The BEST episodes of Saturday Night Live season 26

Every episode of Saturday Night Live season 26, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Saturday Night Live season 26!

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: 10/31/2024Network: NBCStatus: Continuing
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Conan O'Brien/Don Henley
star
9.61
33 votes

#1 - Conan O'Brien/Don Henley

Season 26 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/10/2001

Live from New York, it's...Will Ferrell Sketches include: Bush's Good Health, Subshack, The Boston Teens At The Liquor Store, Moleculo: The Molecular Man, Napster Testimony, Taint-less Ted, Find The Black People At The Knicks Game, VH-1 Diva-Thon, Democratic National Committee, and Sports Century: The White Boxer Don Henley performs: ""Everything is Different Now"" and ""Heart of the Matter"" (the second performance was cut on the NBC rerun and replaced with a DeMarco Bros. sketch where Chris Parnell, Chris Kattan, and Conan O'Brien audition for Don Henley)

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Mena Suvari/Lenny Kravitz
star
9.33
3 votes

#2 - Mena Suvari/Lenny Kravitz

Season 26 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/20/2001

Sketches include ""Bill Clinton,"" ""Airport Metal Detector,"" ""Janet Reno's Dance Party, ""Rap Street,"" ""Veronica & Co.,"" and ""The DeMarco Brothers.""

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Alec Baldwin/Coldplay
star
8.50
2 votes

#3 - Alec Baldwin/Coldplay

Season 26 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/7/2001

Sketches include ""George W. Bush,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""Military Soldier,"" ""Inside the Actor's Studio,"" ""Robert Goulet,"" ""Democrats.""

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Charlize Theron/Paul Simon
star
8.33
3 votes

#4 - Charlize Theron/Paul Simon

Season 26 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/4/2000

Live From New York, it's...Will Ferrell Sketches include: ""A Glimpse of our Possible Future: George W. Bush"", ""TRL"", ""A Glimpse of our Possible Future: Al Gore and Bill Clinton"", ""Goth Talk: The Blair Witch Tour"", ""TV Funhouse: The All-New Adventures of Mr. T"", ""Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe On 'The Seven Year Itch'"", ""Sex Therapy With Mr. Peepers"", ""A Glimpse of our Possible Future: Ralph Nader"", ""The DeMarco Brothers Audition For Paul Simon"", ""Robert Goulet's Rap Album"", and ""The Perverted Spanish Singers"" Paul Simon performs: ""Hurricane Eye"" and ""Old"" NBC and syndicated reruns use a dress rehearsal version of ""A Glimpse of our Possible Future: Ralph Nader"" (see notes to find differences between dress rehearsal version and live show version)

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Julia Stiles/Aerosmith
star
8.33
3 votes

#5 - Julia Stiles/Aerosmith

Season 26 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/17/2001

Sketches include ""Martha Stewart Living,"" ""Wake Up Wakefield,"" ""Post Office Security,"" ""Suel Forrester,"" ""Foreign Cleaning Ladies,"" ""Amateur Night,"" and ""Der Lachlen Berrherscht.""

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Charlie Sheen/Nelly Furtado
star
8.25
4 votes

#6 - Charlie Sheen/Nelly Furtado

Season 26 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/13/2001

Sketches include ""Dick Cheney,"" ""Iron Chef,"" ""Eric Dickerson's NFL Pre-Game Special,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Patsy March,"" ""Giving Birth to a Grown Man,"" ""T.G.I. Friday's Obnoxious Waiter,"" and ""Charlie and Fleisy.""

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Val Kilmer/U2
star
8.00
3 votes

#7 - Val Kilmer/U2

Season 26 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/9/2000

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: Gore's Lawsuit, Wade Blasingame: Dog Lawyer, Behind The Music, Palm Beach, Veronica and Co., Seasons Greetings From SNL, Doing Voices, The Tyson Bros., and Corn Chip Nails (from the Rob Lowe/Eminem and Dido episode) U2 performs: ""Beautiful Day"" and ""Elevation""

Pierce Brosnan/Destiny's Child
star
7.67
3 votes

#8 - Pierce Brosnan/Destiny's Child

Season 26 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/5/2001

Sketches include ""George W. Bush,"" ""Gemini's Twin,"" ""The Weakest Link,"" ""Jeffrey's,"" ""Psycho Boss,"" ""The West Wing,"" ""The Soldiers of World War II,"" and ""Paradise Lounge.""

Lara Flynn Boyle/Bon Jovi
star
7.50
2 votes

#9 - Lara Flynn Boyle/Bon Jovi

Season 26 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/12/2001

Live from New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include: ""Dick Cheney's Health,"" ""The Fake Doctor's Office,"" ""Corn Chip Nails"" (from the Rob Lowe/Eminem and Dido episode), ""The DeMarco Brothers Audition For Bon Jovi,"" ""MTV Cribs: Robert Downey, Jr.,"" ""Lara Flynn Boyle's Save The Starving Actresses,"" ""The Scarlet Letter,"" ""MSNBC Investigates The Golden Girls,"" ""Wake Up Wakefield,"" ""A Message From Shaquille O'Neal,"" and ""The Bloder Brothers."" Bon Jovi performs: ""My Life"" and ""You Give Love A Bad Name""

Renee Zellweger/Eve
star
7.50
2 votes

#10 - Renee Zellweger/Eve

Season 26 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/14/2001

Sketches include ""The Culps,"" ""Jerry Maguire 2,"" ""Hardball,"" ""A Wedding Story,"" ""Blind Date,"" and ""Crazy Doctor.""

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Dana Carvey/The Wallflowers
star
7.50
4 votes

#11 - Dana Carvey/The Wallflowers

Season 26 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/21/2000

Live From New York, it's...Dana Carvey Sketches include: ""The Third Presidental Debate"", ""Magic Mouth"", ""Delicious Dish"", ""Church Chat"", ""Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. Go Hunting"", ""VH-1 Vogue Fashion Awards"", and ""Ching Chang's Chicken Play"" The Wallflowers perform: ""Sleepwalker"" and ""Hand Me Down"" (a third performance is done by guest Baha Men)

Jennifer Lopez
star
7.14
7 votes

#12 - Jennifer Lopez

Season 26 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/10/2001

Sketches include ""Will Ferrell and Jennifer Lopez,"" ""Mango,"" ""Gemini's Twin,"" ""Fly Girls,"" ""Good Morning Bronx,"" ""Jeanie Darcy,"" and ""Lana Thornberry.""

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Kate Hudson/Radiohead
star
7.00
3 votes

#13 - Kate Hudson/Radiohead

Season 26 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/14/2000

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell (again!) Sketches include ""The Second Presidential Debate"", ""College Girl's Wild Spring Break"", ""TV Funhouse: The X-Presidents"", ""Inside The Actor's Studio: Drew Barrymore"", ""The Boston Teens Meet Nomar"", ""Meet The Press"", ""Japanese Laverne and Shirley (Rabun to Shuri)"", and ""Vote Sober 2000"" Radiohead performs: ""The National Anthem"" and ""Idioteque""

Calista Flockhart/Ricky Martin
star
7.00
1 votes

#14 - Calista Flockhart/Ricky Martin

Season 26 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/11/2000

Sketches include ""The Presidental Odd Couple,"" ""Cracklin' Oat Flakes--Now With Ecstacy"", ""The Culps At Palm Beach,"" ""Nick Burns,"" ""Al Gore Explains Chads,"" ""Crocodile Hunter and His Wife,"" ""Ladies and Cocktails,"" and ""CBS Sports."" Ricky Martin performs: ""She Bangs"" and ""Loaded""

Sean Hayes/Shaggy
star
7.00
1 votes

#15 - Sean Hayes/Shaggy

Season 26 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/17/2001

Sketches include ""George W. Bush,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""Hardball,"" ""Jeffrey's,"" ""Hello Dolly,"" ""Fashion Week,"" ""Action News,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""Brian Fellow's Safari Planet,"" and ""Talkin' 'Bout 'Ginas.""

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Katie Holmes/Dave Matthews Band
star
7.00
4 votes

#16 - Katie Holmes/Dave Matthews Band

Season 26 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/24/2001

Sketches include ""The Clinton Family,"" ""Mr. Peepers,"" ""Drew Barrymore and Tom Green,"" ""Lovers,"" ""Jarret's Room,"" ""Tough as Nails,"" and ""Cruise Ship Lovers.""

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Rob Lowe/Eminem
star
6.75
4 votes

#17 - Rob Lowe/Eminem

Season 26 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/7/2000

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include ""The First Presidential Debate,"" ""Corn Chip Nails"", ""Backstage SNL: Rob Lowe Meets Ralph Nader"", ""Scooby Doo and Shaggy on Court TV"", ""Monday Night Football"", ""Blind Date At The Airport"", ""Dream Team 2000"", ""Chris Kattan Olympic Profile,"" and ""Dateline"". Eminem performed ""Stan"" (with Dido) and ""The Real Slim Shady.""

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Christopher Walken/Weezer
star
6.67
3 votes

#18 - Christopher Walken/Weezer

Season 26 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/19/2001

Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include ""A Message From Mayor Giuliani,"" ""Leon Loves Mango,"" ""Hardball,"" ""The Continental,"" ""Porch Lovers,"" ""Dirty Centaur Job Interview,"" ""TV Funhouse: The Anatominals/Lorne Michaels and The Devil"", ""Memorial Day Song"", and ""Badger Up The Boss's Butt"" Weezer performs: ""Hash Pipe"" and ""Island on the Sun""

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Lucy Liu/Jay-Z
star
6.43
7 votes

#19 - Lucy Liu/Jay-Z

Season 26 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/16/2000

Sketches include ""George W. Bush and Al Gore at Chi-Chi's,"" ""Gemini's Twin,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Pretty Living,"" ""Jarret's Room,"" ""Christmas Ornaments,"" and ""Robert Goulet Rap.""

Tom Green/David Gray
star
5.50
2 votes

#20 - Tom Green/David Gray

Season 26 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/18/2000

Sketches include ""Decision 2000,"" ""Bald Eagles,"" ""Rap Street,"" ""Lorne and Tom in a Tub,"" ""Hardball,"" ""Dog Show,"" ""Oprah,"" ""Story Tellers,"" ""TV Funhouse: Sex and the Country"", ""Rock Around the Clock,"" and ""Tom and Drew's Wedding."" The NBC rerun replaces the ""Sex and the Country"" TV Funhouse with the one from the Charlize Theron episode where Mr. T lands a job doing a tampon commercial.