Thanksgiving holds its own traditions, distinct from any other holiday. While turkey and cranberry sauce stand center stage on dining tables, NBC’s Saturday Night Live offers a laughter-filled feast of its own, dishing out the very best in Thanksgiving-themed sketches over the past 50 years. Eager to dig in? Here’s how you can savor these humorous gems.
Time Travel with Humor
Start your Thanksgiving celebration with A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving Special, a gravity-defying mashup of the most cherished sketches from past decades. Airing on November 26 at 9/8c on NBC, this two-hour event will also be available on Peacock the next day. According to NBC, it’s a delightful tradition that dovetails perfectly with post-turkey couch lounging.
Sketches that Define a Holiday
A Musically Infused Thanksgiving
Relive SNL’s cult classic “Back Home Ballers,” where an infectious beat narrates the escapades of returning home for Thanksgiving. Who could forget Cameron Diaz rapping with a holiday-themed girl group? This sketch lives on as a testament to SNL’s distinctive ability to heighten relatable life moments with humor.
Political Turmoil Meets Peace
“A Thanksgiving Miracle,” which aired with host Matthew McConaughey and musical guest Adele, delivers a heartfelt comedic experience. When Thanksgiving discussions spiral into political chaos, Adele’s “Hello” magically restores peace and sanity to the dinner table.
Floating Laughter in the Parade
The Thanksgiving Parade sketch reveals the inherent hilarity behind giant balloons, featuring Kristen Wiig playfully mocked by her oversized role as a giant Madeleine. Her antics, alongside Bobby Moynihan, make you question if those balloons ever look quite the same again.
A Gobble of Glorious Comedy
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without the peculiar image of Paul Simon donned as a giant turkey in “Paul Simon’s Monologue” from Season 2. This short sketch left an indelible mark and brought to light Simon’s melodious humor, oversized costume and all.
Don’t Miss Out
Be it through musical parodies, comedic drama, or giant balloons, the Thanksgiving Special invites you into a world where key sketches from fifty glorious years abound. Grab a blanket, cuddle up on the couch, and indulge in a bellyful of laughter with these SNL classics!
Catch the show on NBC and Peacock this holiday season and be ready for a holiday aimed to fill you with both nostalgia and laughter, underlined by half a century’s worth of comedic brilliance.