Top 30 Saturday Night Live Sketches That Went Horribly WRONG
#30: Fallon Fights the Teleprompter
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“Weekend Update: Technical Screwups” As a “Weekend Update” host, Jimmy Fallon delivered many funny headlines during his time on “SNL.” He rarely had to compete with actual technical difficulties behind the desk though. This segment shows that even a professional show has its hiccups, prompting Fallon to critique the production team. The comedian still finds the comedy in the moment even though the screen looks like a mess. His co-host Tina Fey also chimes in, but both personalities fight through the mistake. The good thing about “Update” is that there’s always another joke to make up for the last one.
#29: James Breaks Deadpan Character
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“Spelling Bee” Right from the start, this sketch turns out to be anything but a normal spelling competition. James Franco’s judge reveals his true character with creepy word choices. At the point that Pete Davidson’s contestant steps up, the guest host has to say the strangest word of them all. Franco’s deadpan performance slowly cracks under the pressure. Davidson also breaks considering the circumstances, turning this spelling bee into a laugh-riot. Things don’t go as planned in the best way you could imagine. The lead performer still gets through most of the scene before the script playfully sabotages him.
#28: Shaking the Table
“Lisa from Temecula” If you want to avoid laughing during a skit, don’t center it around a shaking table. This wonderfully funny sketch has Ego Nwodim’s Lisa cut into her well-done steak with all her might. In the process, the table moves so much that host Pedro Pascal starts to cackle. Several cast members have their own breaking points as it becomes almost impossible to focus. Pascal is loving every minute of this crazy scene while the table settings fly around. Bowen Yang isn’t immune to laughter either, finally bursting near the end. It’s a comedic disaster of epic proportions and we’re all for it.
#27: Tim Meadows’ Unexpected Entrance
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“Dr. Beaman's Office: Test Results” Sometimes “Saturday Night Live” comes out with a sketch that doesn’t make much sense at all. Every step of the way, this surprising scene finds humor in strange moments. These include Tim Meadows’ introduction as Dr. Poop. With a straightforward delivery, the performer does the robot dance in a hilarious turn of events. Will Ferrell has to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. Molly Shannon breaks along with him, succumbing to this script’s beautiful and random energy. It all feels like an inside joke that never quite got off the ground. With some other funny lines from Ferrell, “Dr. Beaman’s Office” remains a strange piece of “SNL” history.
#26: Making It Up on the Fly
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“Weekend Update: Garth and Kat Sing Halloween Songs” There’s no better way to celebrate Halloween than with this “SNL” duo. Garth and Kat bring the heat for this group of songs, but the actors portraying them have a bit of a hard time. Each time Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig play these characters, the tunes are completely improvised. This naturally leads to a few lovable hiccups along the way. Armisen and Wiig are hanging on by a thread as they try to sing, flubbing their words and laughing as a result. It’s a glorious equation that pits unplanned comedy against live TV. The performers are having a blast though, trudging through the deep end on their way to hilarious results.
#25: Justin Timberlake as Robin Gibb
“The Barry Gibb Talk Show: Bee Gees Singers” This is the kind of sketch where the writing and acting lead to big laughs. “The Barry Gibb Talk Show” also features amazing chemistry between its main stars. Sitting next to Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake tries to play Robin Gibb as seriously as possible. He then breaks as Fallon disappears into an outrageous character. When his scene partner goes for a line in falsetto, Timberlake can’t hide that he’s losing it. The singer hides his expressions several times in a sketch full of insane energy. Through all of the laughter, the pop star still finds the strength to harmonize with his co-star.
#24: Kristen Almost Runs Over Maya
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“Super Showcase Spokesmodels” Using some incredible accents, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph make the most of this chaotic game show. The two comedians reveal prizes while desperately trying to hold it together. After Wiig takes off in a golf cart, she almost runs into Rudolph. The comedy and danger in this skit combine to create something entertaining. Thankfully for everyone, nobody gets hurt and both women come away laughing. Bill Hader can’t hold back his reaction either throughout this disaster. Reminding everyone to watch where they’re driving, this concept also features the infectious charisma of several “SNL” icons.
#23: Kate Breaks Character
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“Weekend Update: Smokery Farms” When Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant get together, the skit receives a major boost. This particular segment on “Weekend Update” really gets going when a basket of raw meat comes out. The two actresses start to break soon after, with McKinnon leading the way. The smell seems to be so overpowering that the performers all laugh. Even with the comedians bringing their A-game, this sketch definitely derails before it’s all over. You can also hear “Update” host Colin Jost giggling off to the side. The scene itself is already hilarious, but the extra laughter ensures that it’ll be remembered for much more.
#22: Janet Jackson Can’t Stop Laughing
“Corksoakers” For a sketch entitled “Corksoakers,” the outcome isn’t all that surprising. Host Janet Jackson shows up at a vineyard where the workers love their craft. This only makes matters worse for Jackson, with the actress coming up against a slew of double entendres. The singer then fails to respond without laughing several times. We don’t blame her, though, because this ridiculous script comes with a few hilarious zingers. There are also appearances from Maya Rudolph and Rachel Dratch that make it even harder to stay calm. The skit might not have gone off without a hitch, but it did create a great blooper reel in the process.
#21: Slushies & Spit Takes
“Hollywood Dish with Scarlett Johansson” During this interview, two presenters have all kinds of random questions and reactions for Scarlett Johansson. It all escalates even further once the slushies come out. In a hilarious and unexpected turn, Bill Hader spits his drink onto Kristen Wiig. He even puts a bowl on her head in yet another amazing detail. Hader and Wiig struggle to compose themselves, but the latter needs help because of her blocked vision. The chaos and confusion are difficult to ignore, breaking Johansson in another standout moment. It’s almost like nobody considered what happens when you impair someone’s eyesight. Making it to the end, everyone fights through the mistakes like champs.
#20: Adam Driver’s Bird Mishap
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“Career Day” The bird incident guaranteed this sketch immortality, but it was pretty amazing even before that point. Driver plays a curmudgeonly oil baron attending career day at his son’s high school. He ruthlessly attacks his son for his lack of strength, berating him in front of the entire class. While we could point to Pete Davidson breaking character (and honestly, who can blame him), things truly go off the rails when Driver produces a fake bird from a burlap sack and smashes it into the ground. He then slams his cane into the bird by accident, skewering it with a fury typically reserved for a bloody historical drama. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Abraham H. Parnassus deserves his own film!
#19: The Hungry Dog
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“Massive Head Wound Harry” If you’re squeamish, you might want to look away now. Among Dana Carvey’s countless memorable characters during his “SNL” tenure was “Massive Headwound Harry”. While we don’t learn the gory details behind the injury, it’s bad enough that part of his brain is hanging out. The other party-goers are disgusted by the wound except one, a dog. As the dog feasts on the wound, Carvey has to keep one hand on the headpiece to keep it from coming off entirely. Eventually the dog manages to tear off some of the wig, and we don’t know whether to laugh or hurl... or both.
#18: Aidy Bryant’s Bungled Costume Change
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“Inside the Beltway” When done correctly, a costume change can be a useful tool in a live broadcast, transporting characters across time and space by swapping out one or more articles of clothing. However, when done poorly, it can lead to embarrassment, character breaks, and “Saturday Night Live” infamy. Such is the case during this season 45 sketch featuring Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, and host Woody Harrelson. The plan was to have the cast switch clothing between clips to give the impression of a news flashback, but an overzealous aid comes onstage and attempts to take Aidy Bryant’s coat while the cameras are still rolling. The flub is obvious to viewers as well as the studio audience and it causes all four actors to break character.
#17: Uncooperative Dogs
“Dog Court” Actor and comedian W.C. Fields once said, “Never work with animals or children” - possibly because both are unpredictable. Well, considering our earlier entry and this current one, we doubt the writers at “SNL” had ever heard this quote before. How else can you explain their decision to use multiple dogs in the 2019 sketch “Dog Court?” Things actually get off to a pretty good start, despite the number of dogs present. However, things quickly go off the rails when Cecily Strong attempts to deliver a verdict while holding a pug. The pooch thrashes around violently in her arms, knocking around her glasses and generally being an adorable nuisance. The lesson: dogs and live TV don’t mix.
#16: An Almost Purrfect Escape
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“Whiskers R We” Here’s yet another occasion where the animals steal the spotlight. Kate McKinnon is joined by Tiffany Haddish for this iteration of a recurring — or is that re-purring — sketch, which features rescued cats up for adoption. Haddish acts fast when their feline friends try to jump out their box, even delivering an impromptu joke which makes McKinnon momentarily break character. Hilariously, for the duration of this sketch they have to keep one eye on the teleprompter and another on the box thanks to the exceptionally restless cats. One cat gives his human co-stars quite a fright, causing them both to break while Haddish demonstrates her own cat-like reflexes.
#15: Brauer’s Wires Get Crossed
“Weekend Update: Bennett Brauer” Chris Farley’s Bennett Brauer was a staple character on “Weekend Update” in the ‘90s. He was usually invited to provide commentary for the comedy news show but instead he’d go on a self-deprecating tirade, with an abundance of air quotes. In this episode, he is meant to lift off and fly mid-rant, but the wires get caught on the lights and he barely makes it off the ground. As “Update” host, Kevin Nealon and a stagehand try to help, Farley takes it all in his stride. However, rumor has it that his landing wasn’t so smooth sailing either, making this one of SNL’s most iconic bloopers.
#14: Larry David Can’t Stop Laughing
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“New Wife” You know those moments where something makes you laugh and you just can’t stop? In this sketch that supposedly spoofed “Real Housewives” star Erika Jayne, Larry David plays a lawyer who throws a party to introduce his colleagues to his new wife. It seems that this sketch was a tad too outlandish for the comedian, as he eventually reached breaking point, and simply couldn’t recover. It was an unexpected surprise for fans who are more used to his dry comedic delivery, but it’s a memorable moment all the same. We honestly don’t know how the rest of the cast didn’t break with him.
#13: Unsuppressed Smiles
“The Californians: Stuart Has Cancer” “The Californians” is one of the most popular recurring segments in recent “Saturday Night Live” history, thanks in part to its continuously star-studded roster and the countless character breaks it’s caused. Few would argue that the first iteration of the sketch was the funniest, and those same people would likely agree that it was also the most out of control. Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen can barely make it through a sentence in their ridiculous Californian accents, stifling laughter at every turn. However, the worst offender is Bill Hader, who all but gives up on staying in character the moment Fred Armisen opens his mouth. We believe you can safely file this one away in the “it’s so bad it’s good” category.
#12: Candice Bergen’s Stupid Mistakes
“The Right to Extreme Stupidity League” This moment could not have worked out better if it actually had been scripted. It didn’t take much to make Candice Bergen break after her minor mistake, but the irony of her flub was not lost on anyone. In fact, it pretty much fuels Gilda Radner’s legendary quick wit, as she inserts her own quips that just make Bergen, and the audience, of course, laugh even harder. Sure, the original plan for the sketch might have gone out the window, but we think we can all agree that it couldn’t have beat this impromptu updated version anyway.
#11: Sean Hayes and Jimmy Fallon Break Character
“Jeffrey’s” Jimmy Fallon is quite well known — or is it infamous — for breaking character, so no surprises that this is just one of his appearances on our list. He is joined here by Sean Hayes to play retail workers in a high-end clothing store, who never miss a beat to make catty remarks to their customers. Jimmy struggles to suppress a smile before the sketch has even started, and it isn’t long before both are trying to contain their laughter. However, Will Ferrell entering on a scooter and answering a tiny cell phone proves too much, and they both just dissolve into fits of laughter.
#10: The Cast Losing It
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“Debby Downer: Disney World” Debbie Downer is one of the funniest characters that “SNL” has produced in its long history. She made her debut in 2004, flanked by host Lindsay Lohan and a handful of comedy legends. However, no amount of talent could have saved this sketch from devolving into one giant character break. Juxtaposing Debbie’s depressing facts and anecdotes with the innocence and happiness of a place like Disney World is pure comedic genius. Any chance Lohan and company had of making it through the sketch in one piece disappeared the moment Rachel Dratch broke during a slow zoom on her face. From that point on, the question wasn’t if everyone would break, but when?
#9: Frankenstein’s Monster Gets Fired Up
“Succinctly Speaking” In the late ‘80s, “SNL” brought together Tonto, Tarzan and Frankenstein’s Monster, due to their limited grasp of the English language. In fact, Frankenstein’s Monster pretty much speaks in a series of grunts and growls, other than occasionally informing us that “bread good” and “fire bad.” It’s hard to say what exactly about the then-current nuclear arms treaty causes the usually straight-faced Phil Hartman to break in this moment, but when he does break, he goes down hard. Due to the unexpected timing, and the fact that it specifically came from Hartman, this is easily one of SNL’s funniest character breaks of all time.
#8: Ryan Gosling’s Giggles
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“Close Encounter” You know you’ve penned an A+ sketch when you get Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling to break. The Canadian actor was unable to maintain his composure in the face of Kate McKinnon’s hilarious retelling of an alien abduction. McKinnon’s graphic story actually makes everyone on stage break at one point or another, and it’s clear she relishes her ability to make her peers crack up. Gosling was once again the victim of McKinnon’s superior comedic talent when he appeared in “Another Close Encounter” two years later. However, this time it was McKinnon’s, uh, handsy approach that had him in stitches.
#7: Bill Hader’s Mad Maneuvers
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“Girlfriends Game Night” Bill Hader hosted “SNL” for a second time in 2018, and while he had a number of hilarious sketches, nothing tops “Girlfriends Game Night” …though not for the reason you’d expect. Hader played Horace, a wheelchair bound senior citizen dating a much younger woman. The two attend a game night together, but Horace’s inability to control his electric wheelchair nearly causes him to flip the table. Later in the sketch, he puts it in reverse and nearly runs over Melissa Villasenor. Set breaks and character breaks ensue, and through it all Bill Hader looks like he’s having the time of his life.
#6: Jimmy Fallon Tries Not to Laugh
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“The Love-ahs with Barbara and Dave” As we’ve already noted, it doesn’t take much to make Jimmy Fallon break, so putting him in this sketch was really just asking for trouble. The “Love-ahs” is a recurring sketch featuring an eccentric, overtly sexual couple who have no concept of boundaries. No matter how hard he tries, Jimmy just can’t keep a straight face. In Jimmy’s defence, however, Will Ferrell has since explained that these characters were created with the actual intention of causing his co-star to break. It certainly does the trick, even perhaps too well, as the rest of the actors end up in a fit of giggles too.
#5: John Belushi’s Wild Swing
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“Samurai Stockbroker” Few “SNL” sketches illustrate just how far live television has come quite like this one. The scene in question involved John Belushi playing one of his most popular recurring characters, a modern-day samurai. Every appearance of the character saw him in a different profession, from "Samurai Tailor" to "Samurai Psychiatrist." However, the one we’re here to talk about is the "Samurai Stockbroker" episode. In it, Belushi is sporting his trademark samurai look, which includes a katana. At one point he starts to attack a wall with the blade, but in his fever accidently hits Buck Henry in the head. You can clearly see Henry stumble backwards, and for the rest of the episode he had a band aid on his head. So yeah, live TV and swords also don’t mix.
#4: The Sketch That Ruined Christopher Walken’s Life
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“More Cowbell” This wildly weird premise, combined with everyone involved constantly breaking, made this sketch an instant fan favorite and cultural phenomenon. Ferrell created his character after hearing a faint cowbell in Blue Öyster Cult’s 1970s classic “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and wondering about the man behind the instrument. Between Walken’s deadpan delivery, and Ferrell’s eccentric character and tiny shirt, this sketch is so ripe for someone to break character, and it doesn’t take long before everyone does. Although Walken can be seen laughing, we’re not sure it was still as funny for him when fans would continue to quote “More Cowbell” at him long after the season ended.
#3: Chris Farley’s Full Moon
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“UFO Mission” There is very little Chris Farley wouldn’t do for a laugh, which makes it impossible to decipher if this moment was actually intentional or not. In this sketch about commandos investigating a spaceship that’s landed on earth, Farley takes the “commando” part quite literally. Despite this being a space-themed sketch, none of us were quite prepared to see a full moon. According to his co-star Jay Mohr, as Farley wrestled with his pants, he also bumped his head and almost cursed. Needless to say, no matter what else happened during that show, this is the moment everyone remembers.
#2: Stefon at All Times
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Various Arguably Bill Hader’s most memorable “Saturday Night Live” character, Stefon never failed to bring the laughs during his visits to the Weekend Update news desk. The character was the brainchild of Hader and then-“SNL” writer John Mulaney, and he became a hit thanks to his off-the-wall New York City party recommendations and sassy attitude. However, Bill Hader simply could not make it through a Stefon appearance without breaking character. He’d constantly cover his mouth to hide his laughter, something that was often due to him not seeing the jokes for the first time until he was on air. While Hader’s character breaks may have constituted a sketch “going wrong” when Stefon first debuted, nowadays they’re considered part of the act. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!
#1: “Down by the River”
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“Matt Foley: Van Down by the River” The amazing Chris Farley clearly had the magical touch that could make anyone break. And nowhere was that more apparent than with his most iconic character: Matt Foley, the antithesis of an effective motivational speaker. In Foley’s “SNL” debut, he had host Christina Applegate and cast member David Spade breaking almost instantly, thanks to his wild, erratic demeanor. His hilarious delivery is only matched by the physical comedy, which included lifting Spade and breaking a table. Everything about this character almost seems like it was created with the intention of causing his co-stars to break. Soon after, Matt Foley became a “SNL” regular and to that we say, “Well, la de frickin’ da”.
