Saturday Night Live
NBC’sSaturday Night Liveis a staple of American television , and thebestSNLseasons have some of the funniest in lowly - screen door history . Though it has seen many ups and down feather , SNLhas consistently pleased its fans even when the casting have changed over the year . start out in 1975,Saturday Night Liveis now in its 50th time of year and does n’t seem to be slowing down any prison term soon . The sketch comedy show has launch the career of myriad prolific comedians , such as Will Ferrell , Eddie Murphy , Adam Sandler , Mike Myers , and more .
Not only that , but iconic characters created onSNLhave often gotten their own spinoff motion-picture show . Wayne ’s WorldandNight at the Roxburyare ground onSNLsketches , and the same goes forConeheadsandThe Blues Brothers . Due to the fact that it is a sketch show , it is hard to judge sequence and seasons as a whole , but audience have gravitated towards certain geological era of the show and they have gather eminent rating and decisive honor . Whenever the mould , server , and melodic node are of a consistent quality , few display are as hilarious asSNL .
25Season 12
1986-1987
Saturday Night Liveseason 12 saw a perfect overhaul of the cast of characters . The show fired Robert Downey Jr. , Anthony Michael Hall , Joan Cusack , and Randy Quaid from the previous time of year . While they all rifle on to great careers , they were n’t a good burst for the sketch comedy show . However , the newcomers were all - timer , with epithet likeDana Carvey , Jan Hooks , Kevin Nealon , and Phil Hartman link up the give Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller(who was hostingWeekend Update ) .
Dana Carvey introduced The Church Lady and his George H. Bush impersonation in this time of year .
The show even made the fire a joke when Madonna usher up in the time of year premiere and called season 11 a " horrifying aspiration . " This was the time of year that Carvey introduced one of his most beloved character - the Church Lady . There were some great hosts this time of year as well , including Robin Williams and William Shatner , while former cast fellow member Chevy Chase and Bull Murray had host responsibility as well .
24Season 16
1990-1991
The 16th season ofSaturday Night Livehad several come back stars , with freehanded name like Dana Carvey , Mike Myers , Phil Hartman , and Jan Hooks all coming back . However , this was also the class that some fresh natural endowment go far - epithet who would go down as some of the grownup from that era . Chris Farley , Chris Rock , Adam Sandler , and David Spade all joined theSNLcast , and this help oneself produce some memorable sketches and moments .
Dennis Miller was still runningWeekend Update , Myers and Carvey hadWayne ’s Worldgoing strong , and Carvey was also at the top of his game as George H. Bush , The CUrch Lady , and one - one-half of Hans and Franz ( with Kevin Nealon ) . Farley was a stall - out for the newcomers , especially his memorableChippendalessketch with Patrick Swayze , one that remains an all - time great . There were few great hosts this season , but the cast carried the show to corking height .
23Season 31
2005-2006
Saturday Night Liveseason 31 introduced something to the series that became a immense addition . This was the year the " Digital Shorts " made their first appearance , with " Lazy Sunday , " " Natalie Raps , " " Laser Cats , " and " Close Talkers " as standouts . This was all thanks to the show get on Andy Samber as a young cast memberand then hiring his Lonely Island resume group as writers ( Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone ) . Other new mould penis admit Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader .
This was the first time of year to have the " Digital shortstop " by the Lonely Island sketch group .
They get together Jason Sudeikis , Kenan Thompson , Maya Rudolph , Seth Meyers , Darrell Hammond , Tina Fey , Fred Armisen , and Rachel Dratch for a very recondite and talented cast . This was intelligibly a season that register thatSNLwas reach some major change , and it was a turning point for the sketch clowning series after a few seasons of falling quality . The season also had some great host , include Julia Louis - Dreyfus , Alec Baldwin , Tom Hanks , and Steve Martin .
Custom Image by Colin McCormick
22Season 35
2009-2010
Saturday Night Liveseason 35 is best known for the salary increase of Kenan Thompson from a solid cast phallus to a top - of - the - line sensation . Thompson has since become the longest - running form member in the show ’s history(passing Darrell Hammond , who allow before this time of year start ) . This was also the season that Thompson introduce his pop " What Up With That ? " sketch , which was just the scratch to his rise as the most consistently funny mold member of this era .
This was the season that featured the highest - rated installment inSaturday Night Livehistory when Betty White host the show , and 12.1 million people tune in to see it . SNLknew it would be a hit and bestow back former female cast members Tina Fey , Amy Poehler , Rachel Dratch , Maya Rudolph , Ana Gasteyer , and Molly Shannon to get together White for the episode . This was also the net season for Will Forte , and the only season that Jenny Slate appeared in the cast .
21Season 7
1981-1982
The seventh season ofSaturday Night Livecame with a lot of change . Lorne Michaels was not around , and this was the first full time of year that Dick Ebersol produced . This season had a mostly unknown cast of comedians , except two returning stars - Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy . It was the second of those ace who not only flourish but assist rick the seventh season into one of the good in SNL story , all on his gifted shoulder . He also introduced some of his most iconic characters .
In time of year seven , Eddie Murphy introduced Buckwheat , Velvet Jones , and Gumby onSaturday Night Live .
Season 7 saw Murphy bring out Buckwheat , Velvet Jones , and Gumby . He also returned with Mister Robinson ’s Neighborhood and brought back his dear television critic , Raheem Abdul Muhammed , to Weekend Update . While Piscopo was also bang-up , the 7th season was a roller coaster , with Ebersol fire writer Michael O’Donoghue for repeated debate behind the panorama and Christine Ebersole for complaining about the treatment of women . Despite this , Murphy carried it to great heights all by himself .
20Season 22
1996-1997
The cast ofSaturday Night Liveis always the bountiful cistron in how well a season pass . They are the constant that have to keep the show going as hosts total and go each week . However , a genuinely great wrinkle - up of hosts can promote a season from good to great . Season 22 has one of the good collections of hosts from start to terminate as the show seemed toembrace the fact that pastcast members ofSNLtend to be the best Host .
time of year 22 saw a terrifying roll of former cast members return to the show to host , including one stint in the middle of the season where there were five straight sequence in which the legion was a former cast penis . These server included some of the in effect cast members of all clock time , like Chevy Chase and Martin Short , those who were misuse while on the show but became big stars , like Chris Rock and Robert Downey Jr. , andSNLplayers who had just recently left , like Mike Myers and Dana Carvey .
However , one of the highlights of the time of year was the introduction of the Celebrity Jeopardy skitthat became an all - clock time classic .
19Season 10
1984-1985
The changeover years onSaturday Night Livehave always been a rough meter for the show . These are season in which a tumid majority of the cast , particularly the most pop performers , have left , fresh shape members are bestow in , and Modern stars have to come forth . The first time there was a big transition like this was in time of year 6 when all of the original cast member exited and the show about fell aside . There was a band of insistency for time of year 10 not to make a interchangeable mistake and they achieved this with an inventive solution .
With Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo among the five dramatis personae member who left the previous twelvemonth , SNLdecided that instead of bringing in new up - and - coming comedic talent , theywould engage proven star topology of the comedy human beings . Billy Crystal , Christopher Guest , and Martin Short were among the people hired to join the cast . While the integral cast would be replaced the following year with none of the big stars prefer to return , the star - studded time of year made for an exciting twelvemonth inSNL ’s celebrated story .
18Season 26
2000-2001
time of year 26 was a powerhouse installment forSaturday Night Live . Election years areSNL ’s bread and butter , and with the politically turbulent race between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore , the sketch serial strike clowning amber with Will Ferrell and Darrell Hammond ’s hysteric caricature of Bush and Gore , respectively . The time of year evidence to be yet another where Ferrell dominated , as this was when he and Rachel Dratch debut their hilarious " Lovers " sketch , in which they play an too amorous twain .
But what truly madeSaturday Night Liveseason 26 special was that it marked Tina Fey ’s debut in front of the camera . While she had been a author for the show since 1997 , time of year 26 saw her become a featured player . Fey and Jimmy Fallon took over Colin Quinn ’s Weekend Update hosting duties and their chemistry was galvanizing .
17Season 21
1995-1996
Season 21 was another class of change forSaturday Night Liveand one that helped press the show onward . The previous time of year had seen some of the biggest lead like Adam Sandler and Chris Farley elicit , which led to a mostly raw cast of characters to recoil off the time of year . However , while those were big shoe to fill for new casting members , the fact that season 21 markedWill Ferrell ’s first class mean the show was heading in the right direction .
Along with Ferrell , who quickly made a name for himself in the series , Molly Shannon was also given a more big part while Chris Kattan was lease near the destruction of the time of year and quickly made a splash . The new shape sawSaturday Night Liveonce again developing lineament who could become darling recurring bits , with season 21 markingthe entry of the likes of the Spartan Cheerleaders , Mary Katherine Gallagher , and The Roxbury Guys .
16Season 34
2008 - 2009
Sometimes the events in the real world become perfect material forSaturday Night Live . time of year 34 proved to be one such time of year , which see a immense ratings boost as the show covered the presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain . While that proved to be a historical election for the United States of America , SNLexcelled at focalise not on the presidential candidates but rather on a frailty presidential wannabee . time of year 34 kicked off with Tina Fey returning to the show spiel Sarah Palin .
Fey ’s functioning , which won her an Emmy , gaveSNLmuch - deserved buzz , and turmoil in seeing the show tackle such an intriguing political figure grew to amazing elevation . Fey ’s coming into court were peppered throughout the time of year , with Palin doing a imperativeness conference alongside Hillary Clinton , being interviewed by Katie Couric , and meeting with Will Ferrell ’s George W. Bush . The real Sarah Palin also made an coming into court , showing the pop culture effect of the impression . Season 34 was also bittersweet , as itmarked the final season for Amy Poehler , one of the bestSNLcast members of all metre .
