A Will Ferrell sketch. Ferrell is Frank Henderson, a dad who, although friendly most of the time, threatens his kids whenever they start climbing on his shed.[1][2] In the first two appearances of the sketch, Frank is in his backyard making small talk with neighbors, John (David Koechner) and Susan Taylor (Nancy Walls). The conversation is punctuated by Frank's yells which become progressively heated.[3] The second sketch is similar, but with host Christine Baranski playing Frank's wife who can yell equally loud. The third appearance was a variation on the idea, taking place at a Little League game where Frank and other parents are watching in the stands. Instead of yelling at his kid to get off the shed, Frank yells, "Get on the bag!"[4] Debuted September 30, 1995.
A David Spade segment where he gives his thoughts, guest interviews, and Hollywood Minute jokes.[5][8] The segment aired only in season 21, which was Spade's last as a cast member. The segment makes up fifteen of Spade's nineteen sketch appearances in 1995–96. Debuted September 30, 1995.
The infamous joke aimed at Eddie Murphy ("Look, kids, it's a falling star, make a wish!") occurs on this episode, which began a long-standing feud between Murphy and Spade.[9]
A Cheri Oteri sketch. Mickey is a stereotypical butch lesbian who, despite identifying as a "dyke", is afraid to officially come out.[10][11] Debuted September 30, 1995.
Rita DelVecchio
Rita DelVecchio (Cheri Oteri) is a grouchy, sharp tongued, Italian-American, Brooklyn housewife.[5] Rita hates it when the neighborhood kids' toys wind up landing in her front yard, so she claims the item for herself, saying, "I keep it!" and tells the kids to go away. Other times, Rita tries to one-up any of her neighbors when it comes to things like who has the best decorated front lawn on Christmas, or who has the better car. Debuted October 21, 1995.
Mary Katherine (Molly Shannon) is a sardonic caricature of an unpopular, teenage Catholic school girl. She is prone to comically severe mood swings, alternately hyperactive and ponderous.[5] She suffered from stage fright, but was also hyper-competitive (she once engaged in a sing-off with Whitney Houston) and egomaniacal, believing she was a "superstar". The sketch spawned in the 1999 film Superstar. Debuted October 28, 1995.[12]
The Spartan Cheerleaders
Craig (Will Ferrell) and Arianna (Cheri Oteri) are overeager high school students who, despite not making the East Lake High School Spartan cheerleading squad, show up anyway at events where they are not wanted to cheer.[5][13] The pair's routines consisted of elaborate choreography and chants.[14] The Spartans became one of the more popular recurring sketches of SNL's late-90s period,[15] and were featured on the December 1997 cover of Rolling Stone alongside Mary Katherine Gallagher and Doug Butabi of The Roxbury Guys.[16] Oteri and Ferrell came up with the idea for the Spartan cheerleaders when they were new to SNL and playing around on an empty 8H stage.[17] Of the sketch, Oteri said, "One thing I like about [Arianna and Craig] is, they're losers, but they don't know it. I would feel sorry for them if they knew they were outcasts. They have no clue, thank God."[13] Debuted November 11, 1995.
Arianna and Craig cheer at a holiday parade with Gabby Malowski (Ricci).
Stan Hooper
A Norm Macdonald character. In one sketch, Stan wakes up from a coma and is dismayed to learn that the two women who come to visit him—one beautiful and another frumpier—are respectively, his sister and wife.[18] He tries to insist that the beautiful woman is his wife, despite protests from his actual wife. In another sketch, he is a sketch artist that draws composites of criminals that look nothing like the actual suspects. Debuted November 11, 1995.
The British Fops
The British Fops, Lucien Callow (Mark McKinney) and Fagan (David Koechner), appeared in late Restoration-period clothing, and used a silly take on the period's language, mannerisms, and culture.[5][19] The characters first appeared on Weekend Update as the presidents of the Norm Macdonald Fan Club, but later appeared in several other sketches and hosts' monologues. Debuted November 11, 1995.
A blue collar worker by trade, Joe Blow (Colin Quinn) came onto Weekend Update as a New York public service to deliver local news from Brooklyn, New York. Most of his "news" included family problems and neighborhood gossip. Joe Blow regularly concluded his commentary by asking anchor Norm Macdonald if he would join him for "a beer", which Macdonald (who clearly did not want to socialize with him) avoided by making up an excuse, or putting it off until a later date.[20] Debuted November 18, 1995.
Gary Macdonald
Gary Macdonald (David Koechner) was the fictitious younger brother of Weekend Update anchor Norm Macdonald.[19] He was supposed to be the funnier of the two Macdonald brothers, but was overcome by fear and froze on camera and end nearly everything he said with "no". Because of this, his commentary consisted of choppy, nervously delivered lines such as, "Hey, Janet Reno. Hey, how does that song go, '(Dude) Looks Like A Lady,' no." Debuted December 2, 1995.
The Joe Pesci Show
This sketch starred Jim Breuer as Pesci, the host of his own late-night talk show, where he speaks in his signature high-pitched voice and frequently references his films like Goodfellas and Raging Bull.[5] The heard-but-not-seen announcer was meant to be Pesci's "brother". The sketch usually began with Italian accordion music and Breuer cheerfully saying, "I've got my mike here, I've got my chair here, I've got my desk here, I've got my gun here!"[5] A frequent guest is Robert De Niro, who is played by the host or another cast member. When other guests make a casual comment that Joe perceives to be a personal slight, Joe becomes enraged and brings out a baseball bat, which he beats the guest with as De Niro joins in on the beatdown. In the 17th episode of season 22, Pesci and De Niro themselves make cameo appearances and take offense to Breuer and Colin Quinn's impersonations of them.[21] The real Pesci gets a baseball bat of his own and beats Breuer and Quinn with it. Debuted December 2, 1995.[22]
A 1990s sitcom about a bald-headed, foul-mouthed gangsta rapper played by Tim Meadows who usually appeared wearing only a Speedo or leather pants. He first appeared in a sketch with Anthony Edwards.[22] His other appearance was in a sitcom called "The Princess and the Homeboy" with Teri Hatcher. Debuted December 2, 1995.
Lenny the Lion
Visiting from the Bronx Zoo, Lenny the Lion (Colin Quinn in a lion suit) came onto Weekend Update to talk about his life problems.[23] His accent and set of problems (including a violent father, a chaotic family situation and an addiction to tranquilizer darts) are meant to suggest an ethnic working-class man in the Bronx. Lenny always ended his rant with the line "fur is murder". Debuted December 9, 1995.
The Rocky Roads
A Will Ferrell, Tim Meadows, and David Alan Grier sketch. The Rocky Roads are a motivational troupe who perform for elementary school kids. They demonstrate moral lessons to kids through song and dance, often referencing candy.[24] Their songs sometimes contain innuendo. The sketch appeared in both episodes hosted by Grier. Debuted December 9, 1995.
A David Koechner sketch.[19] Debuted January 13, 1996.
Bill Brasky
A Will Ferrell, David Koechner, Mark McKinney, and Tim Meadows sketch. The format of the sketches resembles the improv game "Two Describe a Third."[25] Three or four businessmen, known as the "Bill Brasky Buddies", are crowded into the bar during a business conference, drunk on Scotch. They smoke cigars and loudly reminisce about their mutual acquaintance Bill Brasky, known for mythical, superhuman feats.[26] The Brasky Buddies all have red cheeks, red noses, and big white teeth. Debuted January 20, 1996.
This is the only Bill Brasky sketch in which Tim Meadows does not appear.[27]
Kevin Franklin
A Tim Meadows sketch. Kevin Franklin hosts his own talk show where he "discusses the issues people are talking about". In the February 10, 1996 episode where the sketch debuted, Franklin interviewed guest host Danny Aiello and musical guest Coolio. He accused Aiello of stealing a role from a black actor for his part in Do the Right Thing and claimed to Coolio that rap music is dead, having peaked a decade ago when "The Fat Boys were in their heyday".[28]
Suel Forrester
A Chris Kattan sketch. In each appearance by Suel Forrester he has a different occupation in which good, articulate clarity of speech is very important (a teacher, a trial attorney, an air traffic controller), yet he speaks almost entirely in unintelligible gibberish.[29] Debuted March 16, 1996.
A satire of nightclubs and clubbing culture. It followed the exploits of brothers Doug and Steve Butabi (portrayed by Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell respectively), habitual clubbers dressed in rayon suits, as they attempt to pick up women on their outings. Their trademark was bobbing their heads in unison to the song "What Is Love" by Haddaway, which always played throughout the duration of each sketch.[14] The brothers were extremely unfortunate with the women at the clubs, often gyrating against them in an attempt to get them to dance, but always causing a negative reaction. They were frequently joined by a third person, often the host, who dressed and acted in a similar fashion (notably Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, Sylvester Stallone, Martin Short, and Alec Baldwin); this character was usually credited as "Barhop". Skits starring Pamela Anderson and Cameron Diaz were also featured. The sketch spawned the 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury.[13] Debuted March 23, 1996.
The Roxbury Guys were created during Kattan and Ferrell's days as members of The Groundlings. Said Kattan, "Will and I were at this bar in Santa Monica, and there was a guy who was just kind of lightly bopping, but not to the degree we exaggerate it. He was definitely looking for somebody. It wasn't specific – kind of a desperate 'anybody.' Like, 'Please look at me, please dance with me.' But he wasn’t actually asking anyone to dance – it was more like, 'Would somebody notice me, please?'"[13]
A Phil Hartman sketch about an overbearing, self-obsessed acting class teacher.[31] Debuted March 23, 1996.
Goat Boy
Goat Boy (Jim Breuer) was a half-human half-goathybrid who hosted the fake MTV show, "Hey, Remember the 80s?"[32] At the outset, Goat Boy was a typical veejay-talk show host who introduced 80s video clips and guests from the era. During the sketches, he started braying and kicking and was subdued by scientists standing by with electric prods. Debuted May 11, 1996.
A Colin Quinn character. Rolf is a criminal (in one sketch an inmate, another a German Nazi) who gossips about others. In the March 15, 1997 episode with Sting, Rolf is a KKK member who questions the Klan.[33] Debuted May 11, 1996.
Related Research Articles
Steve Koren is an American writer/producer and screenwriter. Most notably, he has written for Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, and Veep. He also wrote or co-wrote the movies Bruce Almighty, Click, A Night at the Roxbury, and Superstar.
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live sketches, organized alphabetically by title. The referenced date is the date when the sketch first appeared.
Cheryl Ann Oteri is an American actress and comedian. A Primetime Emmy Award nominee, she is best known for her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2000.
David Michael Koechner is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing roles such as Champ Kind in the Anchorman films and Todd Packer on The Office series.
"More Cowbell" is a comedy sketch that aired on Saturday Night Live on April 8, 2000. The sketch was written by regular cast member Will Ferrell and playwright Donnell Campbell and depicts the recording of the song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult. The sketch stars guest host Christopher Walken as fictional music producer Bruce Dickinson, and Ferrell as fictional cowbell player Gene Frenkle, whose overzealous playing annoys his bandmates but pleases Dickinson. The sketch also features Chris Parnell as Eric Bloom, Jimmy Fallon as Bobby Rondinelli, Chris Kattan as Buck Dharma, and Horatio Sanz as Joe Bouchard.
Celebrity Jeopardy! is a series of sketches that aired regularly on the television comedy/variety show Saturday Night Live between 1996 and 2002, the years when Will Ferrell was a cast member. It parodies the same-named special event on the television quiz show Jeopardy! that features competition between notable individuals with all winnings going towards charitable organizations, and significant reductions to the game's level of difficulty. Fifteen sketches aired between December 1996 and February 2015: two sketches per season from 1996 to 2002, and one each in 2005 and 2009, when Ferrell returned to the show as host. The sketch was revived for the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special on February 15, 2015.
Weekend Update has been a platform for Saturday Night Live characters to grow and gain popularity ever since Gilda Radner used it to create Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna. Many cast members have used Update as the primary vehicle for a certain character. Don Novello was featured almost exclusively on the news segment as his breakout character, Father Guido Sarducci, and Tim Kazurinsky, in the face of Eddie Murphy's overshadowing popularity, created characters almost exclusively for Update. Before becoming an anchor on Update, Colin Quinn used the segment as his main sounding board as well.
Saturday Night Live has long mocked the television medium with many fake commercials and parodies of TV shows themselves. Another of the show's frequently used styles of recurring sketches has been the talk show format. However, anything from cop shows to children's shows has been fair game for the ever-changing cast.
The twenty-ninth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 4, 2003, and May 15, 2004.
The twenty-sixth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 7, 2000, and May 19, 2001.
The twenty-third season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 27, 1997, and May9, 1998.
The twenty-second season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 28, 1996, and May 17, 1997.
The twenty-first season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 30, 1995, and May 18, 1996.
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between September 28, 1996, and May 17, 1997, the twenty-second season of SNL.
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between September 27, 1997, and May 9, 1998, the twenty-third season of SNL.
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between September 26, 1998, and May 15, 1999, the twenty-fourth season of SNL.
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between September 25, 1999, and May 20, 2000, the twenty-fifth season of SNL.
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between October 7, 2000, and May 19, 2001, the twenty-sixth season of SNL.
"Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special" is a three-and-a-half-hour prime-time special that aired on February 15, 2015, on NBC, celebrating Saturday Night Live's 40th year on the air, having premiered on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. It is produced by Broadway Video. This special generated 23.1 million viewers, becoming NBC's most-watched prime-time, non-sports, entertainment telecast since the Friends series finale in 2004. It is the third such anniversary special to be broadcast, with celebratory episodes also held during the 15th and 25th seasons.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
