Top 10 Saturday Night Live Skits of All Time

First up on our list of Saturday Night Live skits is “The French Chef“. In this iconic 1979 sketch, Dan Aykroyd delivered a hilarious parody of Julia Child. The sketch began with a typical cooking demonstration but quickly became chaos when Aykroyd’s Child accidentally cut himself, unleashing a messy fountain of “blood.”

He maintained Child’s cheerful demeanor and distinctive voice even as he slipped and slid in fake blood. The contrast between the cheery cooking show format and the gory accident also created the perfect comedic tension, earning the first spot on our list.

Next, Eddie Murphy‘s popular Saturday Night Live skit, “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood,” was a satirical take on the beloved children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

The genius of this recurring sketch was in its contrast. Murphy maintained Fred Rogers’ gentle tone while discussing some decidedly adult themes. His cheery “Hello, boys and girls!” was often followed by discussions on inner-city struggles like poverty and racial inequality.

Overall, this sketch showcased Murphy’s versatility as a performer and SNL’s willingness to address challenging subjects through humor. It was a prime example of how the show can be simultaneously funny and thought-provoking.

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As one of the more recent Saturday Night Live skits on our list, we also had to include the social-media viral “Rap Roundtable.” The sketch featured a panel of rappers discussing their craft, with Ego Nwodim as the moderator and a rotating cast of characters.

Most notably, there were appearances by Pete Davidson and Timothée Chalamet, who played a rap duo named Guaplord and $mokeChedaThaAssGetta.

As the moderator attempted to get the rappers to engage in conversation about their music and culture, the SoundCloud rappers responded with their extremely limited vocabulary of “yeet” and “skrt”. They ended the sketch with a performance of their “best-selling song,” which later went viral on social media.

This sketch truly demonstrated SNL’s ability to stay culturally relevant in terms of celebrities while also poking fun at modern trends like SoundCoud rappers.

Related: Top 10 Groundbreaking Music Videos of the 70s

Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri’s “Spartan Cheerleaders“, Craig and Arianna, also earned a spot on our list. In this standout sketch, the pair attempted to join their high school’s cheer squad, showcasing their undoubtedly “unique” routines.

The comedy in this skit stemmed from the duo’s enthusiasm as they performed increasingly awkward and inappropriate cheers. Their over-the-top delivery and choreography also stood in stark contrast to their audience’s reactions.

Notably, Ferrell and Oteri’s chemistry shone through, and their characters’ support for each other added to the humor. This sketch has become a fan favorite to this day, securing a place on our list.

Next, Gilda Radner played Judy Miller, a hyperactive girl hosting an imaginary TV show from her bedroom. This classic sketch from SNL’s early years perfectly captured a childhood imagination that ran wild.

As Judy, Radner bounced between characters, interviewed stuffed animals, sang jingles, and staged elaborate dance numbers. Everyone loved this goofy and chaotic sketch- from kids to adults.

To this day, “The Judy Miller Show” earns a spot on this list of our top 10 Saturday Night Live skits, exemplifying SNL’s early embrace of character-driven comedy.

What cat lover couldn’t include this skit? This recurring sketch, “Toonces the Driving Cat,” first appeared in 1989 and showcased the titular feline. Uniquely, Toonces was a house cat who could drive a car—but not very well.

In the iconic Driver’s Test “Toonces” sketch, Steve Martin and Victoria Jackson played the cat’s overly trusting owners. They marveled at Toonces’ ability to drive, handed over the car keys, and then watched as their pet took the wheel. The low-budget special effects also added to the sketch’s charm, with Toonces himself portrayed by a real cat in close-ups and a puppet for the driving scenes.

Viewers knew exactly what was coming, yet the timing and commitment to the bit made the SNL skit hilarious every time it aired.

As a hidden gem on our list, I had to include one of my dad and I’s favorite sketches, “Threw It On The Ground,” a 2009 Saturday Night Live musical parody short starring Andy Samberg.

In this skit, Samberg’s character rejects everyday kindness by literally throwing things on the ground, insisting repeatedly that you “can’t trust the system.”

From slapping a cell phone away to tossing a kid’s birthday cake on the ground, his rebellion escalated to comical extremes. “Threw It On The Ground” earned its spot on our list by perfectly satirizing angsty, anti-establishment attitudes like this one.

Another Saturday Night Live skit to make our list was “Debbie Downer at Disney World“. This episode was a fan favorite, thanks to Rachel Dratch’s iconic Debbie Downer character. In this sketch, she played a pessimist at the “Happiest Place on Earth” with countless gloomy facts.

As her family tried to enjoy their vacation, Debbie snuck in statistics about feline AIDS and Mad Cow Disease. The juxtaposition of her depressing commentary against the colorful Disney backdrop created the perfect comedic tension.

What truly solidified this skit’s spot on our list was the cast’s inability to keep their composure. Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, and even Dratch herself fell into fits of laughter mid-sketch. This unplanned break in character, mixed with the “wah-wah” sound effect around Debbie’s remarks, exemplified the spontaneity that keeps SNL hilarious decades after it initially aired.

Also Read: 7 More of The Best Female Singers of the 70s

Last but not least on our list of the top 10 Saturday Night Live skits of all time is “D*** in a Box.” This musical parody starred Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake as two R&B singers.

Their characters offered an unconventional holiday gift idea: gifting a certain body part in a wrapped box. They truly took receiving “junk” as a gift to a whole new level. The catchy song and elements perfectly mimicked the style of 90s R&B music videos, making the parody hit even harder. It even won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyric, capping our list of SNL skits of all time.