10 Best SNL Sketches, Ranked by YouTube Views

Long before videos could ‘go viral’ online, this show’s sketches became famous simply because fans told each other about them. Occasionally, reruns or ‘best of’ specials on TV also helped spread their popularity.

Everything shifted in December 2005 with the release of the “Lazy Sunday” sketch. This funny rap song, created by Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell (along with Samberg’s comedy group, The Lonely Island, who joined SNL that season – Samberg as a performer, and Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer as writers) quickly became a hit on YouTube. Fans unofficially uploaded the song, and it gained over six million views. Although NBC had those videos taken down, it became clear that YouTube was the go-to platform for viral comedy.

In 2013, Saturday Night Live started its official YouTube channel, immediately uploading more than 2,500 clips from its 38 seasons. The channel quickly became incredibly popular, now boasting over 16 million subscribers. It’s fascinating to see which sketches get the most views, though older clips don’t get as much attention – the oldest sketch in the top ten is from 2004. Even the famous “Lazy Sunday” sketch has only reached six million views. Looking at the most popular sketches, you’ll notice they share a common thread. View counts are current as of February 22, 2026.

10. Teacher Trial (42 Million Views)

This Saturday Night Live sketch from 2016 features Pete Davidson as Gavin Daly, a 16-year-old student giving testimony in the trial of his two former teachers (played by the week’s host and Cecily Strong). Kate McKinnon portrays Gavin’s mother, who is horrified by the teachers’ exploitation of her son.

The humor comes from Gavin cheerfully admitting to having relationships with both of his teachers. During questioning by the defense lawyer, Taran Killam, he hilariously recounts how thrilled he was when one teacher invited him to her home for what turned into a private study session with the other. Even the judge, played by Kenan Thompson, seems amused by the teenager’s story.

9. New Disney Movie (44 Million Views)

In 2016, Saturday Night Live parodied Disney’s trend of turning animated classics into live-action films. They created a live-action version of Bambi, but reimagined it as if it were an action movie from the Fast and Furious franchise.

This week’s host, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, appears as himself in a hilarious take on Bambi. He’s a deer seeking revenge on the hunters who killed his mother. He’s joined by Vin Diesel (played by Taran Killam as Thumper), Tyrese Gibson (as Flower, played by Jay Pharoah), and Michele Rodriguez (as Faline, played by Cecily Strong – helpfully identified as “the girl Bambi”). The movie’s slogan is “Get Bucked.”

8. SNL40: Celebrity Jeopardy (48 Million Views)

It’s noteworthy that Saturday Night Live didn’t begin posting to YouTube until 2013. This means the original Celebrity Jeopardy sketches, featuring Will Ferrell, had all aired before the show’s YouTube channel even existed. As a result, the first Celebrity Jeopardy sketch from 1996 has 12 million views, while the 40th anniversary version has four times that amount.

This sketch is a celebration of celebrity impressions. Darrell Hammond does Sean Connery, Norm MacDonald plays Burt Reynolds, and Will Ferrell portrays Alex Trebek. Kate McKinnon, Alec Baldwin, Taran Killam, and Jim Carrey also join in, doing impressions of Justin Bieber, Tony Bennett, Christoph Waltz, and Matthew McConaughey, respectively.

7. Celebrity Jeopardy! Kathie Lee, Tom Hanks, Sean Connery, Burt Reynolds (50 Million Views)

Aside from the recent 40th Anniversary Special, the last time Celebrity Jeopardy! appeared as a sketch on Saturday Night Live was in 2009, with Will Ferrell as host. The idea for the sketch originally came from Norm MacDonald, who intended it as a humorous commentary on the perceived lack of intelligence among celebrities.

As the sketch went on, both Norm MacDonald’s impression of Burt Reynolds and Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery started developing funny, repeating bits. While MacDonald originally loved doing his Reynolds impression and it was the first to appear in multiple sketches, Hammond’s Connery eventually became the main focus of the impersonations.

Hammond, playing Sean Connery, was constantly bickering with Ferrell’s Alex Trebek. A running gag from the original sketch involved Connery misreading category names – for example, he’d say “The Rapists” instead of “Therapists.” Meanwhile, Reynolds’ character would get progressively more aggressive, even going so far as to change his name to “Turd Ferguson.”

This sketch revisited several previous jokes and featured a special appearance by Tom Hanks, who playfully impersonated himself. Kristen Wiig portrayed Kathie Lee Gifford, and later in the sketch, Norm MacDonald surprisingly appeared as Burt Reynolds.

6. Close Encounter (66 Million Views)

This sketch first appeared in an episode from 2015 and became a recurring favorite. It features interviews with three people who claim to have been abducted by aliens. The first two, played by Cecily Strong and the episode’s host, describe positive experiences. However, the third interviewee, a character named Colleen Rafferty, recounts a terrifying ordeal.

Kate McKinnon’s recurring sketch with Ryan Gosling, where she played an alien abductee named Colleen Rafferty, was famous for being so funny that it consistently made the host break character. The first sketch with Gosling is the most well-known example – he couldn’t stop laughing! The sketch was performed seven times in total, and McKinnon considered it her farewell when she left SNL, as it was her last appearance as Colleen with the aliens. She later returned to perform it two more times: once when Gosling hosted again in 2024, and once during the SNL 50th Anniversary Special, where Meryl Streep played Colleen’s mother. Cecily Strong did not participate in the final two performances of the sketch.

5. Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base (70 Million Views)

It’s not surprising this sketch from January 2016 was so popular. Adam Driver had recently become famous for playing the villain Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which came out a month earlier and kicked off Disney’s new Star Wars trilogy. As a result, Driver was getting a lot of attention back then.

The sketch is hilarious! It’s a spoof of the reality show Undercover Boss, where a company’s leader goes undercover as a new employee to see what their workers truly think. In this case, Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren disguised as “Matt,” a radar technician at Starkiller Base – but everyone realizes it’s him in disguise. This sketch was a highlight when Driver hosted the show again in 2020.

4. Spider-Man Kiss (74 Million Views)

This sketch from 2014 was particularly notable because it featured not only that week’s host, Andrew Garfield, but also his co-star from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Emma Stone. The two actors were dating at the time, having first met in 2010 while auditioning for The Amazing Spider-Man.

I still crack up thinking about that SNL episode! It aired right when Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out, and there’s this hilarious scene where Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone had to film a really important kiss for their characters, Peter and Gwen. The funny part is, they admitted they didn’t really know how to kiss for the cameras! They tried all sorts of goofy kisses on each other, which was great physical comedy. But then, Chris Martin, who was the musical guest that night, ended up stepping in to direct the kiss… and ended up kissing Andrew himself! It was such an unexpected and funny moment.

3. Harry Potter: Hermione Growth Spurt (79 Million Views)

The earliest sketch featured comes from 2004, when Lindsay Lohan hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time. That same episode also debuted the famous Debbie Downer sketch. Looking back, it’s strange to see how much of the show focused on Lohan’s appearance, especially since she was only 17 years old at the time (and would turn 18 just a few months later). In her opening monologue, Chris Parnell even jokes about waiting until she’s 18.

This sketch features Harry Potter and his friends returning to Hogwarts. Over the summer, Hermione has grown taller, and the rest of the sketch revolves around Harry, Ron, Fred, and George awkwardly trying to notice her chest.

2. Black Jeopardy With Tom Hanks (85 Million Views)

I first saw the “Black Jeopardy” sketch back in 2014, and it quickly became a favorite! It’s presented like a special version of Jeopardy! specifically for a Black audience, supposedly created to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary. They even joke that it’s filmed in someone’s apartment instead of a fancy studio! What I love most is that all the categories and questions play on familiar stereotypes about working-class African American life. And of course, the host, Darnell Hayes, played brilliantly by Kenan Thompson, and the two regular contestants, Amir and Keeley, are all fantastic and really bring the sketch to life.

After Jay Pharoah’s departure in 2016, Leslie Jones joined as a recurring contestant on the show. Chris Reed later became a regular player, following Zamata’s exit. This edition also included a memorable appearance by Tom Hanks, who played Doug, a Donald Trump supporter. Doug unexpectedly connected with the other contestants until the final round, when the category was “Lives That Matter.”

1. Porn Teacher (108 Million Views)

The most popular “Saturday Night Live” sketch ever on YouTube is from 2015 and features Amy Schumer, who was hosting that week. In the sketch, she plays a porn star filming a scene for “Hot for Teacher 8” and attempts to have sex with her co-star, Kyle Mooney, who is acting as her student.

The sketch features Aidy Bryant as a teenager who genuinely thinks she’s in an algebra class – her mom mentions they were hesitant about the school being located in an office building. She repeatedly interrupts the performers with questions about schoolwork, which is funny. It does make you wonder, though, how many kids watching might have been searching for similar things online.

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2026-02-22 00:11