Because it confirmed in model at its fiftieth anniversary celebration, Saturday Night Live has generations of stars, recurring characters, and even film franchises. Over time, SNL’s best sketches are remembered, whereas others fade into obscurity.
Halloween has at all times offered a spark of inspiration for SNL, and these unbelievable sketches from throughout the a long time show why. The vacation’s mixture of scary and foolish vitality is tailored for the present’s mix of satire and chaos.
These SNL sketches are all worthy of a Halloween rewatch. These showcase a few of the best seasons of SNL, and spotlight the fan-favorite characters, impressions, and dance strikes that outline its legacy.
10
Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween (1993)
Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Melanie Hutsell, Host Christian Slater, & David Spade
Matt Foley is the quintessential Chris Farley character—loud, unhinged, and powered by pure bodily comedy. In “Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween” (1993), Foley known as in to lecture a mischievous teenagers (performed by host Christian Slater and David Spade) after a Halloween prank, whereas Phil Hartman performs their pissed off father.
The sketch follows the acquainted Foley formulation: his misguided makes an attempt at “motivation” devolve into chaos, full with wild gesturing, red-faced shouting, and inevitable pratfalls. Although it solely loosely ties to Halloween, Farley’s full-throttle vitality transforms it right into a seasonal standout.
Farley’s whole dedication to the bit—each bodily and emotionally—showcases why Matt Foley turned considered one of SNL’s most beloved recurring characters. Farley’s comedic genius was gone too quickly, however it’s captured endlessly in sketches like this.
9
The Clinton’s Halloween Celebration (2007)
That includes Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Invoice Hader, SNL Alum Darrell Hammond, Particular Visitor Barak Obama, Amy Poehler, Simon Wealthy, Jason Sudeikis
“The Clintons’ Halloween Celebration” (2007) is a standout SNL Halloween sketch as a result of it blends sharp political satire with the enjoyable of a dressing up get together. The setup—Invoice and Hillary Clinton (then working for president) internet hosting a Halloween bash—creates the right excuse for well timed impressions and playful jabs at real-world politics.
Darrell Hammond’s return as Bill Clinton, ever-charming if barely sleazy, pairs completely with Amy Poehler’s uptight, image-conscious Hillary, a pitch-perfect caricature of her public persona throughout the 2008 marketing campaign season. The sketch’s spotlight comes when then-Senator Barack Obama seems as himself, declaring he doesn’t have to put on a dressing up as a result of he received’t change who he’s, even for Halloween.
It’s a intelligent mixture of satire and spectacle, capturing SNL’s potential to show politics into each parody and popular culture occasion. The sketch expertly combines the abilities of its present solid with Hammond’s traditional Clinton impression, plus a bonus shock look by Obama—all grounded in a festive Halloween setting.
8
Horror Choreographer (2024)
That includes Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Host Michael Keaton
“Horror Choreographer” (2024) completely exemplifies SNL’s signature mix of absurdity and popular culture mash-ups. Andrew Dismukes performs a director making an attempt to shoot a simple slasher film, however Michael Keaton’s “stunt motion coordinator” Beau has a really totally different tackle Michael Myers’ actions.
The premise is inherently ridiculous, however the humor lands due to the solid’s full dedication—significantly SNL cast member Mikey Day, whose dancerly actions Dismukes calls “sassy and flirty,” like one thing a Jojo Siwa backup dancer would do. Day’s dance strikes will come up afterward this listing as effectively.
Keaton flexes his comedic chops as effectively, blithely making Dismukes’ straight man increasingly more pissed off. By taking a traditional Halloween icon and filtering it by a screwball lens, this sketch exemplifies SNL’s many riffs on reinventing horror tropes with gleeful absurdity.
7
NPR’s Scrumptious Dish: Gordon Hoover’s Halloween Scary City (2000)
Host & SNL Alum Dana Carvey, Ana Gasteyer, & Molly Shannon
Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon’s recurring “NPR’s Delicious Dish” characters stay a hidden gem of SNL comedy. The duo’s delicate, wordplay-driven humor is a loving homage to public radio: should you shut your eyes, it nearly appears like an actual NPR broadcast, with a relaxing, ASMR-like high quality that contrasts sharply with broader, bodily comedy like a Matt Foley skit.
Their 2000 Halloween sketch, that includes Dana Carvey as Gordon Hoover added a seasonal twist with “horror d’oeuvres” and a delicate escalation as Hoover shifted from shy to aggressive. The interaction of understated wit, absurd premises, and stellar performances makes this Halloween sketch a standout instance of their comedic brilliance, even when it’s much less remembered than “Schweddy Balls”.
6
Graveyard Track (2014)
Pete Davidson, Host Jim Carrey, Taran Killam, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Monihan, Jay Pharoah, Keenan Thompson, Sasheer Zamata
“The Graveyard Track” (2014) is an ideal instance of SNL’s Halloween magic, mixing absurdity, music, and manufacturing aptitude. The sketch follows a hapless couple who wander right into a graveyard, solely to search out that the objects and spirits round them are sentient—and able to sing.
Chaos ensues as two ghosts, Bob and Phil, performed by Taran Killam and guest host Jim Carrey, monopolize the music, irritating the otherworldly ensemble. The premise’s sudden, weird detour makes the humor really feel recent and unpredictable.
Past the comedy, the sketch highlights SNL’s manufacturing strengths: intricate units, detailed costuming, hair, and make-up create a convincingly spooky world, whereas musical cues that begin and cease seamlessly heighten the absurdity. It’s a finely tuned mix of visible, auditory, and situational humor—precisely the type of high-concept sketch that defines an SNL Halloween traditional.
5
Martha Stewart On Halloween (1997)
Ana Gasteyer
Ana Gasteyer’s Martha Stewart impression was a recurring SNL spotlight within the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, mixing spot-on vocal mimicry with delicate facial expressions to make the character immediately recognizable and endlessly humorous. Gasteyer portrayed Stewart as a barely uptight, overly exact home guru, exaggerating the calm, meticulous persona the true Stewart cultivated.
Stewart gives absurd suggestions for optimizing Halloween pranks like toilet-papering a home, egging, and even flaming poop—heightening the comedy by distinction together with her prim demeanor. SNL has a knack for turning popular culture figures into satirical, topical characters whereas utilizing seasonal or vacation hooks to maintain the fabric recent and stunning.
4
A Woman’s Halloween (2016)
That includes Vanessa Bayer, Aidy Bryant, & Cecily Sturdy
“A Woman’s Halloween” (2016) arrived throughout a robust period for girls writing and acting on SNL, capturing the millennial feminine expertise with sharp perception and absurdist humor. The sketch resonates as a result of it displays the arc of many ladies’ nights out—beginning innocently however escalating into chaos, amplified by the heightened vitality of Halloween.
Aidy Bryant’s character begins meticulously making use of make-up, however by the evening’s finish she smashes by a pizza place window just like the Kool-Assist Man, a comedic exaggeration of how the evening will get away from her. It’s an ideal mix of relatable reality and SNL’s signature over-the-top comedy dropped at life by three of the best SNL cast members of the 2010s.
3
Spooky Track (2019)
Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Host Probability The Rapper, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardener, Kyle Mooney, Keenan Thompson
“Spooky Track” from the 2019 SNL‘s Halloween episode is a superbly deranged, lovingly detailed sketch that completely showcases the present’s potential to combine foolish ideas with excessive manufacturing worth. From the skeleton enjoying piano to animated clouds telling the story alongside the music, and the shady owl observing the chaos, each visible element enhances the comedy.
Costuming, set design, and make-up are meticulously crafted, making the surreal world really feel tangible. The sketch balances lowbrow humor with these intricate manufacturing touches.
Host Probability the Rapper delivers a ghost character who’s hilariously evasive about his loss of life, escalating the absurdity to the purpose the place the “Diddy of the Damned” plotline screeches to a halt. This Halloween sketch is each visually putting and riotously humorous, a testomony to SNL’s seasonal creativity at its greatest.
2
Vincent Worth’s Halloween Particular II (2010)
Fred Armisen, Invoice Hader, Host Jon Hamm, & Kristen Wiig
“Vincent Worth’s Halloween Particular II” (2010) is a quintessential SNL Halloween sketch, completely mixing darkish humor, historic figures, and theatrical manufacturing. By lampooning long-deceased celebrities, the writers achieve inventive freedom to magnify personalities with out restraint—Kristen Wiig’s Judy Garland popping drugs like M&Ms exemplifies this playful irreverence.
Introduced in black and white, the sketch levels a Halloween get together hosted by Vincent Worth, with costumed company together with Liberace, JFK, and Garland—a delightfully absurd historic mash-up. The humor is sharp but affectionate, harking back to the Harvard Lampoon sensibility that usually informs SNL’s writing, elevated by two of SNL‘s best cast members of the 2000s.
Excessive manufacturing values—elaborate units, exact props, meticulous hair and make-up—give the sketch a elegant but chaotic vitality. It’s an ideal instance of how SNL merges nostalgia, satire, and vacation whimsy into a really memorable seasonal sketch.
1
Haunted Elevator (2016)
Beck Bennett, Mikey Day, Host Tom Hanks, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Moynihan, & Keenan Thompson
“Haunted Elevator” (the David S. Pumpkins sketch) turned an on the spot SNL traditional, with its illogical, absurd premise fueling a cultural frenzy that offered out Halloween costumes and even impressed a full animated quick. Tom Hanks’ eccentric vocal selections, paired with Mikey Day and Bobby Moynihan’s inexplicable dance strikes, cemented David S. Pumpkins a pop-culture phenomenon.
The sketch’s success lies in its unapologetic weirdness—nothing about it ought to work, however every part comes collectively completely, and that’s exactly what makes it iconic. Apparently, Hanks suggested that Chris Hemsworth could be a greater match. Fortunately, SNL stayed the course, as a result of nobody else may inhabit the chaotic enchantment of David S. Pumpkins.
- Launch Date
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October 11, 1975
- Showrunner
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Lorne Michaels
- Administrators
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Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff, Paul Miller, Robert Altman, Robert Smigel
- Writers
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Will Forte, Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Chris Parnell, Asa Taccone, John Lutz, Tom Schiller, Simon Wealthy, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Nicki Minaj, Herbert Sargent, Matt Piedmont, John Solomon, Chris Kelly, Alan Zweibel, Kent Sublette, Ari Katcher, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schnedier, Scott Jung, Justin Franks, Jerrod Bettis, Rhiannon Bryan
