47 classic “Saturday Night Live” Thanksgiving sketches
November 23, 2022 Andrew Buss Features, Lists, Saturday Night Live, Television
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. As you’re racing to get the house and food ready before everyone comes over, it’s a perfect time to take a breather and revisit some classic Saturday Night Live. Here’s a look back to some classic SNL sketches celebrating the holiday. From chaotic dinners gone wrong to Chris Rock’s NIKE Turkey to Adam Sandler’s Thanksgiving Song to Guy Fieri, check out 47 Thanksgiving sketches from 48 seasons of SNL.
A Thanksgiving Miracle
“There’s only one thing that can keep a family (Beck Bennett, Jay Pharoah, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, Matthew McConaughey, Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer) from fighting at Thanksgiving: Adele.”
Adam Sandler’s Thanksgiving Song
“Adam Sandler and Kevin Nealon sing a comical ditty celebrating Thanksgiving, how much he loves to eat turkey and peppering in facts that happen to rhyme with what he’s talking about.”
Nike Turkey
“In this Nike commercial parody, a spokesperson (Chris Rock) raps about the pump-inflated Nikey Turkey, the Thanksgiving bird big enough to feed even the largest family.”
First Thanksgiving
“Pocahontas’ (Melissa Villaseñor) boyfriend, John Smith (Beck Bennett), comes over for Thanksgiving dinner with her family (Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen).”
Heinz
“A commercial advertises Heinz Relax: The ketchup you know and love in a newly designed bottle.”
Friends-Giving
“A couple of strangers (Steve Carell, Cecily Strong) discover they know the same famous Thanksgiving song at a Friends-giving dinner party.”
Surprise Lady: Thanksgiving
“Sue (Kristen Wiig) can’t contain her excitement when she learns Paul (Pete Davidson) will be making a surprise appearance at Thanksgiving.”
Festive Thanksgiving
“The flamboyant antics of a gay Pilgrim (Billy Bob Thornton) ruin the first Thanksgiving for the other Pilgrims (Rachel Dratch, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Jeff Richards).“
Penelope: Thanksgiving
“Penelope (Kristen Wiig) volunteers at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving to feed the homeless, but ends up one-upping Mary (Anne Hathaway), scoring a touchdown in a football game on TV and declaring herself the Queen of Thanksgiving.“
Thanksgiving Parade
“Two couples (Beck Bennett, Cecily Strong, Kyle Mooney, Vanessa Bayer) watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade are surprised by how close the balloons (Kristen Wiig, Bobby Moynihan, Mikey Day) are getting.”
Wayne Thanksgiving
“Locals (Chance the Rapper, Leslie Jones, Kenan Thompson, Chris Redd) tell Bruce Wayne (Beck Bennett) that Batman is too forceful with the people in their neighborhood.”
Guy Fieri on Thanksgiving
“Food Network’s Guy Fieri (Bobby Moynihan) shares his full-throttle tips for making a Turduckenryepigcowcowhorsenishgamehen and taking Thanksgiving dinner classics off the hook by cooking them in lots and lots of alcohol.”
Thanksgiving Guest
“ A family (Aidy Bryant, Taran Killam, Kyle Mooney, Bobby Moynihan) is shocked when their son (Josh Hutcherson) comes home from college just in time for Thanksgiving dinner with his girlfriend (Vanessa Bayer)… who’s a turkey.”
Debbie Downer: Thanksgiving Dinner
“ Debbie Downer’s (Rachel Dratch) comments on feline AIDS, small pox, eczema and food poisoning during Thanksgiving dinner makes everyone leave the table, even the turkey.”
Thanksgiving with the Keisters
“Marge (Jan Hooks) dotes on the men in her family (Phil Hartman, John Lithgow, Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon) who loosen their belts, belch, pass gas and promptly fall asleep after the Thanksgiving feast.”
Bill Swerski’s Super Fans: Thanksgiving
“The Super Fans (George Wendt, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Robert Smigel) celebrate Thanksgiving at Ditka’s by watching a local sixth grade class recreate the first Thanksgiving, and Todd gets too friendly with Bob’s daughter.”
Space Thanksgiving
“Earth space travellers (Steve Carell, Beck Bennet, Cecily Strong, Leslie Jones) make a discovery about the Thanksgiving feast they’re sharing with their alien hosts (Kenan Thompson, Melissa Villaseñor).”
A New Jack Thanksgiving
“In this Time Life commercial, Medium Richard (Bobby Moynihan) advertises A New Jack Thanksgiving, a CD collection of the greatest Thanksgiving-themed rap and R&B songs of all time, including tracks by Cross Chris and Triangle Sally.”
The Californians: Thanksgiving
“The Californians’ Thanksgiving becomes scandalous with news of an illegitimate baby, an affair and an illness.”
Kissing Family Thanksgiving
“The Vogelchecks (Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader) welcome Jacob (Jason Segel) and his girlfriend (Vanessa Bayer) home for Thanksgiving with kisses. They feed a homeless man and get a surprise visit from Austin (Paul Rudd).”
Pete Davidson on Staten Island
“Pete Davidson explains why he isn’t looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving.”
Your Hometown
“A tourism commercial parody that urges viewers to skip Hawaii this holiday season and instead vacation to your childhood hometown, stay with your parents and visit all the old places you haven’t missed.”
Martha Stewart on Thanksgiving
“Martha Stewart (Ana Gasteyer) is joined by her mother (Joan Allen) to talk about entertaining on Thanksgiving.”
Thanksgiving Song Auditions
“To address the disparity between Christmas and Thanksgiving songs recorded in The Library of Congress, The National Endowment for the Arts auditions a number of artists to find and support Thanksgiving music.”
A Dysfunctional Thanksgiving
“Katie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) returns home from college for Thanksgiving. During dinner, Katie accuses her parents of being both racist and close-minded. Her father (Jim Belushi) is incensed while her mother (Mary Gross) hears her out.”
Garth and Kat Sing Thanksgiving Songs
“Garth (Fred Armisen) and Kat (Kristen Wiig) are unprepared to share “Directions to Grandma’s House” off their Thanksgiving CD and are joined by their new backup singer Jan Pockabook (Chris Martin from Coldplay).”
Rita Thanksgiving
“Rita DelVecchio (Cheri Oteri) and her mother (Rudy Giuliani in drag) deal with the family and complaints from the neighbors while preparing Thanksgiving dinner.”
Thanksgiving Greetings From Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein
“Tarzan (Kevin Nealon), Tonto (Jon Lovitz), and Frankenstein (Phil Hartman) take turns announcing what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving.”
The Ladies Man: Thanksgiving
“The Ladies Man (Tim Meadows) takes Thanksgiving-related calls and doles out advice.”
Target Commercial
“Target’s got everything you need this Thanksgiving, including a big, empty parking lot you can just come sit in for a sec.”
Guy Who Just Bought A Boat on Thanksgiving Dating Tips
“Guy Who Just Bought a Boat (Alex Moffat) stops by Weekend Update with his friend, Guy Who Knows the Owner (Ryan Reynolds) to share Thanksgiving dating tips.”
Willie on Thanksgiving
“Michael Che’s neighbor, Willie (Kenan Thompson), explains why he loves Thanksgiving.”
Bruce Springsteen on Thanksgiving
“Bruce Springsteen (Adam Sandler) sings about eating turkey on Thanksgiving, watching his grandfather sleep, rollerskating while eating turkey and also touches on the rumor that Sigourney Weaver is a man.”
Fuzzy Memories: Thanksgiving
“Jack Handy recalls a Thanksgiving memory about the time his parents couldn’t afford a turkey.”
Adam Sandler Pre-Records Thanksgiving a Dinner
“Due to Adam Sandler’s busy schedule, he won’t be able to make it to his family’s Thanksgiving dinner so he stops by “Weekend Update” to pre-record his part of the conversation for his father to play on the television in his stead.”
Paul Simon’s Monologue
“Host Paul Simon comes out to sing “Still Crazy After All These Years” while wearing a turkey costume, but stops when he realizes how ridiculous he looks. Simon then goes backstage to complain about the entire idea to Lorne Michaels.”
Turkey Hunt
“A group of turkeys take a leisurely stroll only to have it interrupted the shots of hunters trying to kill and eat them for Thanksgiving. One turkey (Fred Armisen), who’s grandparents were shot and eaten, attempts to escape by air.”
Jay Pharoah on Thanksgiving Songs
“Tired of Thanksgiving songs only being for white people, Jay Pharaoh tells Seth Meyers that there should be hip-hop Thanksgiving songs and gives examples of how Jay-Z, Drake and the Notorious B.I.G. would perform them.”
Bruce Chandling on Thanksgiving
“Comedian Bruce Chandling (Kyle Mooney) shares why he loves Thanksgiving.”
Vincent Price’s Thanksgiving Special
“In his Thanksgiving Special, Vincent Price (Bill Hader) is bemused by celebrity guests Alfred Hitchcock (Horatio Sanz), Judy Garland (Kristen Wiig), Ricky Ricardo (Fred Armisen), Lucille Ball (Eva Longoria) and more.“
Right Side of the Bed
“Buster Littles (Matthew McConaughey) shows Cory (Taran Killam) and Gracelynn Chisholm (Cecily Strong) how to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving.”
Family Feud Harvey Family Thanksgiving
“Janelle (Leslie Jones), Mike (Chris Redd), Andre (Michael Che) and Ricky Harvey face off against Carol (Aidy Bryant), Peter (Beck Bennett), Justin (Mikey Day) and Cecil (Chance the Rapper) Didrickson.”
Thanksgiving Dinner
“Four grown-ups (Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, Paul Shaffer) can’t believe that they are still relegated to the kids table; however, their behavior winds up being pretty childish.“
Kristen Wiig’s Thanksgiving Monologue
“Host Kristen Wiig shares the history of Thanksgiving through song, with a little help from Steve Martin and Will Forte.”
Target Thanksgiving Ad
“A commercial advertises Target’s Thanksgiving deals for the entire family.”
Back Home Ballers
“Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Sasheer Zamata, Vanessa Bayer, Leslie Jones, Cameron Diaz and Lil’ Baby Aidy Bryant go home for Thanksgiving and rap about the good life where their parents do everything for them.“
Cut For Time: Thanksgiving Food
“Wisten Kriig (Kristen Wiig), Marcus (Kenan Thompson) and Darnell (Bobby Moynihan) can’t wait to discover what their unique Thanksgiving table has in store for them this year.”