Here are the eight most-watched skits on YouTube that are part of the popular Saturday Night Live show airing fro nearly 50 years now.
By Namrata Ganguly
Updated on Apr 23, 2024 | 08:24 AM IST| 12.8K
Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Chris Martin in SNL Season 39 [Photo Credits- YouTube]
Nearly five decades ago, the first Saturday Night Live episode was premiered on NBC by host George Carlin in 1975. Created by Lorne Michaels the show airs on NBC and streams on Peacock while the official Saturday Night Live channel on YouTube comprises “your favorite sketches, behind-the-scenes clips, and web exclusives, featuring all your favorite hosts and cast members.”
The comic sketches in the show feature a wide and varied ensemble of repertory and newer cast members, and they frequently mock modern American politics and culture.
From Hermoine’s summer growth spurt in the Harry Potter episode to Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield’s struggle to kiss in the Spider-Man Kiss episode, everyone has their own favorite Saturday Night Live episode. So, we have brought to you the most viewed skits that are available to stream on YouTube.
Porn Teacher- 102M (2015)
With over 100 million views, Porn Teacher from Season 41 is the most-watched SNL skit on its YouTube channel. It is a satirical parody presented as a cheap copy of a porn film titled Hot for Teacher 8. It features a high school teacher, portrayed by Amy Schumer, who asks her “bad boy” student Ricky (Kyle Mooney) to stay back after dismissing the entire class for an after-school “oral exam.” However, they keep getting interrupted by another student (Aidy Bryant) who wants her teacher’s help to improve her grades.
Advertisement
Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks (2016)- 80M
Hosted by Kenan Thompson’s Darnell Hayes, the game show sketch Black Jeopardy featuring Tom Hanks as a contestant is the second-highest viewed SNL skit on YouTube with 80 million views. Other contestants on the show include Sasheer Zamata as Keeley and Leslie Jones as Shanice.
Touted to be primarily designed to appeal to Black culture, the show’s newest champion is a white elder with a MAGA hat, Doug (Hanks). This politically-charged episode also marks the debut of Hanks's most famous SNL character, David S. Pumpkins.
Harry Potter: Hermoine Growth Spurt (2013)- 73M
Featuring the popular Harry Potter franchise, SNL’s Hermoine Growth Spurt skit raked in over 70 million views on YouTube. “The wizards of Hogwarts can't get over Hermione's summer growth spurt,” describes the synopsis.
In the clip, Ron Weasley, portrayed by Seth Myers, and Harry Potter, played by Rachel Dratch, reunite with Hermione Granger, portrayed by Lindsay Lohan, at Hogwarts. The skit is about how Weasley and Potter found Granger has undergone a significant transformation over the summer. The Mean Girls star Lohan was only 17 at the time making her hosting debut.
Spider-Man Kiss (2014)- 72M
The Spider-Man Kiss skit from SNL’s season 39 featuring Stone and Garfield is one of the most popular SNL skits with over 70 million views.
The skit takes place on the sets of the 2014 Marvel film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where Garfield and Stone have trouble shooting their climactic love scene in front of a green screen. Hence, they are joined by Coldplay singer Chris Martin who offers to step in and “make sure they get the kiss they need,” as per the YouTube synopsis.
Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base (2016)- 66M
Starring Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver, the Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base skit from SNL’s 41st season raked 66 million views on YouTube.
In this satirical skit presented as an Undercover Boss episode, Driver parodies his character Kylo Ren from the Star Wars films in the video. The First Order leader disguises as a timid, blonde radar technician to study life for his subordinates at Starkiller Base surreptitiously.
Close Encounter (2015)- 60M
In the Close Encounter skit with 60 million views, three people (Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Ryan Gosling) share very different hilarious stories about their encounter with a UFO and abduction by aliens. The highlight of the show was Gosling’s uncontrollable laughter throughout the skit.
Advertisement
SNL40: Celebrity Jeopardy (2015)- 46M
The Celebrity Jeopardy skit from SNL’s 40th Anniversary celebration raked in over 45 million views and became one of the most-watched SNL skits on YouTube.
“Alex Trebek (Will Ferrell) tries his best to keep contestants Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond), Justin Bieber (Kate McKinnon), Tony Bennett (Alec Baldwin), Burt Reynolds (Norm Macdonald) and Matthew McConaughey (Jim Carrey) in line,” as per YouTube synopsis.
Celebrity Jeopardy! Kathie Lee, Tom Hanks, Sean Connery, Burt Reynolds (Season 34- 2009)- 44M
With 44 million views, the Celebrity Jeopardy skit from SNL Season 34 is the last but definitely not the least on our list of eight top most-viewed SNL skits on YouTube.
The skit features Kristen Wiig as Kathie Lee Gifford, Tom Hanks as himself, Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery, the late Norm Macdonald as Burt Reynolds, and Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek.
ALSO READ:'This Skit Was Perfect': Internet Reacts As Ryan Gosling And SNL Cast Break Into Laughter During Beavis And Butt-Head Sketch
Advertisement