32 Bizarre SNL Sketches That Parody Movies and TV Shows in Unexpected Ways

Generally speaking, Saturday Night Live (SNL) is known for its straight-forward imitations of movies and TV shows, ranging from fake movie trailers to direct reenactments of popular programs. Occasionally, SNL surprises viewers by subtly referencing well-known titles in a humorous manner that could potentially alter your perception of the film or series forever. Here are some outstanding instances of this.

Papyrus

Among the favorite skits from Season 43 of Saturday Night Live (and indeed, throughout its history) is titled “Papyrus,” named after a popular font. The sketch features host Ryan Gosling as a man who can’t get over the fact that a blockbuster movie like 2009’s Avatar was able to use this font as its official logo. The skit garnered a reaction from James Cameron and even motivated an un-aired sequel in 2024.

Crime Scene

In this Season 37 sketch, actors Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis play roles as a detective and an officer at a crime scene in an apartment that the officer notes looks like Jerry’s from Seinfeld. However, surprisingly, the detective claims to be unaware of it since he doesn’t own a TV. Things take a strange turn when he also mentions being unfamiliar with baseball or World War II, yet he later makes references to these same topics. The sketch concludes with him referencing CSI: Miami, a show he admits watching.

Nick The Lounge Singer Sings The Star Wars Theme

One of the most amusing recurring characters from the early years of Saturday Night Live is Nick the Lounge Singer, portrayed by Bill Murray. He would delight his audience with outlandish stories and surprising adaptations of various songs. For example, a notable sketch features Nick adding lyrics to the iconic Star Wars theme tune composed by John Williams. The power (and humor) of this character is undeniable.

Beavis And Butt-Head

In an amusing sketch during Season 49 of Saturday Night Live, a serious conversation about A.I. on NewsNation was unexpectedly disrupted by two audience members who looked like the main characters from the famous animated series, Beavis and Butt-Head (portrayed by host Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day). The audience, including Heidi Gardner, couldn’t help but laugh out loud, making this hilarious video go viral. To add to the humor, the scene ended with a group of people who resembled characters from another popular Mike Judge cartoon, King of the Hill.

Kuato

In a Season 32 episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Jaime Pressly, there was an obscure sketch featuring Bill Hader as a man with a small mutant named Kuato living inside him (played by Andy Samberg). This creature originated from the 1990 sci-fi movie, Total Recall, which was pointed out by Jason Sudeikis’ character. The sketch gained renewed attention when it was mentioned on The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast. This led to them naming their fans the “Quaid Army,” a reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in Total Recall.

SNL Digital Short: Dear Sister

One notable and highly respected Digital Short from SNL revisits a well-known TV series cliffhanger: the Season 2 finale of The O.C., where Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” is heard after Marissa (Mischa Barton) shoots Trey (Logan Marshall-Green). The skit, titled “Dear Sister“, repeatedly portrays the heartbreaking scene of people shooting each other, always accompanied by the dramatic music drop.

Gumby

Among Eddie Murphy’s memorable Saturday Night Live characters, one was an original interpretation of Gumby that differed significantly from the cherished claymation character in terms of his character traits. The future Oscar nominee transformed the green, flexible clay figure into a cranky adult with a Jewish accent who doesn’t appreciate criticism.

Totino’s Pizza Rolls

In a humorous twist, Saturday Night Live (SNL) showcased a sequence of skits centered around the Totino’s brand. One particularly amusing sketch was a mock advertisement for Pizza Rolls. In this spoof, Vanessa Bayer portrayed a housewife who served the oven-cooked treats to a group of football-watching men in the living room. To her surprise, she found that they had been shouting at an empty screen all along. Once the men turned to reveal their charred eyes towards her, it was unveiled that the ad was actually a teaser for the return of the television series, The X-Files.

Landshark

1975 was the year Steven Spielberg’s hit movie Jaws premiered, and in the same year, an amusing sketch idea for a sequel was presented on Saturday Night Live (SNL). At first glance, it appeared ordinary when Gilda Radner opened the door, thinking it was a telegram. However, she was unexpectedly swallowed by a shark that had legs and mimicked Chevy Chase’s voice.

Family Feud Cold Open

In this instance, we’re showcasing a funny SNL sketch that playfully critiques a well-known movie series as well as a highly rated TV program. The host, portrayed by Kenan Thompson as Steve Harvey, presents his teams. One team comprises characters from the popular Game of Thrones series, while the other is formed by heroes and antagonists from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Samurai Night Fever

In a relatively short span, the late, iconic John Belushi left an indelible mark on Saturday Night Live (SNL) through his vast collection of memorable characters, one of which was the Samurai. During one episode of their recurring skit, they swapped roles, with Belushi stepping into the shoes originally filled by John Travolta for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Tony Manero in the popular 1977 movie, Saturday Night Fever.

The Impossible Hulk

The 1970s TV show “The Incredible Hulk,” featuring Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as his monstrous green counterpart, the Hulk, significantly popularized the Marvel Comics character. Years later, an Saturday Night Live skit emerged with a comparable theme: Idris Elba portrayed Black Bruce Banner, who, under duress, transformed not into a beast but rather an “empowered white woman” (portrayed by Cecily Strong).

SNL Digital Short: Jack Sparrow

A standout skit from Saturday Night Live involves a musical artist collaboration, where The Lonely Island ask Michael Bolton to join them in recording a sincere rap number. However, instead of focusing on the expected subject matter, the Grammy-winning artist expresses his passion for movies, particularly the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and even dons costumes resembling Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp.

Please Don’t Destroy: Mikey Madison Is Squidward

During an episode of Saturday Night Live, season 50, hosted by Mikey Madison, the star of the Oscar-winning film Anora made an appearance in the office of Please Don’t Destroy, dressed as Squidward Tentacles from SpongeBob SquarePants. This led to the group brainstorming a concept for a reimagined Nickelodeon series, transforming it into a dramatic coming-of-age story titled Treading Water, in which they collaborated with her.

I’m Just Pete

Pete Davidson showcases his star status on SNL with unexpected musical prowess in a sketch that initially mocks his recent projects like Peacock’s Bupkis. However, the scene abruptly shifts to a Barbieland setting, where the comedian serenades us with a self-reflective song reminiscent of Barbie’s Academy Award-nominated tune, “I’m Just Ken.

Hobbit Office

In this pre-recorded segment, host Martin Freeman playfully satirizes two significant milestones from his career. He revives his character Bilbo Baggins, originally seen in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit series, but sets the scene to mimic the classic British adaptation of The Office.

Black Jeopardy With Chadwick Boseman

In the regular “Black Jeopardy!” sketches, the humor often revolves around depicting white people as either disconnected or surprisingly knowledgeable about Black culture. However, a 2018 version switched things up by featuring Chadwick Boseman as his character T’Challa from Black Panther, who was a contestant. Despite being a royal figure, T’Challa struggled to answer the questions that host Darnell Hayes presented, demonstrating that even those with privilege can sometimes be out of touch with certain aspects of Black culture.

Walking Dead Chappelle’s Show

As a die-hard cinema enthusiast, I was utterly thrilled when Dave Chappelle took the stage for his first-ever hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. To make it truly memorable, he seamlessly blended some iconic characters from his legendary Comedy Central series, “Chappelle’s Show,” into a captivating sketch adorned with an intriguing twist. Characters like Tyrone Biggums, “Silky” Johnson, and more were skillfully assembled in a pre-recorded reenactment of a renowned scene from The Walking Dead. In this rendition, Chappelle masterfully portrayed the menacing adversary Negan, originally brought to life by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Courtroom

Have you ever pondered about what sort of legal team Jurassic World might have engaged after dinosaurs went berserk and started attacking visitors? Saturday Night Live provides an answer to this query with a skit featuring host Donald Glover as a lawyer, who goes to great lengths to argue that his client, Jurassic World, is not accountable for the dreadful incidents that transpired.

Cold Opening: The Peanuts Characters

A sketch in the 25th season of Saturday Night Live begins with a fictional news report by ABC News’ Ted Koppel (played by Darryl Hammond), discussing the demise of Peanuts creator Charles Schultz. Later, he talks to cast members Tim Meadows, Rachel Dratch, and Horatio Sanz, who are heavily made up to resemble grown-up versions of Franklin, Marcie, and Pig Pen – characters from the comic strip and animation.

Firestarter Brand Smoked Sausages

In one of Drew Barrymore’s initial starring performances, she played Charlie McGee in the 1984 film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, “Firestarter.” Later on, the actress portrayed this character again in a fictional Saturday Night Live commercial for a sausage brand. As an adult, Charlie, who possesses pyrokinetic powers, is shown cooking these sausages herself.

School Vs. School

Clash of Schools” – This comedy sketch unfolds on a game show named after itself, where teams consisting of teachers and their top pupils face off. Here, Mrs. Cashman (Punkie Johnson), Manny (Marcello Hernandez), and Gabe (Michael Longfellow) from West Grove High School will be squaring off against Professor Zander (Mikey) and his prodigious students, Zena (Jenna Ortega) and Knockout (Molly Kearney), who bear a striking resemblance to Professor Xavier and some of the mutants from the animated “X-Men” show.

Chucky

In a pre-recorded segment during Jake Gyllenhaal’s Season 47 episode, three colleagues, portrayed by Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, and Melissa Villaseñor, are chatting in the restroom and teasing their coworker Janet (Aidy Bryant) by likening her to a different colleague named Chucky. Little do they know that they’re referring to the infamous horror movie villain from the Child’s Play series (played by Sarah Sherman), who takes offense at being compared to Janet, leading them to a mandatory HR meeting.

Giuliani Cold Open

2015’s Saturday Night Live episode begins unexpectedly featuring Taran Killam as Rudy Giuliani in a press tour, due to his contentious remark regarding President Barack Obama. But it swiftly transpires that Killam was selected for his Michael Keaton impression, as the skit evolves into a satire of the Best Picture Oscar winner, Birdman. This spoof incorporates single-take filming and an aerial commentary from Giuliani’s avian persona (portrayed by Beck Bennett).

Discover Card

As a movie critic, I found myself intrigued by the clever parody Discover created when they had customer service reps mirroring their clients’ unique characteristics. However, Saturday Night Live took this concept to another level with a hilarious spoof ad featuring Ego Nwodim’s character being assisted by her eerie doppelganger – reminiscent of the chilling twist in Jordan Peele’s 2019 blockbuster, Us.

Parole Board

In this sketch on “Saturday Night Live,” the comedic role of a convict, resembling Morgan Freeman’s character Red from the 1994 movie adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Shawshank Redemption,” is played by Kenan Thompson. This character, in the current version, is being considered for parole by a board, but unfortunately, his release is denied due to the fact that he has been sentenced for consuming human flesh, as explained by Blake Shelton’s member of the board.

Please Don’t Destroy: Bad Bunny Is Shrek

The Shrek films have been humorously criticized on several instances, for example, when Sterling K. Brown debated vehemently with his girlfriend’s parents about Dreamworks’ Shrek being the greatest animated movie ever made in a skit. Nevertheless, this sketch is not as amusing or peculiar as the Please Don’t Destroy episode featuring Bad Bunny dressed as the ogre in the trio’s office. He convinces them to take part in his ridiculous remake of the absurd fairy tale.

Joker Wedding

In the Halloween episode of Season 48, Saturday Night Live presents a sketch set at an All Hallows’ Eve wedding. The best man, portrayed by Andrew Dismukes, creates chaos when he stubbornly decides to wear Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker costume from The Dark Knight. In a surprising twist, the scene transforms into a mockery of the popular reality show Survivor, featuring a shocking appearance by Jeff Probst, who tallies votes on whether or not the Joker costume should remain.

Jumanji

During Kristen Wiig’s induction into SNL’s Five-Timers Club, she played a role in a sketch where she attended a gathering with her new boyfriend and his friends. However, when Andrew Dismukes’ character suggested playing a board game, she hesitated due to concerns that it could turn out like the characters from 1995’s Jumanji, leading to an absurd debate about the rules and jungle crises of the fictitious magical game.

SNL Digital Short: The Curse

In Season 35’s SNL Digital Short titled “The Curse,” Andy Samberg portrays an unknowing executive. He inadvertently destroys a treasured item of a homeless man (Fred Armisen). Enraged, the homeless man casts a spell on him. Consequently, this cursed individual is tormented by recurring appearances of Jon Hamm, who embodies a striking saxophonist reminiscent of Tim Capello from the iconic music scene in the horror movie, The Lost Boys.

Djesus Uncrossed

On various instances, Saturday Night Live (SNL) has playfully mocked Quentin Tarantino’s films, but none have been as inventive (or potentially contentious) as their fictitious trailer for “Djesus Uncrossed”. Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz portrays the Son of Man in a reimagining of his resurrection as a gritty revenge story reminiscent of “Django Unchained”.

Cosby Obama

In a 2012 comedy sketch, Michelle Obama (portrayed by Maya Rudolph), while campaigning to combat childhood obesity, put forward a half-hour comedic special highlighting healthy choices, which featured her family and was titled The Obama Show. The show’s format resembled that of The Cosby Show, with Fred Armisen blending his impression of the then-U.S. president with that of Bill Cosby.

2025-05-30 03:41