Top 10 Unscripted SNL Moments That Made It to Air
#10: Debbie Downer & Co. Break Character
One of the most legendary sketches in the show’s history involves Rachel Dratch’s pessimistic character, Debbie Downer. Dratch had everyone in stitches - including herself - during the debut of the character. Her first appearance came on May 1, 2004, and it involved Debbie and her family at Disney World. The sketch is famous because everyone loses their composure and tries their absolute darndest to contain their laughter. It doesn’t work — not even a little bit. Various parts of this bit were reportedly not fully planned by the cast, including the famous trombone sound. It seemingly catches everyone off guard, most noticeably Jimmy Fallon, who’s clearly - and hilariously - bewildered by it.
#9: “Space, the Infinite Frontier” Gone Haywire
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In this classic sketch, Will Ferrell plays Harry Caray, a real sports broadcaster who commentated on baseball for over fifty years. Only this time he isn’t talking about baseball, but space. His guest is astrophysicist Kent Wahler, played by Jeff Goldblum. Legend has it that Ferrell ad-libbed some of his lines, resulting in Goldblum nearly breaking character. The latter star is visibly confused at times, looking off-screen, glancing at the cue cards, and trying to suppress both his puzzled expressions and his laughter. At one point, he can only raise his hands and say this: [“I’m confused.”] That’s okay, it makes for great comedy.
#8: Supermodel Giggles
Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph make for a fantastic comedic duo, and their chemistry is on full display throughout this bit. Called “Super Showcase Spokesmodels,” it’s basically a parody of “The Price Is Right” and its reliance on modeling prizes with attractive women. Wiig and Rudolph are barely holding it together, and their case of the giggles eventually infects Bill Hader — and us watching — as well. But the unscripted moments keep coming, as Wiig drives the golf cart. First, she nearly tramples Rudolph while backing up. She then plows the cart through the backdrop, prompting Rudolph to laugh and Hader to exclaim: [“That wasn’t supposed to happen!”]. Maybe not, but the sketch is even better because of it.
#7: Adrien Brody Introduces Sean Paul
A few celebrities have been banned from “Saturday Night Live.” Oscar winner Adrien Brody is rumored to be one of them. While hosting the show on May 10, 2003, Brody was required to introduce artist Sean Paul, who’s Jamaican. To do so, he started talking with a stereotypical accent while donning fake dreadlocks. This offensive bit is thought to have been improvised, and it reportedly irritated many, including “SNL” creator and producer Lorne Michaels. Brody once said he knows nothing about a so-called ban. But as of September 2022, he hasn’t made another appearance on the show.
#6: The Smelly Basket of Meat
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They say that “the show must go on.” Yes, even if you are suddenly presented with a surprisingly stinky basket of meat. Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon star as Wylene and Vaneta, the owners of “Smokery Farms.” They present a giant basket of assorted raw meat, and things immediately go off the rails. The stench is clearly overwhelming for the performers, and they do everything they can to prevent themselves from gagging. McKinnon simply laughs, while Bryant makes disgusted noises and seemingly riffs about the scent. They remain in character throughout, but it’s pretty evident that they want nothing more than to drop that basket and run.
#5: Name Confusion
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There’s breaking character, and then there’s what happened between Candice Bergen and Gilda Radner. In this sketch, Bergen plays Fern, but on one occasion, she accidentally calls her co-star by her own character’s name. This is extra amusing, as she’s actually scolding Radner’s persona for being ditzy. Rather than just going with it, Bergen winds up collapsing into a fit of laughter. As for Radner, she flawlessly addresses the camera and the irony of the whole situation. The late star certainly knew how to capture a moment and spin it into comedy gold.
#4: Charles Rocket’s Cursing
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A few f-bombs have been dropped on “SNL” throughout the years, including one by Kristen Stewart. But none have been as bad or as legendary as the one that came out of the late Charles Rocket’s mouth. The comedian was starring in sketches that spoofed the “Who shot J.R.?” phenomenon of TV series “Dallas,” with his character taking the place of J.R. As the episode nears its end, he expresses his desire to get to the bottom of things in a rather explicit manner. The live curse obviously wasn’t in the script, as it broke some serious broadcasting regulations. Rocket was later fired from the show for a variety of reasons, this potentially being one of them.
#3: The Wardrobe Department Cameo
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Aidy Bryant makes another appearance on this list, only this time the humor doesn’t come from her. Well, it kind of does. She’s starring in a bit called “Inside the Beltway,” which parodies political pundits and talk shows. During the segment, a wardrobe person, named Audrey, waltzes onstage and starts grabbing at her arm. Bryant is quick to smile and wave her off, and she disappears with a giggle. It almost works within the context of the sketch, but this was a genuine mistake made by the dresser. She came on a tad too early, and suffice it to say, the flub caused everyone, especially Bryant, to lose it.
#2: “Close Encounter” with Laughter
Ryan Gosling often tackles roles that allow him to flex some dramatic acting muscles, so we don’t see him let loose as often as we’d like. But he certainly has a funny bone. While hosting, Gosling appeared in an alien-themed sketch called “Close Encounter” with Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, and Bobby Moynihan. McKinnon makes him break, and the rest of the segment descends into total chaos. Strong quickly improvises to explain away Gosling’s reaction, somehow making the whole thing even better. Bryant and Moynihan don’t exactly keep it together, either. McKinnon, meanwhile, rightfully seems pretty proud of what she’s accomplished. Hey, there’s a reason this became one of her most beloved characters.
#1: Bill Hader Destroys the Set
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Sometimes, accidents result in unintentional comedy gold. That’s what happened in this hysterical sketch called “Girlfriends Game Night.” Cecily Strong’s character brings her elderly partner Horace to, you guessed it, game night. He’s played by Bill Hader in a bald cap, and has a motorized wheelchair. It’s this wheelchair that will later prove the source of all the hilarity. While backing up, Hader inadvertently runs into Melissa Villaseñor and pushes her chair into the nearby table. Both actors have to hide their laughing faces from the camera, and Hader can’t even get through his next line without cracking up. The chair pushing mistake was all him, and it served as a gut-busting ending to an already funny bit.
