Posted in: NBC, Peacock, Preview, TV | Tagged: christmas, nbc, preview, saturday night live, snl

A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special: The Best SNL Holiday Sketch

With NBC airing A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special tonight, we're looking back at what's STILL our favorite SNL holiday sketch.

It's not like every week before isn't a big week for NBC's Saturday Night Live, but there's an extra layer of pressure that comes with the final show before the holiday break. It's the whole thing about wanting to go out on a strong, stress-free note. With SNL alum Kate McKinnon hosting and Billie Eilish set as the musical guest, we're feeling really good about what we can expect by the time everyone takes their final bow for the year. But before we get to that, NBC is airing A Saturday Night Christmas Special tonight beginning at 9 pm ET – with the two-hour special offering just some of the best holiday sketches from the previous 48 seasons. So with that in mind, we thought that we would offer a reminder of our top SNL holiday sketch – nearly forty years and counting.

SNL S12E08 (December 20, 1986) was hosted by William Shatner with musical guest Lone Justice – but it was Dana Carvey's portrayal of Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey in a never-before-seen "lost ending" to It's a Wonderful Life that was the highlight of the show and of the long-running sketch comedy/music series' nearly 50-season run when it comes to holiday sketches. Why? Because it feeds into what's at the core of my dislike of the holiday classic.

George Bailey is just too damn decent to have to put up with all of the unnecessary drama he faces in Bedford Falls. And while it's easy to paint Old Man Potter (played by Jon Lovitz in the sketch) as the villain, it's pretty much the entire town that continually screws over & disrespects the dude. That's why I don't get caught up in the feels at the end when the town "comes to his rescue"; that was the least they could do for him after he surrendered his dreams to keep that town afloat. But in the famous sketch, we get a chance (a 'timeline variant," if you will) to see how things might've turned out had George Bailey finally had enough and gone looking for revenge…

Saturday Night Live: Kate McKinnon & Billie Eilish

During the midweek sketch, McKinnon hopes to have their Christmas wish become a reality after a one-on-one with the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree – to host SNL. And then it happens – a Christmas miracle! But didn't McKinnon already know that they were hosting? Yeah, Kenan Thompson has that same thought, too. Following that, we have a look back at the SNL welcome video that was rolled out for McKinnon & musical guest Billie Eilish earlier this week:

Last month, we got a chance to check out the official Season 49 cast image taken by Photographer Mary Ellen Matthews:

And here's a behind-the-scenes featurette spotlighting how it all came together:

NBC's Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase "Saturday Night Live" returns for its 49th season of laughs, surprises and standout performances.

"SNL" is the most Emmy-nominated show in history and holds 93 Emmy wins (including awards for its specials and short-form series). "SNL" has been honored twice (1990 and 2009) with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The show continues to garner the highest ratings and largest audience of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week on linear and digital platforms.

Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. "SNL" makes headlines with topical humor reflecting politics and current events, features an array of characters with a perspective on pop culture that remains unparalleled, and offers sharp political commentary through its signature "Weekend Update" segment. A variety show that is truly one of a kind, "SNL" also attracts the biggest stars of music to its stage for innovative viral performances.

NBC's Saturday Night Live Season 49 company includes Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson, Colin Jost, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, Chloe Troast, Devon Walker, and Bowen Yang. SNL is executive-produced by Lorne Michaels, with Liz Patrick directing and SNL alum Darrell Hammond announcing. Broadcasting from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, the long-running late-night sketch comedy/music series is produced by SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video.

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