our Sandlot-infused adolescence.
One Man Show. Arguably one of Fred Armisen’s best sketches, “Half Jewish Half Italian Completely Neurotic” is an excellent showcase of his knack for mining comedy out of the subtlest human behaviors. Tommy Palmese is a true artist.
James Brown Hot Tub Party. Pretty much everything Eddie Murphy did on the show became instantly iconic – including this sketch – but even the simple, silly setups the star handled with impressive charisma. (Anyone else see traces of “What Up With That” here?)
Darrell’s House. Pre-taped shorts have a long history on SNL, but “Darrell’s House” proves that there are always new ways to play with the live sketch show format. Hopefully we’ll see SNL build off this live editing concept in the future.
All My Luggage. Yet another example of how an actor’s emotional commitment really makes a sketch shine, with Susan Lucci and Phil Hartman turning a straightforward All My Children parody into one for the books.
Grandkids in the Movies. “Grandkids in the Movies” didn’t skyrocket to viral fame like “Lazy Sunday” or “Dick in a Box,” but as long as grandparents are confused by today’s movies, this sketch will stand the test of time.
Brenda the Waitress. Jan Hooks and Alec Baldwin deliver one of the strongest performances in the history of the show – without any jokey premise, topical humor, absurd focal character, or actors looking at cue cards – and totally nail it.
Wooden Spoons. Seth MacFarlane is such a commercially successful powerhouse that it’s hard to love him, but he totally killed it on SNL in 2012, ending with this hilarious blackout with Tim Robinson as Amish brothers with weird names for letters.
Jar Glove. There’s got to be a better way!
Robot Repair. Phil Hartman brings it again in this Mr. Show-style sketch about a robot hosting a TV show with a misleading name.
Timecrowave. Maybe we just have a love for time travel and Baldwin-Wiig chemistry. Or maybe the visual gags of this infomercial gone wrong are just really fun.
Woodrow the Homeless Man. The greatest romance in the history of SNL was the love Woodrow the Homeless Man had for Britney Spears.
Slow Motion Hallway. One of the many clever SNL concepts whose use of licensed music prevents an afterlife online, this sketch twists a recurring image in teen movies that allows the cast to show off some great physical work.
Mr. Belvedere Fan Club. “Belvedere” is a pretty well known sketch, but it’s particularly notable because Tom Hanks was originally not supposed to host this episode; he subbed in for Joe Pesci at the last minute due to a scheduling conflict. Pretty impressive considering how well Hanks leads this ensemble of deranged Christopher Hewitt fans.
Clinton at McDonalds. Before sex scandals would define all of the jokes targeted at Bill Clinton, Phil Hartman gave us this perfectly on-point depiction of the president as a smooth talker with an appetite for fast food.
A.M. Ale. Because you can’t wait until afternoon.
The Adventures of Peter O’Toole & Michael Caine. Before he established himself as Weekend Update anchor and NBC’s new late night host, Seth Meyers held his ground with characters and impersonations, our favorite being his performance as a drunk Michael Caine hosting a talk show in a Pizza Hut/Taco Bell Express with Jude Law as Peter O’Toole.
Jimmy Tango’s Fat Busters. A bizarre premise combined with Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell delivering top-notch insanity makes “Jimmy Tango” one of the most underappreciated SNL sketches of all time.
