The 10 Best SNL Holiday Sketches, Ranked

Saturday night live has fifty years of holiday sketches to choose from, with these ten standing out as the best. The long-running nature of the NBC sketch series and its constantly rotating roster of writers, performers, and guest hosts means that the show has tackled countless subjects over the years. The changing perspectives and social norms of American society mean that these sketches have taken on different vibes to reflect various eras, but the best Saturday night live The sketches maintain the program's trademark, a mix of observational humor and absurd commitment to a joke.

This is especially true of the show's numerous holiday sketches, which have been filtered into different styles to great effect. There have been many running characters who have gotten their own holiday skits, like Debbie Downer, while others lean more toward poking fun at movie tropes and holiday traditions. The best are those who take advantage of the holiday season and use it as a springboard for the show's committed creatives to reach absurdity.

10

Beep Beep

Season 49, Episode 7

Like the best holiday sketches in the show's history, "Beep Beep" is a perfect synchronization between banal holiday traditions and an absurdist comedic escalation raised by Saturday night livethe consistent ability to interpret the smallest comic remark with hilarious commitment. "Beep Beep" focuses on a neighborhood Christmas party, with friends exchanging little comments while a dorky suburban husband fills his plate and excuses himself into the crowd with a "beep beep." However, he finds himself in an intense impasse when another husband tries to do the same thing for the only remaining space at the table.

What follows is an incandescent intensity more befitting a life-and-death crime thriller than a Christmas party, with Andrew Dismukes boldly matching Adam Driver's blunt ferocity. The wives' horror and the other husbands' turbulent understanding contribute to the comedy, with Dismukes' silly but very serious metaphor about Stuart Little being greeted with an "Oh, so you want to die tonight" brilliantly underplayed, but no less threatening. Driver. Kenan Thompson ends up stealing the sketch with a late arrival and a perfectly delivered joke, highlighting the show's ability to take basic concepts and play them to ridiculous effect.

9

Dance of the snowflakes

Season 39, Episode 9

A seemingly simple but perfectly character-based sketch'Dance of the Snowflakes' puts the audience through the actors' inner thoughts in a way that is at once painfully self-aware and deeply silly. The sketches focus on four performers on stage at a small-town community theater, who have decided to hold a holiday contest titled "Dance of the Snowflakes." Their bulky, snowflake-shaped costumes, basic choreography, and repetitive music are painfully embarrassing—and performers only realize this fact when they're on stage in front of friends and family.

As the four fully complete the dance, their internal monologues (recreated by voiceover recordings) realize how stupid the act is and increasingly become self-loathing (and exaggerated) in their self-criticism. This ranges from a doctor regretting bringing his co-workers to one of them deeply regretting dedicating the performance to Nelson Mandela. What elevates the sketch are the totally committed performances of the cast, whose emotions visualize their inner thoughts as they try to dance and smile. The silliness keeps the potential awkwardness at bay with absolute escalation and a surprisingly sweet ending.

8

Children's clothing advertisement

Season 45, Episode 9

Saturday night live has increasingly used some of his sketches as secret advertisements for big brands. Sometimes the connection is very tenuous (like a terrible Scooby-Doo parody that turns out to be linked to Apple Face ID) and others look like advertisements in everything but the name. The best ones are able to highlight the product and at the same time poke fun at it and the way they usually interact on a daily basis, like “Children’s clothing ad”. The sketch is structured like a typical department store commercial, with just the brilliant narrator honestly observing the problems with stylish children's clothing.

This includes shoes and pants that hurt the children who wear them, as well as causing tantrums because they don't have the right to wear them. Frozen princess in them. The best aspects of the sketch are the adults caught up in the chaos. The marital conflict between the couple of Mikey Day and Heidi Gardner runs particularly deep, with tensions in their relationship spilling over into Day's inability to put shoes on his daughter. The MVP is once again Kenanwhose silent fury and instant regret for shouting an obscenity in front of his son steal the cartoon's biggest laugh.

7

The Hanukkah Song

Season 20, Episode 7

Adam Sandler established himself as a breakout star in Saturday night live largely through its childish performances and musical routines, which "The Chanukah Song" combines to strong effect. With Sandler simply sitting at the Weekend Update table with his guitar, the comedian explains to the audience that he wanted to create a new song celebrating Jewish tradition to stand up to the litany of Christmas songs he's spent his life listening to. What follows is a sweet ode not only to the holiday, but to other Jewish celebrities, all sung with Sandler without even trying to hide a silly smile.

The song has become an enduring holiday classic, even charting on the US Billboard Hot 100 when it was first released on Adam Sandler's 1996 comedy album. What the hell happened to me? Since then, the song has been updated several times to reflect new cultural references, with the 2015 remix including references to Olaf from Frozen, Stan Lee and Jesus. The original Saturday night live the sketch remains a staple at the show's holiday parties, thanks in large part to Sandler's palpable giddiness over the song's silly nature.

6

NPR's Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls

Season 24, Episode 9

Simply committing to a silly idea is at the heart of many of Saturday night livethe best sketches of all timeand is the key to “NPR's Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls.” The recurring sketch focuses on smooth-talking NPR hosts Margaret Jo McCullin and Terry Rialto (played by Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon) as they discuss a different dish each time, brought in by a guest - with all of them seemingly blissfully unaware of the inherent innuendo linked to the meal. The sketch's festive variant features Alec Baldwin's Pete Schweddy, whose quick-roasted "Schweddy Balls" created plenty of dirty double entendres.

The reason the sketch works is the pure, direct sincerity of all three artists, who never give any indication that they are aware of what it sounds like when Schweddy is asked to "whip out" his balls and admit that most people are surprised by how big they are. This simple, innocent touch, along with its occasional attempts at light-hearted humor, highlight what makes the sketch work.. Sometimes a sketch can be satirically thought-provoking or reflect real-life emotions and situations. Sometimes it's fun to watch three adults talk about the flavor of Schweddy Balls.

5

Dick In A Box

Season 32, Episode 9

Although it was not the first The Lonely Island digital short to be released, 'Dick In A Box' is one that took the comedic trio of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer to new heights. The song, sung by Samberg and Justin Timberlake, is a bizarre and silly concept taken as far as possible. Designed as a throwback to the R&B love songs of the early 1990s, "Dick In A Box" finds the Samberg and Timberlake musicians giving advice on how the perfect gift for their romantic partners is to cut a hole in a gift and stick their genitals in. in it.

There's no deeper meaning to the concept, which the sketch unfolds with the simple three-part instructions of "cut a hole in a box, put your trash in the box, make her open the box." Sandler and Timberlake play their roles with complete sincerity, demonstrating as much charisma as they can while parading around with gifts strapped to their crotch. It's a silly concept that leads to the big visual joke of them getting arrested. Although the duo reunited for "Motherlover" and "3-Way (The Golden Rule)", "Dick In A Box" remains their longest-lasting collaboration.

4

North Pole news reporting

Season 45, Episode 10

Eddie Murphy remains one of the most important Saturday night live stars of all timewith his arrival on the show in 1980 being a necessary shock of life for the struggling series. He also starred in several excellent holiday sketches for the show, from his Christmas-themed version of his Mister Robinson's Neighborhood sketch in 1984 to the Holiday Baking Championship fiasco in 2019. His best holiday sketch was also in this last episode, focusing on in a "North Pole News Report" after a polar bear broke into Santa's workshop and ate some elves.

The entire sketch is a solid parody of crisis news, from the reporter dismissing accusations of mismanagement by Santa to the proud sharing of “prayers and thoughts” messages from the Tooth Fairy. However, Murphy's street elf witness is the centerpiece, a silly concept that Murphy harnesses to its full comedic potential.. From his blunt assessment that "I don't know these elves, I don't work with them, but these elves are gone" to his reluctance to share his (admittedly ugly) name on camera, Murphy's elf is a masterclass in turning an idea around. basic into something deeply memorable.

3

'Christmastime for Jews'

Season 31, Episode 9

Arguably the longest-running of the "Saturday Fun House" animated sketches Created by Robert Smigel, "Christmastime for the Jews" is a silly animated piece that works incredibly well. Sung by Darlene Love, the song is upbeat in the style of Rankin/Bass animated shorts like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. The short imagines all the things Jewish people can do while the wider Christian community is distracted by their own vacations, from playing for the Lakers to seeing Violinist on the roof with an authentically Jewish cast.

What makes the sketch stand out is the art behind itwith the faithful recreation of classic holiday specials giving it a timeless feel despite the specific nods to pop culture references like Seinfeld and 2005 King Kong. Darlene Love's vocals are also perfectly in tune with the typical holiday tenor and musical tone, playing to great effect. It's a silly song, often one of the best Saturday night live sketch period and a great ode to Robert Smigel's comic style.

2

It's a Wonderful Life: The Lost Ending

Season 12, Episode 8

One of the best parodies in cinema Saturday night live story, "It's A Wonderful Life: The Lost Ending" proposes an alternative conclusion to Frank Capra's classic 1946 Christmas film, It's a wonderful life. Although it shares many elements of the real ending of the Jimmy Stewart film, brings a satisfyingly brutal new conclusion to the story causing the Baileys and their friends to realize that Old Potter is responsible for taking the money needed to keep the bank open and George out of prison. As a result, George leads a mob after Potter to bring justice.

The ending plays up the righteous indignation of the public who spent decades frustrated by the lack of consequences for Potter, with a comically over-the-top punishment that includes George and Mary beating the old man while the crowd chants behind them. The best part of the sketch is Dana Carvey's shockingly good impression of Jimmy Stewartinfusing the actor's "what a shame" sensibility into action movie lines like "You made a mistake, Potter, you betrayed me and left me alive!" It's a very funny sketch that also pays genuine homage to a pop culture landmark.

1

Steve Martin's Christmas Wish

Season 12, Episode 6

The perfect example of how Saturday night liveAbsurdist takes on traditional tropes can be elevated by strong writing and unique performances, "Steve Martin's Christmas Wish" is the best holiday sketch in the show's history. The setup is simple: Steve Martin is sitting in a chair next to a Christmas tree, sharing his wish for peace on Earth with the audience at home. However, Martin cannot help but make allowances for this idealized desire, constantly letting his selfish desires outweigh his hopes for the world at large. It's a basic premise that highlights many of the best aspects of sketch comedy.

There's the sequence's singular performance element, with Steve Martin's gentle delivery becoming increasingly energized by the prospect of revenge against his enemies at the expense of the joy of the world's children. There is a tendency towards genuine satirestripping away the buzzwords people share every holiday season to reveal greedy motivations. There's also the hilariously absurd dichotomy of watching the soothing visuals and sweet music while Steve Martin decides he'd rather have all the money in the world and just forget about the kids altogether. It's an ideal Saturday night live sketch and at its best rooted in mockery of holiday traditions.