Saturday Night Live throwback: Celebrating recurring characters
By Matt Moore
Vintage Saturday Night Live clips added online feature popular characters like the Gap Girls, Bill Swerski, and more.
Most fans would agree that one of the best parts of Saturday Night Live is the recurring character. Now the long-running sketch show is celebrating some of its greatest characters by uploading a new batch of vintage sketches.
We’ve been tracking Saturday Night Live’s YouTube channel all summer. Batches of vintage clips have been added every week to help keep fans satisfied until season 45 arrives in the fall.
The clips have mostly been added in chronological order beginning with season one in 1975. Now the channel has moved in to the 1990s, an era of Saturday Night Live that has only grown in appreciation as time has passed. Performers like Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, and Adam Sandler have been showcased.
These performers are also responsible for some of the most popular characters in the show’s history. Farley’s motivational speaker Matt Foley is a contender for one of the best sketches of all time. The latest group of vintage clips added to YouTube celebrates other recurring characters that hit the stage in the 90s.
It seems like now it has been harder for Saturday Night Live to create recurring characters. Since the departure of cast members like Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, and Bill Hader, it has been less common for a recurring character to gain much traction with audiences.
Yes, Kate McKinnon has a few characters she has pulled out multiple times. The same goes for Cecily Strong. But when you watch the following clips from the 1990s, you can see there is a bit of a gap between them when it comes to original characters.
Meet the Gap Girls
Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer
Bill Swerski’s Superfans
Recurring Characters for Unity
Bill Murray and Chris Farley featured in vintage SNL sketches. light. Related Story
Who was your favorite cast member from the 1990s? What was your favorite recurring character? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below. Keep checking in with Last Night On for more vintage clips as well as news and updates from Saturday Night Live.