The BEST episodes of Saturday Night Live season 30
Every episode of Saturday Night Live season 30, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Saturday Night Live season 30!
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.
#1 - Kate Winslet/Eminem
Season 30 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/30/2004
Live From New York, it's...Jim Downey translating for Seth Meyers Sketches include: NBC Special Report, Rap Night, Mrs. Dr. Frankenstein, TV Funhouse: John McCain's Speech, Clinton and Kerry, Kaitlin at the Mall, Goodwin Wig and Toy, and Election Map Colors Eminem performs: ""Mosh"" and ""Just Lose It""
#2 - Luke Wilson/U2
Season 30 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/20/2004
Live From New York, it's...Will Forte Sketches Include: ""White House Apprentice"", ""Debbie Downer"", ""American Trainwreck Awards"", ""TV Funhouse: George W. Bush's Homocranial Machine"", ""Feeding Buddies"", ""Coolest Teacher At Benton Township High School"", ""The Falconer"", and ""Drunk Businessmen."" U2 performs: ""Vertigo"", ""Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"", ""I Will Follow"", and a fourth song that wasn't broadcast because of time constriants.
#3 - Ben Affleck/Nelly
Season 30 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/2004
Live From New York (and opening the 30th season of SNL), it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include ""First Presidential Debate 2004,"" ""Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice,"" ""Debbie Downer,"" ""Swift Veterans for Truth,"" ""Kerry Campaign Stop,"" ""The Escalator,"" ""Obnoxious Wedding DJ,"" and ""Kitty Kelley's 'The Family.'"" Nelly performs: ""My Place"" and ""Na-Nana-Na"" The Dr. Porkenheimer fake commercial is not shown in the 11/27/04 NBC rerun.
#4 - Johnny Knoxville/System of a Down
Season 30 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/7/2005
Live From New York, it's...Paula Abdul Sketches include: ""Primetime Live: The American Idol Scandal,"" ""Sally & Dan Harrison: The Couple That Should Be Divorced,"" ""Donald Trump's Domino's Ad,"" ""Versace Mother's Day,"" ""Channel 5 Late Night Movie,"" ""Mother's Day Brunch,"" ""Helping Hands Telethon,"" ""Merv the Perv,"" ""Action News,"" ""Bear City"" (film), and ""You Might Be A Gay Redneck If..."" System of a Down perform: ""B.Y.O.B"" and ""Aerials""
#5 - Will Ferrell/Queens of the Stone Age
Season 30 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/14/2005
Sketches include ""Will Backstage,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Oracle Conclave,"" ""Going 2 C Movies,"" and ""Luxury Spy.""
#6 - Queen Latifah
Season 30 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/9/2004
Live From New York, it's...Will Forte Sketches include: Second Presidential Debate, Short 'n Curly Pubic Shampoo, The Prince Show, Excedrin Racial Tension, Vice Presidential Debate, Basketball Recruits, TV Funhouse: The X-Presidents, Rodney Dangerfield Goes To Heaven, Starkisha Gets Political, and Zings vs. Snaps The host (also the musical guest) sings: ""The Same Love That Made Me Laugh"" and ""Hard Times""
#7 - Hilary Swank/50 Cent
Season 30 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/19/2005
Live from New York, it's... Amy Poehler! Sketches include ""Neverland Ranch,"" ""Grayson-Moorhead Investments,"" ""Sheila Choad's LA Face,"" ""Hot Plates,"" ""Debbie Downer at the Oscars,"" ""Seasons of Love,"" ""City Court with Aaron Neville,"" ""After the Grammys,"" and ""Project Runway."" 50 Cent (featuring Olivia) performed ""Candy Shop"" and later performed ""Disco Inferno.""
Watch Now:Apple TV
#8 - Cameron Diaz/Green Day
Season 30 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/9/2005
Sketches include ""Papal Debate '05,"" ""Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,"" ""Michael Jackson"" (cartoon), ""The Barry Gibb Talk Show,"" ""One-Star Hotel,"" ""Woo! The Musical,"" ""Sofa Warehouse,"" and ""Spy Glass."" Green Day performed ""Boulevard of Broken Dreams"" and ""Holiday.""
#9 - Colin Farrell/Scissor Sisters
Season 30 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/11/2004
Sketches include: Donald Rumsfeld Speaks To Soldiers, Turlington's Lower Back Tattoo Remover (rerun from Lindsay Lohan/Usher episode), Big Roach Problem, Horny Airport Security Officer, Show Biz Grande Explosion, Key Party, The Window Cleaner, and Merv The Perv. Scissor Sisters sing: ""Take Your Mama"" and a cover of Pink Floyd's ""Comfortably Numb""
#10 - Ashton Kutcher/Gwen Stefani
Season 30 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/19/2005
Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include: Hardball, meharmony.com (repeat from the Jason Bateman/Kelly Clarkson episode), Oprah, The Push-Up Contest, Kevin Federline, Gays In Space, Guest Preacher, Action News 13, and Nebulzitol Gwen Stefani (with Eve) performs ""Rich Girl"" and ""Holla Back Girl""
Watch Now:Apple TV
#11 - Robert DeNiro/Destiny's Child
Season 30 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/18/2004
Sketches include: ""C-SPAN Terrorist Alert,"" ""Woomba,"" ""Pranksters,"" ""A 'Blue' Christmas"" (cartoon), ""The Undercover Cop,"" ""Prince Christmas Special,"" ""Apprentice Christmas Promo,"" ""Bear City: The Carolers,"" ""Christmas With The Cat Lady,"" and Horatio sings with The Muppets. Destiny's Child performed ""Soldier"" and ""Cater 2 U.""
#12 - Jason Bateman/Kelly Clarkson
Season 30 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/12/2005
Live from New York, it's... Horatio Sanz Sketches include ""Kim Jong Il,"" ""me-Harmony.com,"" ""Monkeys Throwing Poop at Celebrities,"" ""Black History Month,"" ""The Best of TT and Mario,"" ""Subway Beggers,"" ""Gays in Space,"" ""Gibson Studios,"" ""Rap Night with Chubb Hotty,"" and ""Public Speech Class.""
#13 - David Spade/Jack Johnson
Season 30 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/12/2005
Live from New York (and back to host), it's...David Spade in drag! Sketches include: CNN: The Return of Martha Stewart, Nuni and Noony, Deaf Judge/Idiot Doctor, David Spade's Stunt Double, Woomba (repeat from the Robert De Niro/Destiny's Child episode), Sherman Oaks Holding Cell, Sean Penn's Celebrity Roast, The UPS Delivery Man, Jingle Singers Reunion, Bear City: The Handicapped Bathroom Stall, and Dirt Ball and Burnout Convention Jack Johnson performs: ""Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"" and ""Mudfootball"" (with G. Love)
#14 - Liam Neeson/Modest Mouse
Season 30 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/13/2004
Live From New York, it's...Will Forte Sketches include: Kerry at the Beach, Star Jones' Wedding Night, You Call This A House Do Ya?, Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice (repeat from the Ben Affleck/Nelly episode with slight edit*). The Giant Parrot, Wake Up San Diego, Appalachian Emergency Room, and The Drug Sniffing Dog. Modest Mouse performs: ""Float On"" and ""Ocean Breathes Salty"" *The Dr. Porkenheimer commercial repeats in this episode, but the ending where it shows Rob Riggle with an exaggerated erection (covered by the bedsheets) is replaced with a scene where Poehler and Riggle are hugging.
#15 - Topher Grace/The Killers
Season 30 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/15/2005
Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include: CNN Press Conference, Trucker Talk, Beaver Ranch Brothel, Hardball, Black Paramedics, Noony and Nuni, and The Not So Great Adventures of the Down and Out Dollar
#16 - Paris Hilton/Keane
Season 30 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/5/2005
Live from New York, it's...Rachel Dratch Sketches include: American Idol, CheapKids.Net Ad 1, Versace Skiing, Starkisha and Portia at the Purse Shop, CheapKids.Net Ad 2, Exclusive Connections, Donald Trump's New Wife, Merv The Perv, CheapKids.Net Ad 3, Rafael Alonzo's I.T.F. Technical Computer Institute, Inside Barbie Dreamhouse, The Bar, and Bear City: Cigarette Shopping Keane performs: ""Somewhere Only We Know"" and ""Everybody's Changing""
#17 - Tom Brady/Beck
Season 30 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/16/2005
Live from New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: A Message From Tom DeLay, Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice (re-edited and using the alternate ending from the Liam Neeson/Modest Mouse episode), The Bad Thrower, The Falconer, Tom Brady's Falafel House, Behind The Music: The Super Bowl Shuffle, Dr. Phil, and Backstage SNL: The Quarterbacks
#18 - Paul Giamatti/Ludacris & Sum 41
Season 30 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/22/2005
Live From New York, it's...Tina Fey and Amy Poehler! Sketches include: ""The Bush Twins"", ""Condelezza Rice's Hearing"", ""Gaystrogen"" (from season 29), ""Paul Giamatti's Limo Driver"", ""Kaitlin's Karaoke Machine"", ""TVLand: The Lundsford Twins Feel Good Variety Hour"", ""Andy at Reinhold Investments"", ""Spy Glass"", and ""Giant Cat."" Ludacris and Sum 41 perform ""Get Back""; Ludacris performs ""Number One Spot.""
Watch Now:Apple TV
#19 - Lindsay Lohan/Coldplay
Season 30 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/21/2005
Live From New York, It's... Darrell Hammond (yet again) Sketches include ""Hardball,"" ""America's Next Top Model,"" ""Monster-In-Law Screening,"" ""The Prince Show,"" ""Little Italy,"" ""The Ride Home,"" and ""Bear City"" (film). Coldplay performed ""Speed of Sound"" and ""Fix You.""
#20 - Jude Law/Ashlee Simpson
Season 30 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/23/2004
Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include ""Hardball"", ""Sky Captain Filming"", ""Dyson Toilets"", ""The Ninth Presidential Debate"", ""Paris Hilton Apologizes"", ""President Bush and Tony Blair"", ""Apprentice Halloween Episode Commercial Taping"", ""Jane Eyre"", ""Bear City: The Fender Bender"", ""The Adventures of Peter O'Toole and Michael Caine"", and ""Bear City: Getting Fired"". Ashlee Simpson sings ""Pieces of Me"" (refer to Notes to see what happened to her on her second performance).