The BEST episodes of Saturday Night Live season 23

Every episode of Saturday Night Live season 23, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Saturday Night Live season 23!

Each week, a famous guest host appears in sketches and parodies alongside a roster of up-and-coming comedians. A popular musical guest, short films, and Weekend Update - a recurring satirical newscast - form the backbone of one of the most influential and culturally significant TV shows in history.

Last Updated: 12/14/2024Network: NBCStatus: Continuing
Chris Farley/The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
star
8.33
3 votes

#1 - Chris Farley/The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Season 23 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/1997

Sketches include ""Farley Gets Permission to Host,"" ""Morning Latte,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker,"" ""Goth Talk,"" ""The Sally Show,"" ""Monday Night Football Song,"" ""Superfans,"" and ""El Niño.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Sarah Michelle Gellar/Portishead
star
8.00
4 votes

#2 - Sarah Michelle Gellar/Portishead

Season 23 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/17/1998

Sketches include ""Ted Kazinsky,"" ""The View,"" ""John Gray's Inspirational Tapes,"" ""Dysfunctional Family Argues Over Dinner,"" ""CBS World of Sports,"" ""Goth Talk,"" ""The Robin Byrd Show,"" and ""The Tiger Beat Ultra Super Duper Dreamy Love Show.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Matthew Broderick/Natalie Merchant
star
7.50
2 votes

#3 - Matthew Broderick/Natalie Merchant

Season 23 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/2/1998

Sketches include ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""The View,"" ""The Zimmermans,"" ""Pretty Living,"" ""The Celine Dion Show,"" ""Prime Minister's Questions,"" ""Limousine Rides,"" and ""Comic Minds.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Brendan Fraser/Bjork
star
7.00
2 votes

#4 - Brendan Fraser/Bjork

Season 23 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/18/1997

Sketches include ""Janet Reno,"" ""Xena: Warrior Princess,"" ""Issues,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""Crazy Lady Gets Prescription Filled,"" and ""Mango.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Rudy Giuliani/Sarah McLachlan
star
7.00
1 votes

#5 - Rudy Giuliani/Sarah McLachlan

Season 23 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/22/1997

Sketches include ""Rudy Giuliani and Colin Quinn,"" ""Nightline with Saddam Hussein,"" ""Rita Delvechio,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""The Joe Pesci Show,"" ""Friggin' Giuliani,"" ""Janet Reno's Dance Party,"" ""Colin Quinn Explains the New York Times,"" and ""Perspectives.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Roma Downey/Missy Elliot
star
7.00
1 votes

#6 - Roma Downey/Missy Elliot

Season 23 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/14/1998

Sketches include ""Nightline,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Press Conference with Catherine II,"" ""Martha Stewart Living,"" ""CBS Olympics,"" ""Riding My Donkey: Political Talk Show,"" ""Fran,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" and ""Lou's Lovely Daughters.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Scott Wolf/Natalie Imbruglia
star
7.00
3 votes

#7 - Scott Wolf/Natalie Imbruglia

Season 23 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/7/1998

Sketches include ""Larry King Live,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""The Celine Dion Show,"" ""Party of Five,"" ""Re-Enactment Awards,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Issues,"" and ""College Singers.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
David Duchovny/Puff Daddy
star
7.00
2 votes

#8 - David Duchovny/Puff Daddy

Season 23 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/9/1998

Sketches include ""Janet Reno,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Mango,"" ""Oprah Meets Goat Boy,"" and ""To the Moon and Back.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Steve Buscemi/Third Eye Blind
star
6.83
6 votes

#9 - Steve Buscemi/Third Eye Blind

Season 23 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/4/1998

Sketches include ""Viewers Choose Clinton Coverage,"" ""Alice in Wonderland,"" ""Morning Latte,"" ""Goth Talk,"" ""Stuff We Made,"" ""Judge Judy,"" ""Job Interviews,"" and ""I Took a Gay Guy to the Prom.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Greg Kinnear/All Saints
star
6.67
3 votes

#10 - Greg Kinnear/All Saints

Season 23 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/11/1998

Sketches include ""Martha Stewart,"" ""Name That Dog!,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Restaurant,"" ""House of Dogs,"" ""Nightline,"" ""Pirate Ship,"" and ""The Robin Byrd Show.""

Watch Now:Apple TV
Samuel L. Jackson/Ben Folds Five
star
6.50
2 votes

#11 - Samuel L. Jackson/Ben Folds Five

Season 23 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/10/1998

Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include: The Clinton Movie, Lemon Glow, Publisher's Clearing House Go To The Ghetto, Quentin Tarantino's ""Pulp Fiction"" Auditions, Jazzterpieces, Judge Judy, TV Funhouse: George Clooney's ""Speed Racer"", Black People on the Titanic, Mango and Monroe, The Weston Collection, The Learning Annex, and The Playboy Channel Ben Folds Five performs: ""Brick""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Julianne Moore/Backstreet Boys
star
6.50
2 votes

#12 - Julianne Moore/Backstreet Boys

Season 23 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/14/1998

Sketches include ""Titanic,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""Barbara Walters,"" ""TV Funhouse: Conspiracy Theory Rock"", ""Pretty Living,"" ""Terrence Maddox in Art Class,"" ""Liza,"" and ""Shirtless Bible Salesman."" The NBC and syndicated reruns of this episode do not have the TV Funhouse: Conspiracy Theory Rock cartoon.

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Garth Brooks (1)
star
6.50
2 votes

#13 - Garth Brooks (1)

Season 23 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/28/1998

Sketches include ""Bill Clinton, Sadam Hussein, Monica Lewinsky, and Tim Meadows on the Phone,"" ""Cowboys,"" ""Mango,"" ""Oprah,"" ""Old French Whore!,"" ""Who's More Grizzled!?,"" ""Goat Boy,"" ""Neverending Movie Previews,"" and ""Bart Leslie Sings for Mr. Preston.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
John Goodman/Paula Cole
star
6.50
4 votes

#14 - John Goodman/Paula Cole

Season 23 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/7/1998

Sketches include ""Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky,"" ""Morning Latte,"" ""The Ten Commandments with Bill Clinton,"" ""CBS Olympics,"" ""Emeril Live,"" ""Judge Judy,"" ""Martha Stewart,"" ""Sabado Chistoso,"" ""When Cobras Attack,"" and ""Storytellers with Neil Diamond.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Jon Lovitz/Jane's Addiction
star
6.25
4 votes

#15 - Jon Lovitz/Jane's Addiction

Season 23 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/8/1997

Sketches include ""Rival Billionaires,"" ""Fred the Baker,"" ""Larry King's Wedding,"" ""Win a Year with Jewel,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""The Late Show with David Letterman,"" and ""The Robin Byrd Show,"" and ""Save Our Nanny."" Jane's Addiction performs ""Jane Says.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Sylvester Stallone/Jamiroquai
star
6.00
3 votes

#16 - Sylvester Stallone/Jamiroquai

Season 23 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/27/1997

Sketches include ""Oprah's Book Club,"" ""Rita Delvechio,"" ""Car Accident with Sylvester Stallone,"" ""Roxbury Guys,"" ""Janet Reno,"" ""Computer Store,"" ""Planet Hollywood,"" and ""Lou's Lovely Daughters.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Matthew Perry/Oasis
star
6.00
4 votes

#17 - Matthew Perry/Oasis

Season 23 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/4/1997

Sketches include ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Sarcasm 101,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""Space the Infinite Frontier with Harry Caray,"" ""Goat Boy,"" ""Friends,"" and ""Good Morning with Liza.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Nathan Lane/Metallica
star
6.00
4 votes

#18 - Nathan Lane/Metallica

Season 23 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/6/1997

Sketches include ""Well Babies Tragedy,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""The Quiet Storm,"" ""Sister Wendy Beckett's Art Odyssey,"" ""The History of Vaudeville,"" ""Vance and Miss Milo,"" and ""Santa Claus the Ex-Convict.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Helen Hunt/Hanson
star
5.20
5 votes

#19 - Helen Hunt/Hanson

Season 23 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/20/1997

Sketches include ""The Culps,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""Baseball Wish,"" ""Roxbury Guys,"" ""Joan Rivers,"" ""Burt Renolds Christmas,"" ""ChristmaSoft with Bill Gates,"" and ""Hanson in an Elevator.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV
Claire Danes/Mariah Carey
star
0.00
0 votes

#20 - Claire Danes/Mariah Carey

Season 23 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/15/1997

Sketches include ""Bill and Hillary Clinton,"" ""Barry Scheck's Apartment,"" ""The View,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Peter Pan,"" ""Mr. Peepers,"" ""CEO Dreamboats Magazine,"" and ""The Louvre.""

Writer: Tina Fey
Watch Now:Apple TV