78 Saturday Night Live Trivia Questions with Answers
78 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Saturday Night Live trivia covers the long-running NBC sketch-comedy series from its 1975 debut through its changing casts, hosts, writers, characters, musical guests, and digital shorts. Questions may focus on early episodes, celebrity appearances, political impersonations, recurring sketches, and the creative minds behind the show’s animated or filmed segments.
The round ranges from Lorne Michaels’s famous attempt to reunite The Beatles to the Jim Henson Muppet sketch from SNL’s first season. It also includes “Lazy Sunday,” TV Funhouse, Barack Obama impersonations, George H. W. Bush portrayals, and memorable high-school characters. This mix works for comedy fans, television devotees, classroom media quizzes, pub quizzes, and lively game nights.
What Jim Henson Muppet sketch appeared during SNL's first season?
Answer
The Land of Gorch
Who hosted SNL's second episode on October 18, 1975?
Answer
Paul Simon
Which cast member impersonated Barack Obama on SNL from 2012 to 2016?
Answer
Jay Pharoah
Which SNL sketch featured Craig and Arianna as overeager East Lake High students?
Answer
The Spartan Cheerleaders
Which SNL writer created the animated 'TV Funhouse' segments?
Answer
Robert Smigel
Who performed the SNL Digital Short 'Lazy Sunday' with Andy Samberg?
Answer
Chris Parnell
Who hosted the premiere episode of SNL's 50th season in 2024?
Answer
Jean Smart
Which comedy trio became strongly associated with SNL Digital Shorts after joining the show in 2005?
Answer
The Lonely Island
What phrase did Chevy Chase first shout after SNL's debut cold open?
Answer
Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!
Which 2000 SNL spin-off film starred Tim Meadows as radio host Leon Phelps?
Answer
The Ladies Man
Which SNL writer delivered the debut episode's first sketch line about wolverines?
Answer
Michael O'Donoghue
Which 1977 contest winner hosted SNL after the 'Anyone Can Host' contest?
Answer
Miskel Spillman
Which actor played Joe Biden on SNL during the 2020 election season?
Answer
Jim Carrey
Who played Donald Trump on SNL in 2016 and won a 2017 Emmy for it?
Answer
Alec Baldwin
Which director led SNL episodes from 2006 to 2021?
Answer
Don Roy King
Which woman was first to join SNL's Five-Timers Club?
Answer
Candice Bergen
Who played the doorman in the first Five-Timers Club sketch?
Answer
Conan O'Brien
Who sang 'Nothing from Nothing' as a musical guest on SNL's debut episode?
Answer
Billy Preston
Which SNL cast member used a profanity live during a February 1981 sketch?
Answer
Charles Rocket
Who coined the nickname 'Not Ready for Prime-Time Players'?
Answer
Herb Sargent
Which Adam Sandler holiday song first aired on Weekend Update in 1994?
Answer
The Chanukah Song
Which 1998 film was based on SNL's Roxbury Guys sketches?
Answer
A Night at the Roxbury
Which cast member replaced Chevy Chase during SNL's second season?
Answer
Bill Murray
Which original SNL cast member was known for playing a samurai character?
Answer
John Belushi
Who composed the theme music for Saturday Night Live?
Answer
Howard Shore
On what date did SNL's 50th anniversary special air?
Answer
February 16, 2025
What SNL sketch centered on a door-to-door predator inspired by Jaws?
Answer
Land Shark
Who played Sarah Palin on SNL during the 2008 U.S. election?
Answer
Tina Fey
Who co-anchored Weekend Update with Tina Fey beginning in 2004?
Answer
Amy Poehler
Which SNL Digital Short rapped about seeing The Chronicles of Narnia?
Answer
Lazy Sunday
Which animated SNL TV Funhouse superhero duo is named Ace and Gary?
Answer
The Ambiguously Gay Duo
Which Molly Shannon character was a Catholic schoolgirl on SNL?
Answer
Mary Katherine Gallagher
Which Rachel Dratch character repeatedly delivered bad news in an SNL sketch?
Answer
Debbie Downer
Which recurring SNL sketch starred Mike Myers as Dieter?
Answer
Sprockets
Which SNL sketch features Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon as Austrian bodybuilders?
Answer
Hans and Franz
Which actor first played David S. Pumpkins on SNL?
Answer
Tom Hanks
Which original SNL cast member played Roseanne Roseannadanna?
Answer
Gilda Radner
What nickname was given to SNL's original cast?
Answer
Not Ready for Prime Time Players
What building houses SNL's Studio 8H?
Answer
30 Rockefeller Plaza
On what date did Saturday Night Live premiere on NBC?
Answer
October 11, 1975
Which saxophonist has led the Saturday Night Live Band since the 1990s?
Answer
Lenny Pickett
Which executive replaced Jean Doumanian as SNL producer in 1981?
Answer
Dick Ebersol
Who produced SNL during its 1980-81 season after Lorne Michaels left?
Answer
Jean Doumanian
Which actor's 1990 SNL monologue introduced the Five-Timers Club?
Answer
Tom Hanks
Saturday Night Live trivia — quick answers
What are good Saturday Night Live trivia questions?
Strong SNL questions ask about hosts, cast members, recurring characters, political impressions, musical guests, sketches, writers, films, and digital shorts. Mixing famous moments with questions about early episodes and behind-the-scenes creators produces a balanced round.
How hard is Saturday Night Live trivia?
The difficulty ranges from easy to very challenging. Most viewers can recognize major cast members or famous sketches, but questions about episode dates, first-season material, specific writers, impersonation timelines, and obscure recurring characters require deeper knowledge.
When did Saturday Night Live first premiere?
Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975, on NBC. The original program was called NBC’s Saturday Night and was later commonly known as Saturday Night Live. George Carlin hosted the premiere, with Billy Preston and Janis Ian as musical guests.
What was SNL’s “Lazy Sunday” digital short?
“Lazy Sunday” was an SNL Digital Short performed by Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell. The comedy rap describes an elaborate Sunday involving cupcakes, a movie, and a trip to see The Chronicles of Narnia. It became one of the show’s most widely shared early online sketches.
Who created the TV Funhouse segments?
Robert Smigel created SNL’s animated TV Funhouse segments. The recurring feature used deliberately rough, surreal animation to parody television programming, advertising, politics, and popular culture. Smigel also supplied many voices and helped establish the segment’s distinctive satirical style.