No TV show is safe from an SNL parody! For this list, we’ll be looking at the most hilarious sketches that make fun of any type of TV series.
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00:00Hey man, what you doing?
00:02Nothing, just writing a letter to my sister.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 funniest SNL TV show parodies.
00:12Okay, this is no time to panic. You're in good hands, I've been doing this all my life.
00:16For this list, we're looking at the most hilarious sketches that make fun of any type of TV series.
00:21Did we forget one of your favorite parodies? Let us know in the comments below.
00:27Number 20, Burn Your Enthusiasm. Parodying, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
00:32Bernie Sanders and Larry David might just be the same person.
00:36Or at least, that's what the internet wants to think.
00:39Sweetie, I can't believe how many people are here.
00:43It's a revolution, Jane. Millions of people. If we have a good turnout, we can win Iowa.
00:48Saturday Night Live buys into this theory by casting David as the senator in a parody of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
00:54This has a few signature Larry moments.
00:56Refusing to shake a supporter's hand and not wanting to be bothered by other people's problems.
01:14The combination of both personalities makes for an endless series of jokes about being a stubborn old man.
01:25Seeing Sanders' life turned into an HBO show never fails to be funny.
01:29Giving the writers enough material to create a believable episode of television.
01:33Number 19, The People's Court. Parodying, The People's Court.
01:38Fans of daytime television will love this parody of the long-running court show.
01:42Instead of taking a look at a normal case, the SNL version covers a ridiculous case between a hairdresser and the devil.
01:54I see that it is written in blood.
01:57The joke revolves around a comical deal that the former made with Mephistopheles.
02:01Several details, such as a contract written in blood and other surprises, make this even funnier.
02:07Providing an accurate procedure that mirrors the real program.
02:10They even manage to capture the wild arguments that ensue between defendants and plaintiffs.
02:15What about throwing all that garbage in our yard? What was that?
02:18I did not put garbage in your yard.
02:20Who hit my car in the parking lot? It didn't dent by itself.
02:23Now you listen to me. I'm Mephistopheles, Prince of Darkness.
02:26When I start harassing you, you'll know it.
02:28John Lovitz's pitch-perfect delivery and costume only make this even better.
02:33Obey me! Obey me!
02:37Remember.
02:38Number 18, The Sopranos Diaries. Parodying, The Sopranos and The Carrie Diaries.
02:44Inspired by The Carrie Diaries taking a look at a younger Carrie Bradshaw, SNL applies the same idea to The Sopranos.
02:52Hey, Tom, Silvio.
02:54Whoa, what are you wearing on your face?
02:56The shutter shades. They're totally rad.
02:59They put the characters in high school and have them deal with the fads and fashions of the 80s.
03:04Even though they're teenagers, the cast hasn't lost any of their aggression or need to swear.
03:09I want some money for the soda machine.
03:11What do I look like, a f***ing bank?
03:13The sketch pokes fun at the timeline and the actual logic of the entire concept with fake critic reviews.
03:19Bobby Moynihan deserves specific praise for channeling James Gandolfini's iconic starring performance as Tony Soprano.
03:26Do you wanna go to the dance with me?
03:28I would. I'd like that very much.
03:32That's tubular. I'm gonna moonwalk outta here.
03:36Fans also get to see the head mobster meet his future wife, Carmella, in one of many enjoyable nods to the acclaimed HBO series.
03:43Number 17, Kenan and Kelly. Parodying, Kenan and Kel.
03:48Kids of the 90s will appreciate this trip down memory lane.
03:52The Nickelodeon classic, Kenan and Kel, receives a reboot courtesy of an ecstatic Kiki Palmer.
03:57Whip this place into shape, huh, Kiki?
03:59Because of me, Rigby now sells fresh sushi.
04:03Yeah, maybe too fresh.
04:06Uh, Kelly, I think that salmon you caught might be a piranha.
04:13The host wants to re-envision the plot with herself as a star, bringing in a reluctant Kenan Thompson to go along with her every request.
04:21Things take a turn as Palmer's fandom gets in the way of producing a decent episode.
04:26Her bizarre catchphrases and plot ideas completely change the program's tone in entertaining ways.
04:32My uncle told her to blame me for my daddy leaving. Me!
04:36How you gonna blame a little girl for that man being a coward? Ha!
04:41Uh-oh! Here come the blasts!
04:44With a cameo from Kel Mitchell himself, this parody is both accurate to the original show and willing to make fun of its original glory.
04:51The show is not good, but Jordan Peele called us. He wants us to do a sequel to Nope.
04:57Number 16, MacGruber. Parodying, MacGyver.
05:01Will Forte's dedicated performance makes this TV parody especially funny.
05:06Taking an overdramatic look at MacGyver, the performer tries to defuse a bomb without getting too distracted.
05:12Fifteen seconds!
05:13What are we gonna do, MacGruber?
05:14Okay, first, quick introduction. Everyone, this is Taylor.
05:17Hi.
05:18I met her at a hookah bar in Marina Del Rey.
05:20Just go with it.
05:21Every single episode revolves around the supposed expert falling prey to some other problem.
05:26Playing off of his trusty companions, the star is nowhere near as effective as his 80s counterpart.
05:32Okay, here, MacGruber.
05:33Okay, Vicky, tell the same guy that when he dies, I will scatter his ashes in my toilet and then I will scatter something else over there.
05:40Oh, good. I hope you do.
05:41Good, then I will.
05:42Good.
05:43Good!
05:44Good!
05:45Forte's hilarious presence makes it all work with his complete inability to finish the job.
05:49After the last mission, I heard your concerns and now I'm following all the protocols.
05:54Well, MacGruber, there's a big hole in your mask.
05:56Uh, yeah, so I don't suffocate from all the carbodoxide, duh.
06:01Even though you know it's coming, the ending explosion serves as the perfect punchline to every sketch.
06:07It was such a foolproof idea that it also inspired an uproarious movie.
06:16Anybody who watches the Food Network knows that Chopped is one of their mainstay shows.
06:21You did some great cooking out there. I think either one of us could win.
06:24I think you could win or I could win.
06:28That's what I just said.
06:29It's also the breeding ground for tons of jokes about the format, the individual contestants and the increasingly obscure dishes.
06:36Contestants Leslie Jones and Melissa Villasenor compete in a heightened version of the program with some questionable ingredients.
06:43Georgina had problems, too. Her appetizer was supposed to be an already choked slider.
06:47Yeah, but it was actually just a kitten on a hamburger bun.
06:50All the while, judges like Emma Thompson offer up a dramatic takedown of the laughable food.
06:55The sketch also has the two competitors turn violent with bullets flying across the kitchen.
07:00By the time it comes to a close, there's even a live cat to bring the absurd concept home.
07:05Let me know when the cameras are off.
07:13For this parody of the beloved variety series, Saturday Night Live decides to spotlight two characters that usually interrupt the show.
07:20You all having a good time?
07:25We were, but then you came out.
07:30Statler and Waldorf are the two older puppets that criticize everything from the balcony, but they usually don't receive any pushback.
07:37This sketch sees two security guards confront them several times before things get physical.
07:42Hey, shut up.
07:46Finally, something entertaining is happening.
07:49Keegan-Michael Key beats one of them to a pulp, giving the foam rubber critic two black eyes in the process.
07:55Both Key and Kenan Thompson can barely hold in their laughter as the ornery duo reel from the violence.
08:01It's a shockingly hilarious turn that takes the classic program to its extreme.
08:05Hey, hey, Kramer! Kramer!
08:09What?
08:10Hey, Kramer!
08:13You're stupid.
08:20While the subjects in this recurring parody sketch are deadly serious, the presentation is laugh-out-loud funny.
08:26I was walking along the lake one morning and I saw something floating on the surface.
08:31Ah. Was it Wilson the volleyball?
08:36No, it was an arm.
08:38Ah.
08:40Bill Hader plays a version of narrator Keith Morrison that seems a little too entertained by horrible details.
08:46His character often enjoys hearing victims' families and friends recount their worst moments,
08:51even making odd sounds to show his excitement.
08:54So it was day two and we were surrounded by sharks.
08:57Oh. How was that like?
09:01It was terrible.
09:03Ah.
09:05Hader's vocal inflections and awkward interview skills are just two highlights in this winning concept.
09:10He even finds time to commiserate with the perpetrators of said crimes,
09:14finding ways to push his hilarious reactions to the limit.
09:17What can I say? I like to kill.
09:20Kill like a comedian at the Apollo?
09:23No, like murder.
09:25Ah.
09:27It's one of many examples of Hader's incredible comedic instincts and impression skills.
09:37If you love the British version of The Office and J.R.R. Tolkien, you're sure to love this sketch.
09:42Yeah, so the brave hobbit Bilbo Baggins now works at a paper company,
09:48selling paper moons over the phone.
09:52And I drive a Jetta.
09:54The classic comedy series receives a pitch-perfect mash-up with The Hobbit franchise.
09:58With Office star Martin Freeman reprising his role as Bilbo,
10:02the premise accurately depicts the grind of Office culture.
10:05You seen your room lately?
10:07No. No. Where is it? Where is it?
10:12Oh, haha, hilarious. Very funny.
10:15Bobby Moynihan's David Brent feels especially inspired when combined with mighty wizard Gandalf.
10:20Other characters, like Gollum, populate the workplace,
10:23becoming targets for pranks and all sorts of nods to the acclaimed sitcom.
10:27There's also a holiday party that takes a turn after Moynihan's wizard starts to dance.
10:32From hilarious testimonials to great set design and character moments,
10:36this sketch has more than enough to satisfy fans of both franchises.
10:41Thou shall not pass!
10:45Goss.
10:52As iconic as this sketch is,
10:54some people forget that it's a parody of the documentary series Behind the Music.
10:58By the way, my name is Bruce Dickinson.
11:01Yes, THE Bruce Dickinson.
11:04And I gotta tell you, fellas, you have got what appears to be a dynamite sound.
11:09This particular program follows Blue Oyster Cult during their recording of Don't Fear the Reaper.
11:14Will Ferrell really plays the cowbell after some encouragement from producer Christopher Walken.
11:19Uh, are you sure that was sounding okay?
11:21I'll be honest, fellas, it was sounding great, but I could have used a little more cowbell.
11:28Both performers bring total dedication and energy to this sketch,
11:31with Ferrell's legendary moves almost derailing the sketch for being so outrageous.
11:37By the time Walken comes back with an iconic line,
11:40half of the cast is already holding back laughter.
11:50It also stands as an incredibly funny look at the show that captures bands at their breaking point.
12:00Well, Jon Snow is dead.
12:03Yes, he's dead for good.
12:05There is no escaping the wild popularity that is HBO's television adaptation
12:10of George R.R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire.
12:13Being one of the top intellectual properties in pop culture today,
12:17this, of course, opens the door to criticism.
12:19And in this case, zany ridicule.
12:22First, I must wash his body.
12:24That's part of the magic for sure.
12:27Not yet.
12:29Poking fun at Jon Snow's resurrection,
12:32SNL's version of the scene begins to play out almost identically to how it does in the show.
12:36Only this time, two others in attendance repeatedly interrupt the dramatic revival.
12:41Jon's resurrection is meant to be an epic moment,
12:43so it's incredibly hilarious for every dramatic high to be continually undercut by the two women,
12:48one of whom is played by host Brie Larson,
12:50just wanting to speed things up and get them over with.
13:01Captain Kirk.
13:04Yes, Mr. Spock?
13:07Jon Belushi takes command of the Enterprise as an even more eccentric and delirious Captain Kirk,
13:12if that was even possible, in this satirical crack at the original Star Trek series.
13:16Literally no element of the show is left without a gag,
13:19as phasers, beamers, evasive maneuvers,
13:22and both Spock and Kirk's quirky characteristics have a joke written around them.
13:26And the little blue and orange numbers?
13:28That's called a California license plate,
13:31and it's registered, or was in 1968, to a corporation known as NBC.
13:36The most outlandish and hilarious part is near the end of the skit,
13:39when Kirk and his crew come into contact with Herb Goodman, head of the network.
13:43In an extremely meta situation, Kirk faces off against his greatest enemy, low ratings.
13:49Matters escalate quickly as we watch the set of the show shut down,
13:53all with Kirk slash Shatner never returning to reality.
13:57So that's how it is, huh? Just me, huh?
14:04Can I just say something? As the princess of Arizona...
14:09While there are certainly a large number of fans of this extremely energetic daytime talk show,
14:14there are an equal number of detractors who feel it's nothing more than minutes on end of ear-ringing bickering.
14:19SNL recognizes this fact, pulling no punches whatsoever
14:23and taking playful jabs at each of the leading ladies on the program.
14:27Well, can you let me finish?
14:28Well, can you let me talk?
14:29Well, can you let me finish?
14:30Well, can you let me talk? Because it's actually your job to listen to me.
14:35Utilizing their excessive rants, feelings of authority towards each other
14:39and exaggerated factual claims to get their points across to great comedic effect,
14:43SNL really knocked it out of the park with this sketch.
14:46You know you did a parody right,
14:48when even the members of The View themselves say they enjoyed the satire of their tirades.
14:57So Alyssa, tell me about yourself. I mean, who is Alyssa?
15:01The Bachelor is a popular point of parody for SNL,
15:04as seen in their literal shot-for-shock mockery of the season finale from that year.
15:08Arguably the best stab taken at it was when SNL switched tuxedos for overalls
15:13in an exaggeration of the competitive lengths that the ladies will go to
15:16in order to capture the affection of a farmer heartthrob.
15:19In Iowa you can't teach, there's no schools in my town.
15:24I love that.
15:25The women, clearly having little clue what they're talking about,
15:28ask him absurdly obvious questions.
15:31Even more hilarious are the statements that should obviously be turn-offs he makes,
15:35all while the ladies continue to stare at him with googly eyes,
15:38spoofing how agreeable the women on the actual show are and how much they like that.
15:43My town is really ugly and stinky and far away from things.
15:47I love that.
15:48Number 6. Undercover Boss, Starkiller Base.
15:51Parodying Undercover Boss.
15:53You get so caught up in restoring the galaxy to its rightful state
15:57that you miss what's going on behind the scenes.
15:59The Force Awakens was crushing the box office a few years back,
16:03just like how Kylo Ren was crushing the universe with the might of his military.
16:07But have you ever wondered what it takes to run a military like the First Order?
16:10SNL did, and they tackled the thought with this offbeat combination of
16:14Undercover Boss and a galaxy far, far away.
16:17Hi, I'm Matt. I'm a radar technician.
16:22Kylo, played by his real-life actor Adam Driver,
16:25disguises himself as Matt to interact with his employees,
16:28which provides him with new insight as to how everything works on a day-to-day basis.
16:32It's such a funny use of the reality TV show
16:35that we partly wish Star Wars would adopt the idea as a limited miniseries
16:39or something to that effect.
16:41That thing looks dangerous, man.
16:43Poorly made, like a little kid made it.
16:45Then you don't have to look at it anymore!
16:52I'm sorry I don't look my best,
16:54but my mustache fluffer is out sick today.
16:57The long-running American game show
16:59pitting two families against each other for an assortment of luxurious prizes
17:03has had its fair share of funny moments and awkward situations.
17:06Well now, how about we take the exact same premise
17:09and put it into a show whose entire purpose is to be funny?
17:12The world came to know my voice and lay miserable.
17:15You may remember my song.
17:17I love you to a double single one!
17:20SNL's take on the feud is to have celebrities take on each other
17:23over a bevy of brain-bending questions.
17:26The catch is, the celebs on the show aren't actually themselves,
17:29but rather other famous actors and comedians
17:31playing satirical versions of themselves,
17:33resulting in a wickedly funny recurring SNL skit.
17:37Family Feud isn't the only game show SNL poked fun at,
17:40but we'll get to that later.
17:41Drake, the spotlight is yours.
17:44Is it?
17:58In the real episode of The Walking Dead,
18:00the sadistic villain Negan lines up many of the principal cast of characters
18:04and savagely kills off a couple of them.
18:06It was a shocking moment for fans of the series,
18:09so naturally SNL saw an opportunity to take a suspenseful moment
18:12and perform a 180-degree flip,
18:15turning it into complete and utter lunacy.
18:18You can breathe.
18:20You can blink.
18:22You can cry.
18:24The comedic chops of funnyman Dave Chappelle,
18:26who in this case portrays Negan,
18:27makes a buffoonery out of the once-tenth sequence,
18:30with Rick's gang being swapped out for characters
18:32that were once on Dave's own show,
18:34such as Tyrone Biggums and Clayton Bigsby.
18:37You'll never see the original the same way again.
18:39I only got two months until they take away my health care.
18:42Body, if you will.
18:51Hey man, what you doing?
18:53As if the original scene that aired during the season 2 finale of teen drama The O.C.
18:57wasn't unintentionally hilarious enough,
18:59SNL cranks it up to 11,
19:01making things more outrageous than ever.
19:04Utilizing the Imogen Heap song to drive the comedy forward,
19:07the entirety of the skit is essentially just repeating the same gag over and over again.
19:11But it works wonderfully.
19:13As the story unfolds, we are holding our sides with laughter,
19:16anticipating when the song will kick in,
19:18and when the ludicrous amount of shooting occurs again.
19:21To top things all off is a brilliant ending
19:23that actually pokes fun at the SNL skit itself,
19:26satirizing how out of control the situation became.
19:33Got ourselves a bloodbath.
19:37Parodying Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
19:39Would you be mine?
19:41Could you be mine?
19:44The wicked wit of Eddie Murphy was on rapid fire at the height of his stand-up career,
19:48and his appearances on SNL were no exception.
19:51The most notable skit he produced was arguably the obvious spoof
19:54of the popular children's television show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
19:58Do you know where drums come from?
20:00From Africa.
20:03He portrayed his interpretation of the character
20:05with the same amount of cheer and friendliness as the original,
20:08as well as with a spicy amount of sarcastic
20:10and sly cracks at social commentary and racial issues.
20:13It functioned literally as a more mature take on Mr. Rogers,
20:16offering observations about the world around us,
20:18but with a far more blunt, mature perspective.
20:21Sometimes the truth is darn funny.
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20:51This recurring sketch on SNL targets the long-running brain-puzzling game show Jeopardy,
20:55and with numerous versions of the scenario over the years,
20:58it's hard to pick the absolute funniest.
21:00There have been several notable appearances of celebrities
21:03portraying other celebrities in a variety of outlandish skits.
21:06For our money, Will Ferrell playing the host Alex Trebek
21:09in a hilarious conversation with comedian Daryl Hammond's Sean Connery impersonation
21:13was one for the all-time comedy record books.
21:25This twist on the classic game show is definitely one of SNL's best,
21:28and that's not even mentioning their Black Jeopardy variant of the spoof.
21:44Do you agree with our picks?
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