The WORST episodes of Saturday Night Live
Every episode of Saturday Night Live ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Saturday Night Live!
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 - Catherine Oxenberg & Paul Simon/Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Season 11 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/10/1986
Live from New York, it's... Paul Simon! Sketches include "Geraldo Rivera Opens The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier," "Wall Shackles Prison," "The Late Show with Joan Rivers," "The Limits Of The Imagination," "Dirk Landers, CIA Operative," a guest performance by Penn & Teller, "Producer Tommy Flanagan," "Brim Decaffeinated," "A Mother's Day Message," and "Trojans." Paul Simon performed "You Can Call Me Al," "Homeless" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and "Graceland."
#2 - Jimmy Smits/World Party
Season 16 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/10/1990
Sketches include ""George Bush,"" ""Chia Head,"" ""Game Challengers,"" ""NBC News Employees,"" ""Simon,"" ""Date With a Ditz,"" ""The Dark Side With Nat X,"" ""Two-Faced Doormen,"" ""Mobile Home,"" and ""Verbal Reversals"".
#3 - George Steinbrenner/The Time
Season 16 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/20/1990
Sketches include ""Kevin Nealon, Victoria Jackson, and George Steinbrenner,"" ""Middle-Aged Man,"" ""Ultra Slim Fast Commercial Parody,"" ""Winston-McCauley Funeral Homes,"" ""Carl's Quick Stop,"" ""What Was I Thinking?""
#4 - Susan Lucci/Hothouse Flowers
Season 16 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/6/1990
Sketches include ""Victor Kiam's Classic Bitch and Lezbo Shavers,"" ""All My Luggage,"" ""Great Love Stories,"" ""Game Breakers,"" and ""Her First Period"".
#5 - Mel Gibson/Living Color
Season 14 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/1/1989
Sketches include "Raymond the Bookie", "Tales of Ribaldry", "Mel Gibson, Dream Gynecologist", "Cooking with the Anal Retentive Chef", "Josh Acid" and "Tonto, Tarzan, & Frankenstein".
#6 - Mary Tyler Moore/Elvis Costello
Season 14 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/25/1989
The 61st Annual Academy Awards, The Dan Quayle Show, Customs, Musical Performance "Veronica", Weekend Update, Sweeney Sisters, Robot Repair, Lady Rhemington, Musical Performance "Let Him Dangle", Requiem For Death, Schiller's Reel: Broadway Story, Wayne's World
#7 - Glenn Close/Gipsy Kings
Season 14 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/25/1989
Sketches include "Barnes & Noble Under Siege", "Therapy Session", "Pumping Up With Hans & Franz", "The 49th Westminster Mad Dog Show" and "Master Thespian". The Gipsy Kings perform "Bamboleo".
#8 - Mark Harmon/Suzanne Vega
Season 12 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/9/1987
""The New Charlie's Angels"", ""People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 1986"", ""Grown-up Babies in Modern America"", ""Very Smart Theater presents Attila the Hun: The Early Years"", ""The Myowling Bible Commercial"", ""Einstein Express Commercial: When it has to be there the day before yerterday"", ""A Salmon's Reproductive Tale"", ""Ad Council: Wasting your time in various ways for no good reason"".
#9 - Valerie Bertinelli/Eddie Van Halen, Robert Cray
Season 12 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/28/1987
Live from New York, it's... Phil Hartman! Sketches include "Reagan-Regan Affair," "McSooshi," "Hard News Cafe," "Discover," "Dinner At The Van Halen's," "Ching Chang In Love," "Washington Center Professionals," "Let's Go To The Movies," "On Broadway," and "Opera Singer Doctor." Eddie Van Halen performed "Stompin' 8H." Robert Cray Band performed "Smoking Gun" and "Right Next Door."
#10 - Joe Montana/Debbie Harry
Season 12 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/24/1987
Sketches include: ""NFL Video Countdown,"" ""Leslie and Stu,"" ""Pathological Liar,"" ""Church Chat,"" ""The NFL Today,"" ""Michael Jackson Workout,"" ""Chick Hazard: Private Investigator,"" ""Adobe Car Commercial: It's Made out of Clay"", ""A man and his dumb kidnapper"", ""Weekend Update with Dennis Miller"", ""Super Bowl Gambling Memories"", ""The Most Honest Guy in the World"".
#11 - Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin/George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic
Season 11 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/24/1986
Live from New York, it's...Randy Quaid Sketches include: Hands Across America, Moments of Doubt, Glamorous Drinking, National Council of Liquor and Spirits, Actors on Film, Hallmark Cards, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Bocce Ball My Way, Tempting Billy, The People's Second Choice Award, Book Minute, LaBelles At The Movies, My Friend, and Backstage SNL: Lorne Kills The Cast (except for Jon Lovitz, Nora Dunn, and Dennis Miller) George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic perform: ""Let's Take It To The Stage"" and ""Do Fries Go With That Shake""
#12 - Jimmy Breslin & Marvin Hagler/Level 42, E.G. Daily
Season 11 - Episode 17 - Aired 5/17/1986
Sketches are ""Mike 'The Menace' Hall,"" ""Kill Kaddafi?"" ""Tornadoville,"" ""Marvin's Knockout Tips,"" ""Lone Wolf McCord,"" ""The Pat Stevens,"" ""Cabrini Green's Assembly,"" ""Jody Hagler,"" ""Midday with Jennifer Hicks: Bond's Supervillains"", ""Weekend Update with Dennis Miller"", ""Sam Kinison's standup act"". Level 42 performs ""Something About You"" and EG Daily performs ""Say It, Say It"" with Jon Lovitz.
#13 - Garth Brooks (2)
Season 25 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/13/1999
Sketches include ""Gun Convention,"" ""James Bond,"" ""Hickory Farms Audio Visual Project,"" ""Tracy Morgan and Garth Brooks,"" ""Warner Lambert/America Home Products Merger,"" ""Express Flowers,"" ""Mango,"" ""Devil Can't Wrte No Love Songs,"" ""Simma Da Na,"" and ""WXLU News.""
#14 - Tony Danza/Laurie Anderson
Season 11 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/19/1986
Live from New York, it's... Randy Quaid, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Michael Hall! Sketches include "Vietnam Horror Story," "Nancy Reagan's Workout," "Lyndon LaRouche Theatre," "The 30-Second Count," a guest performance by Penn & Teller, "Big Time Professional Golf," "My Unconditional Love," "Master Thespian," and "The Further Adventures Of Biff And Salena." Laurie Anderson performed "Baby Doll" and "Day The Devil."
#15 - George Wendt/Philip Glass
Season 11 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/22/1986
Sketches include ""The Honeymooners: Lost Episodes,"" ""Camera Control,"" ""Two Directors,"" ""That Black Girl,"" and ""Vietnam Sketch."" Philip Glass performs ""Rubric.""
#16 - Teri Garr/Dream Academy, The Cult
Season 11 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/21/1985
Sketches include ""The Wrapper Rapper,"" ""Critic,"" ""The Price of Eggs,"" ""Hildy,"" ""A Roy Orbison Christmas,"" ""The Big Tree,"" and ""Time Traveling Trivial Pursuit."" The Dream Academy performed their one and only hit, ""Life In A Northern Town.""
#17 - Tom Hanks/Sade
Season 11 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/14/1985
Sketches include ""Entertainment Tonight,"" ""Trojans,"" ""Tommy and His Mother,"" ""Comedians,"" and ""Steve's Fantasy.""
#18 - Howard Cosell/Greg Kihn
Season 10 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/13/1985
Sketches include ""Willie and Frankie In The Crew,"" ""Ed Grimley In The Hospital,"" ""Run and Throw Like a Girl Olympics,"" ""Sports Beat,"" and ""Good Sex."" Greg Kihn performs ""Lucky.""
#19 - Christopher Reeve/Santana
Season 10 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/6/1985
Sketches include ""A.D.13,"" ""Superman Auditions,"" ""Jackie Rogers Junior's $100,000 Jackpot Wad,"" ""Escaping the Germans,"" and ""Aging Superman.""
#20 - Jeff Bridges, Beau Bridges/Randy Newman
Season 8 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/26/1983
Sketches include: Childhood Stories, Texxon, Pimple, Rick's Cafe, Musical Performance "I Love L.A.", Cheap Hunt, Battered Husband, Saundra's House of Massage, Musical Performance "Real Emotional Girl", Guy Crazy
#21 - Chevy Chase/Jr. Walker and the All Stars
Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/11/1981
Live from New York, it's…Chevy Chase! Sketches include ""Mr. Bill and Chevy,"" ""I Married a Monkey,"" ""Jello,"" ""Same,"" and ""SNL is Improving."" The All-Stars perform How Sweet It Is.
#22 - Bill Murray/Delbert McClinton
Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/7/1981
Sketches include ""It Just Doesn't Matter,"" ""Script In Development,"" ""Altered Walter,"" ""Nick On The Mississippi,"" and ""No Sex With Mary."" McClinton performs ""Shotgun Rider.""
#23 - Buck Henry/Bette Midler
Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/26/1979
Sketches include "Mr. Bill at SNL," "Disco Roller Fishing Park," "Samurai Bakery," "Uncle Roy," "Watergate Was a Joke," and "Olympia Cafe." Bette Midler performs a medley of standards.
#24 - Roseanne Barr/Dee-Lite
Season 16 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/16/1991
Sketches include ""Mr. Subliminal's War Press Conference,"" Misery II, the game show parody Comedy Killers, ""Victoria's Secrets"" and ""White Trash History Minute.""
#25 - Dylan McDermott/Foo Fighters
Season 25 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/6/1999
Sketches include ""The Practice,"" ""The Jim Gray Show,"" ""Early Show,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,"" ""Mango,"" ""Colette Reardon,"" ""State Lotto Drawing,"" and ""Disbelieving Mom.""