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Some of the funniest moments in SNL history never even made it to air! Join us as we count down the most hilarious sketches that were cut for time but thankfully found a second life online. Which Studio 8H gem deserved to make the broadcast? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00All right, that's from me. Hey, Bobby, drunk uncle!
00:04You see me? You see me?
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:10And today, we're counting down our picks for the most hilarious gems from Studio 8H
00:15that never actually made it to our TV screens.
00:18Listed as cut for time, these sketches have since found a second life online.
00:24It make a dog. I hate that.
00:27Number 20. Making Amends
00:30This unaired masterpiece delivers the ultimate dose of high-stakes emotional whiplash.
00:35Your sister tells me you have a son of your own now.
00:38I do. I don't know. It's got me thinking.
00:41About what?
00:43About all the things I almost didn't get to tell you.
00:45What starts as a total tearjerker, a son trying to make peace with his hospitalized dad,
00:50instantly derails into pure comedy gold thanks to a blaring hospital TV.
00:55When you walked out on us, I never wanted to see you again.
00:58What even is the theme of this place? Hawaii in space?
01:01But now that I have a son...
01:02The theme is just Hawaii.
01:03I just wish I knew you.
01:04Then why would the Avatar stop?
01:06The background noise is a hyper-aggressive TLC-style bar makeover parody
01:11that completely steals the spotlight.
01:13You left us.
01:14I'm the host.
01:15I don't do this. I've never done this in my life. You know what?
01:18Oh, great. You just woke up my chef from his nap.
01:21What is he wearing?
01:21His uniform.
01:22There's too much bush!
01:24Ashley Padilla is a force of nature as a screaming, chaotic bartender,
01:28while Martin Herlihy brings pure, unhinged energy as the show's host.
01:33The longer the bar show footage runs, the more it bulldozes the emotional scene,
01:38turning making amends into a masterclass and escalating absurdity you won't want to miss.
01:44I love you.
01:45You!
01:50Sabrina Carpenter's worst date ever just got an upgrade.
01:54Mid-Walrus Impression Cringe Fest, courtesy of her hapless date,
01:58her character breaks the fourth wall for the ultimate infomercial pitch,
02:03the tall, plain boyfriend.
02:04Played with a flawless deadpan by Ben Marshall,
02:07sleeping feels so good when you're tired.
02:12Life is crazy, but dogs are so fun.
02:15This specific model of guy offers zero personality or emotional intelligence.
02:20As Carpenter deadpans on repeat, he's 6'5", and that's apparently the only spec that matters.
02:26Opening presents on Christmas.
02:28Come on.
02:29The best.
02:32Because if you need a deep conversation, bitch, listen to a podcast.
02:35The more aggressively average he proves himself to be,
02:38the funnier the sketch's central point becomes.
02:41No wonder the bit blew up online despite getting axed from the broadcast.
02:45Tall, plain boyfriend.
02:47He may not make you laugh or think, but he will make you feel tiny.
02:51Let's go.
02:52Yay!
02:54Number 18.
02:56Oregon Trail.
02:57History class could never.
02:59Somewhere on the trail west, poor Josiah dies from a bee sting,
03:03and his funeral immediately becomes less solemn farewell
03:06and more deeply cursed Y2K-pop showcase.
03:10But he was my husband and provider for 23 years.
03:14He was the best papa to me.
03:16And if you'll bear with us, we'd like to sing a song we wrote in his memory.
03:19Brie Larson and Aidy Bryant play his grieving daughter and wife,
03:23who decide the best way to honor him is through breathy vocals,
03:26weirdly sensual choreography,
03:29and lyrics no morning party should have to process beside a fresh grave.
03:34Sugar, sugar, sugar boy, keep your sugar up on the shelf.
03:39I am.
03:41The period setting makes every modern pop flourish feel even more ridiculous,
03:46while the horrified mourners grow increasingly uncomfortable.
03:49It's bleak, bizarre, and somehow catchier than it has any right to be.
04:00Number 17.
04:02Coal miners face off.
04:04Deep underground, where you'd expect grit, sweat, and rugged masculinity,
04:08a completely different battle is unfolding.
04:11Of all the mines, you show up in the mine that's mine.
04:17I should have known it was your coal mine.
04:19After all, it is a fossil fuel.
04:22RuPaul's Big Dom and Bowen Yang's Big Al trade insults,
04:26slap each other across the face,
04:28and deliver soap opera-worthy one-liners,
04:31while a group of bewildered miners watches the drama unfold.
04:34I see you kept your figure.
04:37Your coveralls sit you like a glove.
04:40The glove of a very fat hand.
04:44The sketch gleefully treats a coal mine like the set of Dynasty,
04:48complete with petty feuds, theatrical entrances,
04:51and enough shade to block out the headlamps.
04:53The mine may be dark, but the melodrama is absolutely glowing.
04:57The sheer commitment to the bit is impossible not to admire.
05:005 a.m. tomorrow?
05:02Yes.
05:04Dominique, ciao.
05:06For now.
05:09Hey, that's my cape!
05:11Number 16. Sending Drinks.
05:13Nothing ruins a girls' night faster than unsolicited seafood.
05:17Sending Drinks takes a familiar bar scenario
05:19and pushes it past flirtation into full-blown social horror.
05:24Ladies, the gentleman down the bar has also sent you food.
05:28Here are 100 oysters.
05:31Oh, no. That sounds expensive.
05:34No, uh, he actually brought them with him, so I would not eat them.
05:39Keegan-Michael Key and Bowen Yang play suitors whose confidence is wildly out of proportion to their appeal,
05:45while Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant make every reaction count, playing the women as equal parts put off, confused, and
05:52morbidly curious.
05:53Hi, again. The gentleman at the end of the bar has sent you a gift to wear.
05:59Oh, okay. Well, it's an Elsa dress. That's weird, but something.
06:04This gem reportedly got cut not once, but twice, bouncing from one episode's chopping block to another's before finally landing
06:12online.
06:13Luckily, fans loved it, and even crowned it one of the best cut-for-time sketches ever.
06:18To be clear, we are virgins.
06:21Oh, yeah, we know.
06:22Let's go.
06:22Number 15. Dad's Birthday
06:24This one gets laughs from a power dynamic that feels wrong before anyone even explains it.
06:31Ashley Padilla is a weary father, and Will Ferrell plays a bratty, cake-abusing son.
06:36I want to go to Brandon's.
06:39Buddy, it's my birthday, and I want to have some cake with my son.
06:43Why?
06:44That casting alone gives the sketch its weird charge, because Ferrell plays the role with the wounded entitlement of a
06:50child who has never once been told no.
06:53Gabriel, go to your room.
06:54No!
06:55Oh! Oh! Hey!
06:57Gabriel!
06:58Gabriel, go to your room.
07:01Shut up!
07:02Okay, okay.
07:03The birthday setting makes his behavior even funnier, since every complaint turns a simple family gathering into an emotional hostage
07:11situation.
07:13Padilla's portrayal of thinly-veiled paternal frustration keeps the chaos grounded, while Ferrell makes Petulance feel practically operatic.
07:21Okay, okay.
07:26I'm gonna have to hit him where it hurts, right?
07:29Allowance. You get none.
07:32I want it.
07:33Fine.
07:34It's a family argument with the volume turned up, and the maturity level dragged underground.
07:40Number 14.
07:41Goddesses of Creation.
07:43This sketch is basically a writer's room for the universe, and Kristen Wiig knows she's the favorite.
07:49Hindra, what do you have?
07:51Mine's so stupid.
07:52Oh god, I don't want to show you.
07:53Okay.
07:54God, it's so dumb.
07:55As divine beings pitch ideas for life on Earth, Vanessa Bayer and Kate McKinnon's suggestions are picked apart, while Wiig's
08:03increasingly ridiculous creations sail through approval without question.
08:07No, it has two legs, but I thought it'd be cool if he just always hid one of them up.
08:12So stupid.
08:13I love it.
08:14Approved.
08:16What?
08:17That's what makes the sketch so funny.
08:19It isn't really about animals or volcanoes at all, but the maddening experience of watching one person get away with
08:25absolutely everything.
08:27Wiig plays that kind of effortless, quirky golden child to perfection, pushing her luck further with every pitch.
08:33I call it a volcano.
08:35It's just like a mountain, but it's kind of a total bitch.
08:38Insane.
08:39I love it.
08:40Oh.
08:44By the time she's inventing music itself, the favoritism has become so absurd that resistance feels pointless.
08:51Hit me, baby, one more time.
08:53It's Britney, bitch.
08:54Like that.
08:55Uh, girl, that's approved.
08:59Number 13.
09:00My Little Stepchildren.
09:01Playing House has never looked this sinister.
09:04Natalie Portman fronts this faux toy commercial for kids who skip the whole playing mommy thing and head straight for
09:11wicked stepmother territory.
09:13My little stepchildren.
09:15I bought my kid a doll and I asked her, Lisa, are you her mommy?
09:18And she said, mommy, where's the drama in that?
09:21She anchors the sketch with that perfect mix of warmth and mild horror you'd expect from a parent fully on
09:27board with their kid's chosen aesthetic.
09:29What really sharpens the bit is the child actor's commitment to their roles, as they gleefully lean into the evil
09:35routine with the poised confidence of someone born to terrorize a fictional household.
09:40I won.
09:41I got your daddy wrapped around my finger.
09:45It's a children's ad filtered through old school domestic villainy.
09:49And we can't get enough of it.
09:51I guess a handsome widower named Richard.
09:53So our daughter is married to this guy?
09:56Not for the right reasons.
09:58Number 12.
09:59The Angel of Death.
10:01Christopher Walken has a unique talent for making even the friendliest characters seem vaguely unsettling.
10:07In this sketch, he plays a black-clad visitor sent from heaven to save a dying woman.
10:12Only for Anna Gasteyer's Diane to react as if the afterlife sent the least reassuring representative possible.
10:19You're the angel of death!
10:20I didn't ask for the angel of death!
10:22May my child, I'm not a servant of death.
10:25I've been sent from heaven above to comfort you.
10:28Oh, Lucifer!
10:29The sketch gets funnier the more personally offended he becomes, because his mission is technically benevolent, while his entire vibe
10:36screams final destination.
10:38If I was the prince of darkness come to get you, I certainly wouldn't look like this.
10:43I'd come to you dressed as your old, dear old, I don't know, Granny Fran.
10:48Gasteyer's panic gives Walken something perfect to bounce off, turning a hospital room miracle into a customer service dispute with
10:55wings.
10:55I am your guardian angel.
10:59Well, this is a rather obvious little coincidence.
11:03It's morbid, silly, and unmistakably walk-in.
11:06Number 11.
11:07Rinaldo and Alexei
11:09This unaired holiday bit almost feels like it was cut because everyone involved knew it was too silly to survive
11:16intact.
11:16He's going to blow your mind.
11:19Okay, so a Santa Claus.
11:21He says, I'm going to put Rodolfo in there.
11:26Fred Armisen and Bill Hader play Manhattan doormen Rinaldo and Alexei, whose attempts to explain Christmas stories to the building's
11:34children keep collapsing under their accents, mangled logic, and total inability to stay composed.
11:40All right, that's for me.
11:41Hey, Bobby, drunk uncle.
11:44Juicy B.
11:45You see me.
11:48The premise is intentionally flimsy, and that becomes part of the fun.
11:52There's barely a conventional punchline, just two great performers breaking each other with increasingly absurd festive folklore.
12:00And you know what the label's saying?
12:01Vampiraine State?
12:02Yeah, yeah.
12:03Vampiraine State.
12:05You got the same thing?
12:05Yeah, I got the same thing from you.
12:07Watching them crack up turns the sketch into a Christmas gift for anyone who loves chaos.
12:13Number 10.
12:14College Admissions.
12:15After the college admissions scandal rocked the U.S. education system, SNL was more than ready to satirize the whole
12:23thing.
12:23We're looking to admit about five more students, and in lieu of some of the embarrassing news stories out there,
12:30let's be extra careful with our choices.
12:32They created the skit about administrators choosing college applications as a response to real-world events.
12:38When considering new admissions, the staff seems to skip over certain candidates and prioritize nepotism.
12:45Oh, let's do that.
12:47I agree. He Hollywood. He fun.
12:49And I love the idea that Lou Ferrigno might just, like, show up on campus one day. So cool.
12:55They let their opinions be known in funny ways, such as revealing that they want to meet a student's famous
13:00relatives.
13:01And his last name is Jeffreys. Any relation to the giraffe? The fictional giraffe from Toys R Us?
13:11Ooh, that could be a big donation.
13:13Sandra Oh's dedicated performance brings an interesting angle to this sketch as one of the misguided board members.
13:19It's all played for laughs and feels even closer to the truth than expected.
13:24And Mrs. Police, you're all under arrest.
13:28Damn it. Damn it, Carl. She was undercover.
13:31Number 9. Coal miners.
13:33While the setup of this sketch makes it seem like a gruff journey to a coal mine, it's actually much
13:39more than that.
13:40The workers end up butting heads with Bill Hader's sassy co-worker, LeVar.
13:44Try 46.
13:47What?
13:49What are you saying? Teddy lies about his age?
13:51I'm not saying nothing. I'm just picking at my coal.
13:56He seems to know all of the hot gossip about the miners, which makes him a hilarious change-up from
14:03the other men.
14:04Hader's performance hinges on amazing line readings and props like baby carrots.
14:09What are you getting at, LeVar?
14:12I ain't getting at nothing except for my baby carrots.
14:18Through all of his revelations, LeVar stirs up trouble between him and the others in the funniest way possible.
14:24The character brings together this absurd skit with an unforgettable monologue.
14:29Well, I play Chris Crangle at the orphanage and let the orphans sit on my lap and ask me for
14:34things they'll never get.
14:36Are those some of the bad things you say about me?
14:40Number 8. Morning news.
14:43It goes without saying that certain subjects are difficult to tackle on comedy shows.
14:47After the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, SNL chose to confront the events from a different angle.
14:54Deep breath, Jenny. Just read the prompter.
14:57Thanks for making us part of your morning, St. Louis. It's time to rise and smile.
15:02But please don't play the jingle.
15:04Get up, start your day.
15:07They use the perspective of television hosts to engage with darkly funny ideas.
15:12Kenan Thompson and Cecily Strong's presenters try to carry on with a happy-go-lucky morning program.
15:17Oh, I just thought of someone that's not us. Let's go to Trisha Darby with a traffic report.
15:23Trisha, how's the traffic out there?
15:25Bad!
15:29This ironic mix only gets worse as they unintentionally reference the unrest in the streets.
15:35Today, we're making a frittata.
15:37Now, to make it healthy, we're only going to use the whites of the eggs.
15:41Use the whole damn egg.
15:42For anyone who loves it when the show takes a chance, this premise represents a tight-wire act that feels
15:47dangerous and funny at the same time.
15:50Number 7. Cool.
15:51Like a sitcom from another planet, this segment pokes fun at comedies with understated acting.
15:57Every actor brings out their most awkward performance, embodying crazed characters that you don't see on an average show.
16:04Can you please just leave, Dougie?
16:11Oops. Did I mess up again?
16:14Kyle Mooney's nerd tries to become cool to impress his neighbors.
16:19More hilarious by the minute, this idea involves some leaps in logic and a gigantic machine straight out of a
16:25sci-fi movie.
16:26Mooney and Beck Bennett show that they're pros at turning any situation into a brilliantly weird premise.
16:32Sure. What's up?
16:34You're very cool now.
16:37The talk is over.
16:44With the inclusion of Ryan Gosling, the sketch really takes off with a dance party.
16:49It all comes together in a funny ending that raises more questions than answers.
16:53I just care about my clothes and what people think about me.
16:55Oh, yeah. Because you only care about being cool. I miss the old Dougie.
17:03Okay, I'll go back to being Dougie.
17:05Number 6. Supermarket Spree
17:08Melissa McCarthy shows off her gift for physical comedy once again in this game show parody.
17:13Choose wisely, because some items have more value than others.
17:17I know! I have a plan!
17:18Now get ready to shop in 3, 2, 1, go!
17:22I have a plan! I have a plan!
17:24Set in a supermarket, she must fill her cart with items to rack up money.
17:29The contestant makes several unorthodox choices that include giant fish and even a deli slicer.
17:35Now what's bad to God? Looks like an industrial deli slicer.
17:39Those things go for about $4,000.
17:42It's especially funny to see her attack her opponent, robbing her in the middle of the round.
17:47McCarthy's player doesn't stop there either, as she goes for the cameraman and the game clock,
17:52making fun of shows like Supermarket Sweep, this bizarre adaptation brings thrills and laughs from start to finish.
17:59Time is almost expired.
18:00And oh no! What's this? Pageant has ripped the game clock off the wall!
18:05Who knows how long this is gonna take, folks!
18:07Number 5. Christmas Romance
18:09Do you love the movie Love Actually?
18:11If you answered yes to that question, then you'll definitely enjoy this homage to an iconic scene from the film.
18:17What are you doing here? My husband's right inside.
18:19Who is it?
18:21Um, it's carol singers!
18:24Pete Davidson's character shows up on a doorstep to woo a woman.
18:28He uses cue cards to perform a romantic gesture that quickly gets out of control.
18:33Davidson starts to reveal crazier messages, including funny non-sequiturs involving skeletons.
18:44At one point, Amy Adams breaks after having to read along with every hilarious line.
18:49The best part of the sketch is the fact that it becomes a real rollercoaster of emotions.
18:58Look, you're sweet, but I'm married and also you're not that sweet, so...
19:03Oh, sure, yeah. That makes perfect sense. Peace!
19:06Number 4. Children's Show
19:08Poking fun at television for kids, this colorful show begins innocently enough with Michael Keaton's host, Toby.
19:15Dance and sing with me!
19:18Your new best friend, Toby!
19:21He and the talking furniture are supposed to be having a good time until the bank comes to repossess everything.
19:28They're taking the house!
19:30Huh?
19:33Uh, it's just... it's just a bunch of bank mumbo-jumbo. It's just not important.
19:38It's a funny twist that becomes much darker with each new revelation, culminating with the furniture being taken away.
19:44Keaton gives the character layers that only make this funnier.
19:48How come we never see the cameras, Toby?
19:53What do you mean?
19:54The television cameras! Where are they?
19:56Even as his character explains the real purpose of the furniture, the actor maintains his composure through an insane plot.
20:03His shocking exit gives the scene one last memorable surprise.
20:07Number 3. Alan
20:09For this sketch, a couple returns home to find a giant gift called Alan.
20:14The glass box features Bill Hader dancing inside and making faces.
20:18It says, press the yellow button to begin enjoying your Alan.
20:25It's a mostly silent performance from the comedian that might be one of his most underrated.
20:30While Vanessa Bayer and Taryn Killam's characters consult the manual,
20:34they learn about all of the complicated lore behind their present.
20:38The whole unit is the Alan.
20:39The glass box is the Alan cube.
20:42The man inside is Keith Alan Croft.
20:45Wait, he has a real last name, so he's like a real man?
20:49Hader keeps smiling and dancing through it all until the skit takes a darkly comedic turn.
20:55The ending features a surprise escape,
20:57making for a funny premise that breaks from tradition in a good way.
21:01No! He's out of the box!
21:04Thanks, Alan, Cora.
21:08Number 2. Cast List
21:10If you were a performer in high school, you'll appreciate this glimpse into the world of theater kids.
21:15A group of excited students waits for their casting assignments from their villainous director, played by Will Ferrell.
21:22I see the sharks are circling the boat.
21:25Oh my god, so funny, Mr. Koenig.
21:29Shut up, Beth.
21:31Full of funny and cringeworthy moments, the ensemble captures the awkwardness of teenagers.
21:36Ferrell's character makes his actors wait in a dramatic scene full of bait and switches.
21:41Conrad Birdie is an Elvis type. Sing something like you've bedded 1,000 women.
21:46Yes, there goes the baker with his tray like always.
21:51By the time the list finally makes it to the board, the performers try not to break as Ferrell bumps
21:56into them.
21:56The outfits, attitudes, and jokes round out this amusing trip back to school.
22:01Oh my god, he double cast it?
22:04We each only get to do one night?
22:06No!
22:09Yes, gorgeous, sweet chaos.
22:12Number 1. Gus Chiggins' Old Prospector
22:15We've got to give Will Ferrell credit for making this absurd skit especially memorable.
22:20His character is part of a military team that's preparing for an operation, but he's not an average soldier.
22:26Top of old boot hell, just follow the dry creek bed, but be careful, there's quicksand.
22:34Gus!
22:35Please!
22:36No! Peaches!
22:38The Prospector comes straight out of an old western film with his accent and delivery.
22:43Ferrell's performance alone makes this a winner, but things get even funnier because of everyone else.
22:49Hey Gus, you even know where we're going?
22:52Oh, pickle shoes, sure I do!
22:55His co-stars like Jimmy Fallon and Tracy Morgan can't help but laugh.
23:00Turning this sketch into a laugh riot, the cast steers this beautiful disaster home alongside the hilarious lead performer.
23:09Oh, sweet Jezebel, why are you so sweet?
23:14I take you down to the market and I put you in my shoes.
23:18Who do you think is the most underrated SNL cast member of all time?
23:22Drop your picks in the comments.
23:25What do I have for you?
23:27It looks like you're so sweet, right?
23:27Do you want to look like this moment.
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