Saturday Night Live Christmas (also An SNL Christmas) is a two-hour primetime special that features a variety of Saturday Night Live sketches, themed towards Christmas. The special appears yearly since 2012 and has been updated in Season 39 and Season 42.
Sketches[]
All sketches are pretaped from the night they were originally broadcasted.
Cold Open Sketch Pre-recorded Weekend Update Music Performance Other
| Title | Image | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Santa's My Boyfriend |  |
While trimming a Christmas tree, three ladies (Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Kristin Wiig) find they have someone in common as they break into song. Broadcasted on December 16, 2006. |
| Monologue by Jimmy Fallon | ||
| Mark Jensen Family Christmas | ||
| Santa's Workshop | When output from the elves at Santa's Workshop is low, efficiency expert, Winter's Breath (Alec Baldwin), is brought in to verbally harass their little asses into gear. Brodcasted on December 10, 2005. | |
| Homelessville | A Salvation Army bellringer dressed as Santa Claus (Will Forte) faces donation competition from Homelessville's Cup-of-Soup mascot (Justin Timberlake). Broadcasted on December 16, 2006 | |
| TV Funhouse: Christmastime For The Jews | Robert Smigel's spoof of 1960's animated holiday specials, Darlene Love delivers a Claymation chorus of "Christmastime For the Jews." Broadcasted On December 17, 2005 | |
| A Holiday Wish | Steve Martin outlines his holiday wish for singing children. Broadcasted on December 6, 1986 | |
| Weekend Update With Norm MacDonald | Adam Sandler sings his "Chanukah Song". Broadcasted on December 3, 1994 | |
| Monologue by John Malkovich | John Malkovich tells the story "The Night Before Christmas" to a group of children. | |
| Monologue by Jeff Bridges | Jeff Bridges explains how he's different than The Dude from "The Big Lebowski", then sings "Silver Bells" with Cookie Monster. Braodcasted on December 18, 2010 | |
| Michael Buble Christmas Duets | Michael Bublé performs Christmas duets with Justin Bieber (Jimmy Fallon) and other unlikely performers. Broadcasted on December 2011 | |
| Winter Wonderland |   |
Garrett Morris performs "Winter Wonderland," backed up by Candice Bergen, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and the Saturday Night Live Band, with bass saxophone solo by Howard Shore. This sketch is often omitted from shortened airings of the Christmas special. Broadcasted on December 20, 1975. |
| Goodnights with Bruce Springsteen | Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band perform "Santa Clause is Coming To Town" with Paul McCartney, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler |
Changes[]
The original "Homelessville" sketch was added after its 2006 airing, but later dropped in favor of 2013 remake "Wrappinville"
Saturday Night Live Christmas has been revised several times to add sketches from later years of SNL. "Christmas Eve at the White House" originally opened the special; the "live from New York" line was cut and it remained for some time (though it has since been removed). The following sketches were included in earlier revisions, but have since been dropped:
2000s revision[]
- Sketches added
- Santa's My Boyfriend
- Jimmy Fallon's season 37 Christmas song monologue
- Michael Buble's Christmas Duets
- I Wish It Was Christmas Today
- John Malovich's "Night Before Christmas" monologue
- Drunk Uncle's Christmas Weekend Update appearance
- The original "Homelessville"
- Christmas For The Jews
- Glengarry Glen-Christmas
- Mark Jensen Family Christmas
- Dick in a Box
- Robert Goulet All Holiday Special
- Jeff Bridges monologue
- Sketches removed
- Santi-Wrap (original airdate December 10, 1976)
- Hanukkah Harry (original airdate December 16, 1989)
- Desert Island Christmas (original airdate December 19,1987)
- Grimaldi Classic Creations (original airdate December 2, 1995)
- Dysfunctional Family Christmas (small excerpt of Dana Carvey, original airdate December 15, 1990)
- The Church Lady and Danny DeVito (small excerpt of the drum solo, original airdate December 5, 1987)
- Rita DelVecchio's Thanksgiving (original airdate November 22, 1997)
- Mary Katherine Gallagher/Whitney Houston
- Season's Greetings sketches, both an early incarnation with Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein, and a later version with Tonto, Frankenstein, and Chris Farley
- Merry Christmas, Dammit
- Mr. Robinson's Christmas
- "Christmas Eve At The White House" was changed from the opening sketch to a later inclusion, with the "live from New York" line cut
2014 revision[]
- In another round of changes, the original "Homelessville" was dropped in favor of a newer version with Jimmy Fallon, "Wrappinville"
- Sketches removed
- Closing shot of the original cast ice skating at Rockefeller Center
- Robert Goulet
- Sketches added
- Charlie Brown Christmas
- What's Up With That? with Carrie Brownstein and Samuel L. Jackson
- The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With At A Party
- Do It On My Twin Bed
- Your Hometown
- Paul McCartney and Martin Short ending
2016 revision[]
- "Homelessville" returned, replacing "Wrappinville"
- The excerpt of "Dysfunctional Family Christmas" returned
- A small excerpt of "Mr. Robinson's Christmas" returned
- Sketches removed
- Christmas Eve at the White House
- Charlie Brown Christmas
- What's Up With That? with Carrie Brownstein and Samuel L. Jackson
- Your Hometown
- Paul McCartney and Martin Short ending
- Sketches added
- Christmas Mass Spectacular
- Santa Baby
- Christmas Miracle (December 7, 2016)
- Dunkin Donuts (December 7, 2016)
- Bruce Springsteen ending
2020 revision[]
- Your Hometown returned
- Sketches removed
- Santa Baby
- Homelessville
- Drunk Uncle
- Sketches added
2022 revision[]
Sketches Removed from 2021:
- Christmas Candle
- St Joseph's Christmas Mass Spectacular
- Now That's What I call Christmas (fake ad for CD)
- Twin Bed (boo)
- Jeff Bridges/Cookie Monster singing Silver Bells (boo)
- Martha Stewart Topless Christmas Special
- Pandora Charm Ad
- fake podcast (Serial) re Kris Kringle
- Buble Christmas Duets fake ad
- Springsteen singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Sketches Added:
- elf (Eddie Murphy) tells news reporter about polar bear eating elves (2019)
- everyone in the family got cool Christmas presents but mom (Wiig) got a robe (2020)
- Lonely Christmas: girl (Eilish) communicates with odd old neighbor (McKinnon) via signs about Christmas dinner invite (2021)
- Christmas Carol--Scrooge (M Short) throws coins but blinds people with them (2022)
- "Best Christmas Ever" Matt Damon and Cecily Strong are a couple recalling their Christmas day (2018)
- Elf on Shelf (Momoa) monitoring a kid going through puberty (2018)
- duo auditioning (M Short and P McCartney)--P McCartney plays a guy who can't sing (2012)
- McCartney sings Wonderful Christmastime with children's chorus (2012)