SNL: The 10 Best Seasons, According To IMDb

NBC’s Saturday Night Live is a staple of American television and it has become weekly required viewing for many households. Though it has seen many ups and downs, SNL has consistently pleased its fans even when the casts have changed over the years.

Because it is a sketch show, it is hard to judge episodes and seasons as a whole, but fans have gravitated towards certain eras of the show and they have garnered higher IMDb scores. Whenever the cast, host, and musical guest are of a consistent quality, few shows are as hilarious as SNL.

10 Season 1 (1975-1976) – 7.0

The debut season of SNL had its fair share of growing pains. It was attempting to introduce an entirely new comedy format to audiences and it did so with a cast of relative newcomers. Many of the show’s most famous alumnus such as Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Chevy Chase were on hand to help the fledgling show along.

Though it may look very different from the shows of recent memory, season 1 laid the groundwork that all seasons would emulate moving forward. Also, several of the hosts would become SNL legends and host the show a multitude of times.

9 Season 37 (2011-2012) – 7.1

SNL usually sees an uptick in quality around election years, and season 37 was no exception. With a lot of political material to work with, the season rolled on strong and was the final season of legendary cast members Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg.

Aside from the strong political material, the season excelled because of the consistency of the cast as it saw very little change from previous years. Being familiar with the format and having years of experience, the cast of season 37 was able to deliver quality on a weekly basis.

8 Season 32 (2006-2007) – 7.1

By season 32, SNL had proven that it could keep up with changing forms of comedy and had stepped into the realm of internet humor. Aside from a cast of long-running players like Darrell Hammond and Fred Armisen, the show boasted a handful of up-and-coming talents that would define the show for the next decade.

As with the previous season, many of the highlights came from Andy Samberg and his Lonely Island comedy group. Together the group produced a handful of notoriously funny internet sketches that aired on the show as well. Season 32 contained the infamous “D**k in a Box” sketch that featured Samberg and notable host Justin Timberlake.

7 Season 39 (2013-2014) – 7.1

On the eve of season 40, SNL undertook one of its largest cast overhauls and nearly every featured player was replaced with a fresh face. Despite the change, audiences responded well to the new cast and with the addition of legendary hosts such as John Goodman and Tina Fey, the season soared beyond many fans’ expectations.

The season is of consistent quality not only because the writing is strong but because the hosting was top-notch as well. Unlike many other seasons which often featured non-actors in the hosting spot, season 39 featured only hosts who had experience as actors.

6 Season 17 (1991-1992) – 7.2

The early 1990s was another big transitional period for Saturday Night Live. The ’80s had been largely rough for the show but it saw a glimmer of hope in the latter half of the decade through the inclusion of memorable cast members. Season 17 saw the promotion of Chris Farley and Chris Rock to main cast status and several future stars were featured players as well.

Anchored by established talents like Dana Carvey and Mike Myers, season 17 flourished because it was a balance of old and new. With memorable sketches like “Wayne’s World” having been made into a hit film by that point, SNL had more eyes on it than ever before.

5 Season 33 (2007-2008) – 7.2

Hampered by the writer’s strike, season 33 of SNL still managed to deliver high quality entertainment week after week. The season was the shortest of the entire run and that allowed the writers to focus and pack each episode with strong content. The cast saw very little turnover which allowed the veterans to work their magic, despite limitations.

The season’s hosts were very strong and featured a few notable alumni such as Tina Fey. Also, the famous “Weekend Update” sketch was helmed by Amy Poehler and Seth Myers who are considered to be some of the best anchors to ever host the sketch.

4 Season 3 (1977-1978) – 7.3

By season 3 of SNL, the original cast had solidified into a strong unit and the show had fully established its formula. A majority of the original cast remained, and new addition Billy Murray had found his place in the roster with his own recurring sketch characters.

With legendary hosts like Steve Martin making frequent appearances, the show was able to deliver week in and week out. On top of that, notable alumnus Chevy Chase became the first returning cast member to host the show. The third season introduced the hilarious “Festrunk Brothers” sketch with Aykroyd and Martin, and it would go down as one of the funniest sketches of the 1970s.

3 Season 4 (1978-1978) – 7.3

Season 4 came out of the gate hot and started with The Rolling Stones as hosts and musical guests in the same episode. The cast was unchanged from previous seasons, though it would be the last season of both Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi which would effectively spell the end of the original cast.

Like the previous two seasons, the cast was in rare form and had gotten the format of the show down well enough to deliver consistently. Many of the previous season’s famous sketches returned and The Blues Brothers performed on several occasions before Aykroyd and Belushi departed to star in the feature film.

2 Season 2 (1976-1977) – 7.3

Whatever issues season 1 struggled with, the show had fully worked out by the debut episode of the second. Resembling much of what SNL still looks like today, the second season garnered the show a much larger audience and introduced some of the show’s most famous sketches, such as the Coneheads.

SNL also proved its resilience during the season when debut cast member Chevy Chase departed the show suddenly and was later replaced by Bill Murray. By introducing the concept of fluidity within the cast, SNL prepared the audiences for all of the future cast changes to come.

1 Season 8 (1982-1983) – 7.5

The years immediately following the dissolution of the original cast were one of the roughest patches for the show. SNL attempted several format changes which didn’t sit well with audiences and they were tuning out in droves. Season 8, however, reintroduced many of the show’s original hallmarks and it was seen as a return to form.

Though the cast didn’t feature as many household names as before, future stars such as Eddie Murphy and Julia Louise-Dreyfus were strong anchor points. Notable sketches such as “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood” were familiar staples from the previous seasons that fans could latch on to, and Eddie Murphy proved his tremendous star power throughout the season before departing after the following season.

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