Top 20 SNL Sketches of the Last Decade
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 SNL Sketches of the Last Decade. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most hilarious “Saturday Night Live” sketches aired between 2010 and 2019 that have now become modern classics. Which of these have you rewatched the most? Let us know in the comments.
#20: “Sam Smith/Dr. Evil Cold Open” (2014)
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For the final show of 2014, “SNL” made things a little festive by bringing back some of its most renowned alum. The episode kicks off with Taran Killam as Sam Smith hosting a very somber Christmas special. Even though he wasn’t the main attraction of the sketch, Killam’s impression of the singer is hysterically spot-on. But just as things get funnier, he is interrupted - quite rudely, we must say - by Mike Myers’ Dr. Evil. The iconic character pokes fun at the 2014 Sony Hack, taking shots at everything from Kim Jong-un to the Guardians of Peace hackers, and even Myers’ box office flop “The Love Guru”. Looking back now, it’s a great reminder why we all deserve that fourth Austin Powers movie.
#19: “Liza Minnelli Tries to Turn Off a Lamp”
How long does it take you to turn off a lamp? A few seconds at most probably. Yet, this sketch squeezes four minutes of nonstop laughs out of the most basic premise imaginable. As the title suggests, the sketch is about Liza Minnelli, played to over-the-top perfection by Kristen Wiig, trying to turn off a lamp. Liza can’t simply flip a switch, however. This run-of-the-mill task becomes a jazzy – not to mention tipsy – routine right out of a cabaret. All the while, Jonah Hill just sits in a chair with his cigar, even though he could easily get up and turn off the lamp himself. Between Wiig’s dedicated impression and physical comedy gifts, we can’t help but get a kick out of every ridiculous moment.
#18: “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood” (2019)
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Comedy icon Eddie Murphy made a name for himself with his four-season run as a cast member on “SNL”. After hosting once in 1984, Murphy made a highly anticipated return in 2019, where he revived his beloved “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood” sketch. As it begins, we learn that Mr. Robinson’s life has changed drastically since we last saw him 35 years ago. The neighborhood has now been gentrified, a word which he hilariously teaches his kid audience with glee. That glee is quickly extinguished as Mr. Robinson receives unexpected visits from his white neighbors and a young man claiming to be his son. Even decades later, there’s no one who can steal the show on “SNL” quite like Eddie Murphy.
#17: “Kavanaugh Hearing Cold Open” (2018)
“SNL” is well-known for its frequent lampooning of political events which, admittedly, can be hit-or-miss. But when the show returned for its 44th season, they knocked it out of the park with this brilliant parody of the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings. Hollywood actor Matt Damon plays Kavanaugh, unleashing a hot dose of fury like you’ve never seen before… well, unless you watched the actual hearings. Although Damon is the star of the sketch, we still got other instantly iconic impressions such as Kate McKinnon’s Lindsey Graham and Rachel Dratch as Amy Klobuchar. And who can forget the guest appearance by the cut-out of Alyssa “friggin’” Milano. No further hearings needed, this is one sketch that will stand the test of time.
#16: “The Actress” (2019)
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Emma Stone is an Academy Award-winning actress, so who better to play a struggling performer who attempts to give more substance to a tiny role in an adult film. Stone, who’s hosting the show for the fourth time at this point, delivers a performance that’s every bit as tragic as it is hilarious. Tired of playing one-dimensional roles, Stone’s ‘The Actress’ frantically pieces a coherent backstory for the character by going through the random assortment of props associated with her. She even gives her a name! Despite the director, played by Beck Bennett, constantly shooting down her ideas, nothing will stop Stone from humanizing the ‘woman who gets cheated on’. And for that, can someone hand this woman another Oscar, please?
#15: “Bern Your Enthusiasm” (2016)
Larry David as Bernie Sanders is one “SNL” impression that will just never get old. This 2016 parody focuses on Sanders, and his countless personality quirks, in the lead-up to his defeat at the Iowa caucus. First, while campaigning, he declines a handshake from a woman who had just coughed in her palm, angering her and her three relatives. Next, he encounters another woman who crashed her car on her way to vote for him, but refuses to help pop her shoulder back in. The Berned-out voters then throw their weight behind his opponent, leading to his loss by just five votes! Complete with classic David-isms and equally terrific showings from Cecily Strong and Jay Pharoah, it’s a near-perfect sketch.
#14: “Puppet Class with Seth MacFarlane” (2012)
Bill Hader is, without a doubt, one of the most gifted performers in “SNL” history. Among his roster of unforgettable characters is one that perhaps doesn’t get its due recognition - the gray-haired war veteran Anthony Coleman. Coleman attends a puppeteering class, alongside other unsuspecting participants, with his identical puppet, Tony. While the others try to perfect their acts, Coleman constantly veers off into horrific recounts of his time in combat. What really sells this sketch is everyone’s commitment to their characters, particularly Hader. Although host Seth MacFarlane does a pretty good job in the episode overall, he is easily outshone by Hader and his disturbing jokes. Can you tell us how to get this to be a recurring sketch every season, Lorne Michaels?
#13: “Star Wars Auditions” (2015)
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The relationship between “SNL” and the “Star Wars” franchise goes way back. Just before the release of the first film in the sequel trilogy, both cultural giants came together for one not-so-subtle commercial. The sketch finds the show’s cast members delivering stellar impression after stellar impression of celebrities auditioning for roles in the epic space opera. Particularly noteworthy are Cecily Strong as Sofia Vergara, Taran Killam as David Beckham and Bobby Moynihan’s George Lucas. We also get cameos from Emma Stone, Jon Hamm and actual “Star Wars” actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. There is no question that it’s a belly-achingly funny sketch, but are we the only ones who want to see a rom-com with Ridley and Michael Buble?
#12: “The Californians: Stuart's Dad” (2012)
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“The Californians” evolved into a recurring sketch parodying “valleyspeak” and soap opera clichés. Above all else, it’s a sketch series about California highways. Even when Stuart’s long-lost father, played by Mick Jagger, pays an unexpected visit, it doesn’t take long for several California streets to force their way into the conversation. A truly great comedian can make reading the phone book funny, but this sketch somehow makes driving directions hilarious. As per usual, the exaggerated accents turn even the most straight-forward lines into comedic gold. What propels this particular “Californians” sketch into Top 10 territory, though, is a last-minute cameo from Steve Martin as a man with amnesia. He may not have his memory, but he does have the hair of a twenty-something-year-old.
#11: “Farewell Mr. Bunting” (2016)
You know you’ve got a classic on your hands when the audience's laughter is so loud that it completely overpowers any sound from the sketch. A comedic take on the 1989 film “Dead Poets Society,” this one features host Fred Armisen as a poetry teacher whose students protest his unfair dismissal by standing on their desks. Things get on pretty normally, but they soon take a bizarre and gory turn when the last student joins the protest. It’s a slow build-up to the punchline, but the payoff is absolutely worth the while. By the end, the class looks more like a set from “The Shining” than anything else. This is one sketch that was perfectly executed… pun very much intended.
#10: All the Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton Cold Open Debates (2016)
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Due to its frequent lampooning of events surrounding the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, the 42nd season of “SNL” saw a significant ratings increase. The season featured Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump and seasoned cast member Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton, chronicling all three of their debates and Trump’s eventual victory. Right off the bat, the premiere episode opens with a spoof of the first debate, somehow managing to be even more ridiculous than the real-life event. Two episodes later, they parodied the second debate, even going as far as prematurely introducing “President Hillary Clinton”. In their final face-off, Baldwin and McKinnon upped the antics, delivering rapid-fire laughs and more than enough material to justify their wins at the 2017 Emmy Awards.
#9: “Teacher Trial” (2015)
When a high school teacher takes advantage of her male student, she is sued by the boy’s mother, resulting in a highly publicized trial. Pete Davidson is in his element here, playing the teenage boy who takes the stand and recounts the positive consequences of the incident, with the most deadpan delivery. The highlight comes when he begins listing out the names his classmates called him as a result of the illicit relationship. The sketch sparked some backlash online, with some pointing out that its handling of such a sensitive topic was inappropriate. However, it could be argued that that was the point of it - emphasizing the usual carefree reactions to such cases, and doing so with such brilliant humor.
#8: “Sean Spicer Press Conference” (2017)
Alongside Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy also picked up an Emmy for her performance in “SNL’s” 42nd season. And it’s easy to see why. In addition to hosting the 20th episode, McCarthy made multiple appearances as then White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. In her first showing as Spicer, the actress comes out guns blazing. Literally. She brandishes a water gun later in the scene, which she shoots at one of the members of the press. Spicer’s real-life contentious relationship with reporters is dialed up a thousand fold, with McCarthy apologizing to herself on behalf of the press and even using props to hilariously explain the news. McCarthy shines in every second of this sketch, and those are the facts forever.
#7: “Meet Your Second Wife” (2015)
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Now this one pushes some boundaries. When we see an older man dating a significantly younger woman, most of the time we don’t think much about the actual amount of years separating them. But when you consider how young the woman would have been when the man is already an adult, however, the relationship in this light can seem a little . . . off-putting, to say the least. In this uproarious sketch, three men are given a chance to meet their future second wives on a twisted game show. The oldest is in eighth grade while the youngest is still a fetus. Making matters even more uncomfortable, their current wives are all in the audience. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, an always-reliable comedic duo, play the show’s chipper hosts.
#6: “Career Day” (2018)
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Adam Driver may be best-known for portraying the brooding Kylo Ren, but the “Star Wars” actor has demonstrated surprisingly strong comedic chops on “SNL.” Driver went undercover at Starkiller Base in another sketch, but he completely transformed himself in this instant classic. With the physical appearance of Albert Einstein and devilish persona of Daniel Plainview, an unrecognizable Driver plays Abraham H. Parnassus, an oil man who visits his son’s school on career day. His class presentation quickly escalates into a Shakespearean speech as Parnassus describes how he crushed his enemies and overcame a premature birth. As goofy as Driver looks and acts, he actually manages to bring a genuinely menacing quality to the stone-faced Parnassus, which makes the sketch all the more hysterical.
#5: “Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks” (2016)
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Sean Connery may be MIA, but “Black Jeopardy” has become one of the most popular recurring “SNL” sketches of the past few years. As humorous as Drake and Eddie Murphy’s appearances were, the game show’s most memorable contestant thus far would have to be Doug, played by Tom Hanks. From the second the camera pans to Doug in a “Make America Great Again” hat, the audience can tell that they’re in store for a wicked sketch. Instead of going for the obvious Trump jokes, the sketch continually subverts expectations as Doug fits in surprisingly well on the “Black Jeopardy” set. Just when it looks like the sketch is going to slide by without any awkward moments, however, Doug is given the category “Lives That Matter.”
#4: “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black” (2016)
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At Super Bowl 50, Beyoncé performed her new “unapologetically Black” single “Formation.” Although the track was met with acclaim for its celebration of African-American culture, its political subtext also attracted a fair deal of controversy. “SNL” poked fun at just how overblown this controversy was in a sketch where white people around the world suddenly realize – gasp – Beyoncé is black! Beyoncé had never made her pride in her identity a secret, but here, when she releases a song more explicitly about her race, white folks react, uh, a little strongly, which plays out like a suspenseful horror movie. Oh, and if you’re not a huge Beyoncé fan, expect to hear from the Beygency soon.
#3: “Close Encounter with Ryan Gosling” (2015)
Kate McKinnon has been an “SNL” MVP throughout the past decade and her castmates could barely contain their laughter in this sketch. McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Ryan Gosling play three people abducted by aliens. Where Strong and Gosling look back on the experience as profound and enlightening, McKinnon’s abduction was more like a really intrusive medical examination. Although we never actually see what happened, listening to McKinnon recount her ordeal while casually smoking a cigarette is arguably even funnier. What’s especially priceless is how matter-of-factly McKinnon delivers her jaw-dropping dialogue. Even after getting fondled by aliens and landing on a Long John Silver’s without wearing pants, she treats the whole night more like a wild bender than first contact.
#2: “I Just Had Sex” (2010)
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The Lonely Island delivered some of their best satirical material during Andy Samberg’s final years on “SNL.” While it’s tempting to single out “Jack Sparrow” or “3-Way (The Golden Rule),” “I Just Had Sex” is truly something boastfully awesome. This Digital Short finds Akon and members of the Lonely Island standing on a roof, announcing to the world about their . . . exploits. As excited as they are, their sexual partners (Blake Lively and Jessica Alba) aren’t all that impressed. The same can be said about the other many listeners who are forced to hear about the guys’ activities. But the enthusiasm proves infectious, though, and by the time the song nears its end, everyone is singing along.
#1: “Haunted Elevator (ft. David S. Pumpkins)” (2016)
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On a haunted house elevator ride, a couple comes across many of the usual scary suspects, but they’re thrown for a loop upon encountering Tom Hanks’ David S. Pumpkins and his dancing skeletons. The couple doesn’t understand why Pumpkins is present and the audience is equally baffled by the sketch’s intent. When this hit the airwaves, a lot of people weren’t sure what to make of it. Was this a work of brilliance or a work of random madness? In retrospect, it’s a little bit of both. It’s also developed into an iconic sketch that we look forward to revisiting every Halloween… or basically whenever we need a good laugh. The scariest thing to the mind is the unknown. Something similar can be said about comedy.
