Saturday Night Live has some classics, especially during the holiday season.
Here's my ranking for the very best SNL holiday skits:
26. "Angelo Christmas"
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SNL might have found their next great character...the same way Angelo is the next big thing in music. This is one of those sketches where the original is better, but this one shows that it can keep making new ones while making it feel fresh. But is it overly Christmas-y? That's why it's not higher on the list. "Uh, say for me?"
25. "Bring It on Down to Wrappinville"
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Rivaling vendors have a sing-off. Would've been a lot funnier without the screaming JT fan in the crowd. This was definitely the weakest of this reoccurring Timberlake "-Ville" character.
24. "You're a Rat Bastard, Charlie Brown"
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Forget family entertainment, get a new twist on a Christmas classic starring Al Pacino (Bill Hader). The Michael Keaton impression by Taran Killam is wonderful. "You wanna get Peanuts?! Come on! Let's get Peanuts!"
23. "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood: Christmas"
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It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Eddie Murphy's "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" neighborhood sketches are excellent, and although this isn't the best of the bunch, it is still worthy of being on the list.
22. "Scrudge"
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Meet the worst party guest: Scrudge. This one really felt like Beck Bennett's ridiculous humor. Scrudge's jerkish attitude is really perfect for a modern take of Scrooge, plus having him still wear older clothing is the icing on the cake.
21. "Consumer Probe"
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A lot of these toys seem dangerous to kids, but not to Irwin Mainway, the man that manufactures them. This skit gave us the wonderfully safe toy of "Bag-O-Glass," fun for the whole family. Where else are you going to get jagged, dangerous glass bits for under $2?
20. "Glengarry Glen Christmas: Elf Motivation"
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These elves needed the motivation, but the man Kringle sent is a little intense. The elf voices are annoyingly spot on. This wouldn't even be on the list without Alec Baldwin's slipup, because it really made the whole thing even better. Although, I never want to meet a talking moose (or as I call them "Satanic deer")...they can keep that.
19. "Holiday Baking Championship"
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Two hours to make a cake based off a childhood memory, and man, are the final results bad. Not the best Baking Championship sketch, but still very funny. I love the cake speaking in the judge's grandmother's voice to trick him and drag him to hell.
18. "The Lawrence Welk Show"
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I know nothing about the origins of these Lawrence Welk sketches, but it follows the same formula every time, and it is so silly. Those tiny hands will never fail to make me laugh. "And I'm myself!"
17. "Drunk Uncle on the Holidays"
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To tell you about his Christmas opinions, here's Drunk Uncle, Bobby Moynihan's finest work. He's the worst, but that's what makes him the best. Everyone has that family member, and every single one of his holiday appearances is a slam dunk for the Weekend Update.
16. "I Wish It Was Christmas Today"
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Now, hear me out, I know Tracy Morgan has had a wildly successful career in comedy. But I see him, and I think of him doing his little "running-in-place" dance from this. This sketch is less about the song itself and the ridiculousness of the four men performing.
15. "Home for Christmas"
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A vaccinated nurse wants to surprise her grandpa for Christmas, but Aunt Sue is there, and she frickin' loves surprises. I don't know if there is an Aunt Sue sketch that I hate. She's hilarious and one of my favorite reoccurring characters by Kristen Wiig.
14. "Christmastime for the Jews"
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When the Christian families are away, the Jewish families will play. Similar vibes to Eddie Murphy's "White Like Me" sketch, the jingle in this will get caught in your head for the rest of the day. A weirdly good animated sketch that embraces the classic "clay-mation" style of the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.
13. "Renaldo and Alexi"
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Pretty sure this never saw the light of day on the show, but thanks to YouTube, we are given my favorite Hader/Armisen character break two-for-one special. Two doormen tell departing hotel goers their versions of Christmas stories by memory. Both men do a terrible job of keeping a straight face, and every second of it is marvelous.
12. "Dick in a Box"
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That special Christmas gift no one really asked for: Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg's junk in a box. It is high on the list for its classic nature, but I loved so many other shorts by Samberg, and I wasn't into this one as much as everyone else at the time.
11. "St. Joseph's Christmas Mass Spectacular"
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What is a Christmas Mass like? Apparently, this sketch. I just love any sketch where it has a big ensemble like this, with each cast member getting their little moment to shine.
10. "Santa and the Elves"
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"We're soOoOo sorry!" These perverse elves are on thin ice with Santa, and clearly, they want to be punished for it. The ridiculousness of it all, plus how tiny they are, it really makes these little masochists a hilarious trio. Might be an unpopular opinion, but I prefer this sketch over the original sketch with the tree elves.
9. "Jebidiah Atkinson on Holiday Movies"
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A character we did not get enough of, unfortunately. Jebidiah Atkinson's harsh reviews for beloved Christmas specials go a little too far, and even the crowd starts turning on him. It's hilarious, and even Taran Killam had a tough time staying in character.
8. "It's a Wonderful Life: The Lost Ending"
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Any fan of It's a Wonderful Life has to appreciate this sketch. Everyone wanted karma to get Mr. Potter, but in this sketch, it's really the whole town that gets him. Plus, Dana Carvey's Jimmy Stewart impression is pretty perfect for this outlandish sketch.
7. "First Impression"
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This isn't meant to be mean, but this is my favorite Jason Mamoa performance. Ever. A man's desperation to find his daughter's high-pitched-voiced boyfriend...hiding somewhere in the home. This sketch from start to finish is really my type of humor, and I quote the ending in conversation at least twice a week. "Very, very good. Very handsome."
6. "Twin Bed"
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This sketch for me feels like a time capsule, because this is one of the first times (as a young and new SNL watcher) I was introduced to Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Vanessa Bayer...all in one single sketch, mind you. Catchy and a laugh riot, this is easily one of the better song sketches ever made. "And now it's a whole thing with Gene."
5. "Santa Baby"
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A couple really...REALLY loves Santa Claus. I adore this sketch. Sometimes SNL catches lightning in a bottle with a great idea, but this skit is a case of great acting from top to bottom. Ryan Gosling and Vanessa Bayer bring the creepiness, but Beck Bennett and company really nail the feelings of dread. Gosling breaking a candy cane and angrily asking, "Then how the f*** did Santa get here?" is golden.
4. "Adam Sandler on Hanukkah"
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Not enough love for Hanukkah on this list, but in the words of Adam Sandler, this sketch is too much "funukkah." Not only do I think this is Adam Sandler's finest SNL moment, but I'd argue it is one of the best original songs for the show. The littlest things make a great skit, and I think people overlook this classic because it is so famous. When you first watch it, you're not expecting for him to just force rhymes with the word "Hanukkah," and it was so hilarious the first time you see it.
3. "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"
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Dare I say: one of my favorite opening monologues ever. What the hell is this? Why did this happen? How did it get approved? John Malkovich reading "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" while constantly getting sidetracked with his own thoughts and fun facts is like comedic torture. It's an ingenious sketch and really one of the first Christmas SNL sketches that came to mind when putting together this list.
2. "NPR's Delicious Dish"
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I wish they had archive footage of writer's meetings, because I would love to see initial reactions to some of the weirdest crafted sketch ideas. The "Schweddy Balls" skit is truly one of the weirder concepts and a grand slam of character acting by Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon. It's such an immature idea with flawless execution thanks to their deadpanned delivery.