Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1986–87

The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between October 11, 1986, and May 23, 1987, the twelfth season of SNL.

Marge Keister

A Jan Hooks sketch. Debuted October 11, 1986.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12October 11, 1986Sigourney Weaver
12November 15, 1986Sam Kinison
12December 13, 1986Steve Guttenberg
12February 14, 1987Bronson Pinchot
12May 16, 1987Garry Shandling
13October 24, 1987Sean Penn
14November 19, 1988John Lithgow

The Church Lady

Dana Carvey plays a "holier-than-thou" talk show host. Debuted October 11, 1986.

Church Chat

Season Episode Host Notes
12October 11, 1986Sigourney WeaverChristopher Durang (Himself), Sally Kellerman (Jan Hooks), Ann Landers (Nora Dunn) and Zuul (Sigourney Weaver)
12November 8, 1986Rosanna ArquetteJenny Baker (Victoria Jackson), Rosanna Arquette (Herself) and Ric Ocasek (Himself)
12November 15, 1986Sam KinisonChurch Lady boycott the show because of this night's host (Sam Kinison)
12January 24, 1987Joe Montana, Walter PaytonShirley MacLaine (Jan Hooks), Walter Payton (Himself) and Joe Montana (Himself)
12February 21, 1987Willie NelsonChurch Lady and Willie Nelson sing together.

Danny DeVito (Himself), Ann Landers (Nora Dunn), Willie Nelson (Himself).

12March 28, 1987Charlton HestonJim (Phil Hartman) and Tammy Faye Bakker (Jan Hooks)
12May 23, 1987Dennis HopperDennis Hopper (Himself)
13October 24, 1987Sean PennRashashimi Khadudi Hasumi-imi-humi (Jon Lovitz), Sean Penn (Himself)
13December 5, 1987Danny DeVitoJessica Hahn (Jan Hooks), Danny DeVito (Himself)
13February 27, 1988Judge ReinholdPat Robertson (Al Franken) and Jimmy Swaggart (Phil Hartman)
14November 5, 1988Matthew ModineMorton Downey Jr. (Himself)
15December 16, 1989Andie MacDowellNadia Comaneci (Jan Hooks), Leona Helmsley (Nora Dunn), Andie MacDowell (Herself)
15February 24, 1990Fred SavageEnid (Fred Savage), Marla Maples (Jan Hooks) and Donald Trump (Phil Hartman)
15March 17, 1990Rob LoweRob Lowe (Himself)
16December 1, 1990John GoodmanSadam Hussein (Phil Hartman) and the Church Lady's mother (John Goodman)
22October 26, 1996Dana CarveyO.J Simpson (Tim Meadows) & Madonna (Molly Shannon)
26October 21, 2000Dana CarveyHillary Clinton (Ana Gasteyer), Anne Heche (Chris Kattan) and Eminem (Chris Parnell)
36February 5, 2011Dana CarveyThe Kardashians (Nasim Pedrad, Abby Elliott, Vanessa Bayer) and Snooki (Bobby Moynihan)
41May 7, 2016Brie LarsonTed Cruz (Taran Killam) and Donald Trump (Darrell Hammond)
Additional appearances
  • Church Potluck- December 6, 1986
  • Christmas Eve- December 17, 1988
  • The '90s- January 13, 1990
  • Weekend Update- November 5, 2016

Mr. Subliminal

Played by Kevin Nealon, he was originally an advertising executive (named Phil Maloney) who used subliminal messages to influence people. His appearances on Update utilized the subliminal technique (i.e. saying things rapidly and under his breath, in between sentences) to reveal what he is really thinking. For example, in an editorial on the 1994 caning of Michael Fay, he stated that:

"...the boy admitted to spray painting cars but he's only eighteen and young people often do stupid and impulsive things they later regret (Shannen Doherty). I happen to think [pause] that everyone's entitled to one mistake (Euro Disney). And I'm not saying there aren't [pause] those who I'd love to see get a good flogging (Urkel), it's just that [pause] I'm afraid we've become so insensitive that we've learned to accept the idea of a man's beating in public (Pee Wee Herman)."[1]

Debuted October 11, 1986.

Derek Stevens ("She choppin’ broccoli...")

An English singer/songwriter (played by Dana Carvey) is meeting with his record producers to go over his demo, which they soon discover he has failed to record. He insists, however, that he has written songs and he can play the songs for them live, and when they ask him to do so, he quickly makes up a song called "The Lady I Know". He then sits at the piano and begins sloppily faking his way through the song, which ultimately becomes an endless refrain of the chorus, "Choppin' broccoli" in various vocal styles and intonations. Upon hearing it, the producers appear to be awestruck by his lyrics, and are ecstatic about recording the song. Debuted October 11, 1986.

This song was originally in a Dana Carvey stand-up comedy routine about the vapidness of popular music.

Stevens returns in a later sketch, in which his producers try to convince him that his premature death might help the sales of his album. A fearful Stevens responds by hyping a new song, with the same tune as "The Lady I Know", but featuring different, though equally repetitive, lyrics and a similar endless refrain ("My pretty little lady! My pretty little gir-rl!") The producers are unimpressed.

Stevens appeared once more on SNL's 40th Anniversary Special in 2015, singing "Choppin' Broccoli".

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12October 11, 1986Sigourney Weaver
12December 13, 1986Steve Guttenberg
12February 14, 1987Bronson Pinchot
13February 13, 1988Justine Bateman

The Sweeney Sisters

The Sweeney Sisters are a duo of party singers, Candy Sweeney (played by Jan Hooks) and her sister Liz (played by Nora Dunn). They normally sing cover medleys of pop standards in very high-pitched voices, a la Nick the Lounge Singer. Their medleys always include the first two lines of "The Trolley Song" ("Clang, clang, clang went the trolley...") about two-thirds of the way through, followed by a string of scatting. In these medleys the last word of one song often segues into the first word of the next. The sisters are usually seen performing at various U.S. hotel lounges, and their performances usually begin with "You must have pressed 'L' for 'lobby'! Come, join us." They were the opening act at the 40th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1988.[2] Candy and Liz have a sister (a former member of the group), Audrey, who was played by Mary Tyler Moore. The Sweeneys' accompanist, Skip St.Thomas, was played by composer Marc Shaiman. Debuted October 18, 1986.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12October 18, 1986Malcolm-Jamal Warner
12November 22, 1986Robin Williams
12December 20, 1986William Shatner
12January 31, 1987Paul Shaffer
12March 28, 1987Charlton Heston
12May 23, 1987Dennis Hopper
13November 14, 1987Robert Mitchum
13December 19, 1987Paul Simon
14December 17, 1988Melanie Griffith
14March 25, 1989Mary Tyler Moore

Instant Coffee with Bill Smith

A Kevin Nealon sketch. Debuted October 18, 1986.

The Two Sammies

A Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon sketch. Debuted November 8, 1986.

Miss Connie's Fable Nook

A Jan Hooks, Dana Carvey, Dennis Miller and Kevin Nealon sketch. Debuted November 8, 1986.

The Jungle Room

A Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz sketch.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12November 15, 1986Sam Kinison
12January 24, 1987Joe Montana, Walter Payton
12October 24, 1987Sean Penn
12December 5, 1987Danny DeVito

Ching Chang

Dana Carvey played the character Ching Chang, a typical Asian-American stereotype whose only goal in life is to put his chickens in their own show on Broadway. Debuted November 15, 1986.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12November 15, 1986Sam Kinison
12January 31, 1987Paul Shaffer
12February 28, 1987Valerie Bertinelli
12May 9, 1987Mark Harmon
13November 21, 1987Candice Bergen
16November 10, 1990Jimmy Smits
26October 21, 2000Dana Carvey

The NFL Today

A parody of The NFL Today, with Phil Hartman impersonating Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder and Kevin Nealon impersonating Brent Musburger.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12January 24, 1987Joe Montana, Walter Payton
13October 17, 1987Steve Martin
13January 30, 1988Carl Weathers
15April 14, 1990Corbin Bernsen

Mace

A Phil Hartman sketch. Debuted January 24, 1987.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12January 24, 1987Joe Montana, Walter Payton
13November 21, 1987Candice Bergen
15March 17, 1990Rob Lowe
16March 23, 1991Jeremy Irons

Nightline

A parody of the late-night news program Nightline, with Dana Carvey impersonating its host Ted Koppel.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12February 14, 1987Bronson Pinchot
16January 12, 1991Joe Mantegna
18September 26, 1992Nicolas Cage

Discover with Peter Graves

Phil Hartman impersonates actor Peter Graves in this series of sketches. It parodies actors hosting documentary series, portraying Graves as not being able to fully understand or comprehend the show's topics.

Appearances
Season Episode Host Notes
12February 28, 1987Valerie Bertinelli
12April 11, 1987John Lithgow
13October 24, 1987Sean Penn
13January 23, 1988Robin Williams

President Dexter

A Charlton Heston sketch. Debuted March 28, 1987.

References

  1. "SNL Transcripts: Steve Martin: 04/22/78: Dancing in the Dark - SNL Transcripts Tonight". 8 October 2018.
  2. Stutz, Colin (October 9, 2014). "Jan Hooks' Top 5 Musical Moments". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
Preceded by
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1985-86
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches (listed chronologically) Succeeded by
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1987-88
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