13 Best Recurring Sketches on Saturday Night Live ...

By Shannon

"As a huge fan of sketch comedy, I'd be remiss if I didn't write an article about awesome recurring sketches on “Saturday Night Live”. I think my infatuation with it started in the mid-80s when my sister and I heard Dana Carvey sing “The Broccoli Song” on another show. We wanted to see more like it, so we stayed up on the weekend and watched “Saturday Night Live”. We saw The Church Lady and Dennis Miller on “Weekend Update” and I've been hooked ever since. The show has definitely had its ups and downs, but I can honestly say that there has been a steady stream of crazy sketches and actors that keep me tuning in week after week. If you're in a bad mood or just need a good laugh, here are some of the best and most popular recurring sketches on “Saturday Night Live”. Just make sure you're not drinking or eating anything you wouldn't want sprayed on your computer screen. Trust me on this one.

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1

Wayne's World

This is one of the best recurring sketches on “Saturday Night Live”. Full stop. It was so much fun to see Wayne and Garth bow down to Aerosmith and “schwing” over random celebrities. Hmm, I wonder if they'd “schwing” over me? Either way, I loved the sketch and the first movie. The Bohemian Rhapsody scene and Garth's drum solo in the music store were just epic! Fun fact: According to IMDB, Dana Carvey actually was playing the drums in that scene. Just another reason why he rules.

2

D**k in a Box

This SNL digital short mini-series starring Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg as two clueless R&B singers is one of the biggest reasons I love JT. After all, not many people would be willing to make fun of himself the way he does here. Their songs are parodies of the R&B seduction songs we heard in the early 90s from groups like Color Me Badd or 98 Degrees. Frankly, I'd rather hear “D**k in a box”,” Mother lover” or “The Golden Rule”; at least they're funny. You really have to look those last two up for yourself because I can't right now. Not without giving my keyboard a coffee shower, that is.

3

Church Chat

The Church Lady is a great parody of the person who looks down her nose at everybody, “church” or not. I can hear her now, talking about the reruns of “Dallas” I have in the background. “I wonder why the Ewings are a train wreck...hmm, could it be SATAN?” The silly dance she does at the end is pretty funny too.

4

Celebrity Jeopardy

Someone on the SNL writing staff either really loves or really hates Sean Connery, because he's the butt of most of the jokes in these sketches. They also crack pretty heavily on Burt Reynolds (or, as he calls himself, Turd Ferguson), but the funniest part is how “Alex Trebek” gets so frustrated with the stupidity of the contestants that he changes the categories to things like “What Sound a Doggy Makes”. I think my favorite was when he ripped up a note card and changed the Final Jeopardy question to “Write a Number”. I don't care how long it's been; “French Stewart's” “threeve” is pretty damned funny.

5

Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker

Many a concerned parent brought in this motivational speaker to talk to their kids about the future. What they didn't know is that this man, masterfully played by Chris Farley, was "35 years old, eating a steady diet of government cheese, thrice divorced, and living in a *van down by the river!*” I love it! It's also interesting how his pants never seem to fit.

Famous Quotes

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

George Santayana
6

The Delicious Dish

I love the deadpan voices in this NPR parody. It's the voices that make things funny, or at least add to it. I thought the one where Betty White talks about her “muffin” was particularly funny. I never got a chance to try the “Schweddy Balls” ice cream flavor Alec Baldwin put out, though. I hear it was good.

7

Night at the Roxbury

We've all met them. The clueless guys at the club who can't dance and have no “game” whatsoever but still try to hit on every woman they see. I just love how comically-bad they are, both in the sketch and the movie. Every time I hear the song, “What Is Love?” I can't help but do that silly “head-shaking” dance.

8

Pat

Honestly, this isn't one of my favorites. I'm mentioning it because it was extremely popular in the time that it ran, but there were other characters I liked more. I have several friends who can relate to the whole “which one is it” thing the cracks on, though. Hey, did they ever announce what gender Pat actually was?The clip I used is from the movie made on the character.

9

Coneheads

This Dan Aykroyd/Jane Curtin sketch might be before your time, but it's a classic! They're aliens who try to blend into human society while they figure out a way to colonize the world. They try to explain their odd behavior - for instance, calling parents “parental units” using “senso-rings” for sex and giving out six-packs and fried eggs on Halloween - by saying they “come from France”. I have to ask, why France? Why not India, Russia or some random island nobody's ever heard of?

10

Weekend Update in All Its Forms

This “fake news” sketch has been the only one to last through the entire series. It's pretty obvious why; making fun of news broadcasts and the strange guests they often have never gets old. There are just so many classics that have come out of this sketch - the Hanukkah song, David Spade's Hollywood Minute, pretty much anything from Tina Fey or Adam Sandler just to name a few. I know Wikipedia isn't the best, but here's a listing of the insane characters Weekend Update has featured. en.wikipedia.org

11

Sprockets

This sketch from the 80s is a spoof of a West German talk show. It cracks pretty hard on German stereotypes, specifically the ones about being rigid and overly strict. I'm not familiar with these stereotypes so I don't know how accurate they are, but its over-the-top portrayal is so strange it's funny.

12

Stuart Smalley-Daily Affirmations

This self-help show parody features a host that reminds me of a therapist I once had (yes, I'm in therapy. Deal with it). We miss him because he's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like him.

13

Shorter Recurring Sketches

There are quite a few recurring sketches and characters I can't adequately describe here. If you want to look them up, look for:
-Spartan Spirit
-Hanz and Franz
-The Richmeister (Copy Room Guy)
-Toonces the Driving Cat
-Mascots (with Justin Timberlake)
"The Blues Brothers" and the adult version of the Muppets started on Saturday Night Live but soon branched off on their own.

As you can see, “Saturday Night Live” has put out a lot of interesting and funny recurring sketches in the 38 years the show has been around. I can't possibly describe all of them here because it would take forever, but let's just say that the show has had more than its fair share of memorable sketches and characters. What are your favorite recurring sketches on “Saturday Night Live”? Which ones have I missed? Discuss!

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

Oops... What about Doneese? Kristin Wig is brilliant!!!

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(Author) Great! Then you'll love some of my next articles!

SNL is my favorite show in the entire world! I have seen every episode ever aired and cannot get enough! I am so glad you posted this article and i agree with you 100%!!!

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