Season 28 poster
20 episodes

Saturday Night Live - Season 28

First aired Oct 5, 2002Season 28

Saturday Night Live aired its twenty-eighth season during the 2002-2003 television season on NBC. Season 28 started on October 5, 2002 and ended on May 17, 2003 having 20 episodes through the season. Before the start of the season, Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer left the show. The latter gave birth to her baby and went on maternity leave, but decided not to return to the show during her leave. Hired to fill their absences were comedian/musician Fred Armisen and TV writer Will Forte, who both joined the show as featured players. This would be the final season for Dean Edwards, Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan. The latter two would make cameo appearances in many episodes of the following season.

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Reviews

Community reviews for Saturday Night Live, shown here with its season details.

G

GenerationofSwine

1.0

It was good, then it was great, then it was good again and now it stinks. As of 2018 The edginess is gone. There are no risks in the jokes. They all consist of two things, 1. Trump is bad. and 2. This was a thing, remember it? Neither of those really work for me. Make fun of Trump all you want, but do it with a punch line. Most of the time they forget the punchline. Simply not liking him is NOT a punchline. You have to exaggerate something, make it satire, mock it in some way. I don't even care if it's a cruel mockery...so long as it doesn't seem like they are just stating an opinion. Opinions are NOT jokes. The same thing goes with their "remember this, this was a thing" jokes... They leave you sitting there waiting for them to say something funny about it. You're with them for a little while, "Yeah I remember it, go on..." then you realize that, no, that was the joke. That's not a joke, that's just asking me to remember something. Again, if they had a punch line, if they said something about what they were asking me to remember, then it might be funny...but they don't. The jokes are literally "this was a thing, laugh at it." and that's not funny. It has to be followed up with something. Like with Trump, an opinion is NOT a joke unless it is followed by something. The same thing with a memory, a memory is NOT a joke in and of itself. They both have to be followed by something

s

sethdozerman

Saturday Night Live will always be my comfort show. The longevity and influence SNL has had on the comedy scene is unmatched. It has been the catalyst for so many careers, e.g. Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Will Ferrell etc... The show has definitely had its ups and downs but, in taking a step back it is evident that the show has remained consistently mixed in it entire run. Not every season has had great writers or talent, some actors have been much more successful than others, and yet it has always found an audience. My favourite era of the show was the mid 2000s with Bill Hader and Andy Samberg, but most people have a a preference for whatever season they had as a teenager. The consistency of structure and crew unites all the different casts, creating a familiar image and sensibility, found in every season. There will always be a host monologue, musical guest, Weekend Update and most importantly, it will always be LIVE! The production process of a pitch meeting with the host, staying up all night on Tuesdays to write, read-through and dress rehearsal. Whether it's 1975 or 2023, everyone endures the same experience (although whether they have the aid of cocaine is certainly a difference!). The argument SNL hasnt been funny since the "insert previous ten years" is redundant. Every season of the show has been criticised for not being funny but every season of the show has produced hilarious sketches and shone a light on the new faces of comedy. In the 70s they had Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, the 80s they had Julia Louis Dreyfus and Conan O'Brien, the 90s they had Will Ferrell and Eddy Murphy, the 2000s Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the 2010s Kate McKinnon and Vanessa Bayer and finally in the 2020s we have Bowen Yang and Marcello Hernandez. The show continues to inspire and entertain the next generation of aspiring creatives with it's ground approach to sketch comedy. It is an American institution that will always hold a very dear place in my heart.

Episodes

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Episode 1

Matt Damon/Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

NR
Oct 5, 200267 min

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: ""A Message From Bush and Cheney,"" ""Swiffer Sleepers,"" ""Safety Police,"" ""Trans Am Airlines,"" ""Singing Dentist,"" ""Corona,"" ""Making the Video: Christina Aguilera's 'Dirrty',"" ""Arli$$ DVD/Backstage,"" ""A Man and His Woman,"" ""Merv the Perv at a Sexual Harrassment Seminar,"" ""Saddam Look-Alikes,"" and ""Blame Saddam."" Faith Hill performed ""Cry"" and ""Free.""

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Episode 2

Sarah Michelle Gellar/Faith Hill

NR
Oct 12, 200267 min

Sketches include ""Iraqi State Television,"" ""Hardball,"" ""The Gillian Woodward Story,"" ""Meet the Press,"" and ""McCain Sings Striesand."" The White Stripes performed ""Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"" and ""We Are Going To Be Friends.""

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Episode 3

John McCain/The White Stripes

9.0
Oct 19, 200267 min1 votes

Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond's voice Sketches Include: Giuliani's Sponsor Ads, The Bachelor, Crazy Board Game Player, Talarico For Congress, Frankel For Congress, American Morning, Fairness In Negative Campaign Ads, The Bullhorn, Verizon, Joey Mack's Z105, John Hancock's Life Insurance, Reggie's Stories, and Jackass: The Musical Jay-Z performs (with Beyonce Knowles from Destiny's Child): Guns 'n Roses and '03 Bonnie and Clyde

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Episode 4

Eric McCormack/Jay-Z

NR
Nov 2, 200267 min

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: A Message from the President of the United States, Swiffer Sweepers (rerun from the Sarah Michelle Gellar episode of this season), Bloder Brothers, CBS News: School Elections, The Sadistic Bikini Waxer, Ferey Muhtar Talk Show, Missy Elliot's Weight Loss Tape, Falconer, Pier 1 Imports, Goodwin Attorney, and Vasquez

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Episode 5

Nia Vardalos/Eve

NR
Nov 9, 200267 min

Live From New York, it's...Adam Sandler Sketches include: ""The Hanukkah Song III"", ""Welcome Back, Potter"", ""The Leather Man"", ""Donahue"", ""Jarrett's Room"", ""C-SPAN: Burrell's Statement"", ""Tennis Talk"", ""Astronaut Jones"", ""TV Funhouse: The Religtables"", ""My Big Thick Novel"", and ""The Girl With No Gaydar"" Nelly performs: ""Dilemma"" and ""Hot In Herr""

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Episode 6

Brittany Murphy/Nelly

NR
Nov 16, 200267 min

Live From New York, it's...Robert DeNiro Sketches include, ""C-SPAN: Terrorist Warnings"", ""McDonalds Big N' Tasty"", ""Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemmings"", ""Peter Pan Rehearsals"", ""A Department Store Santa and His Wife"", ""U.N. Weapons Inspectors"", ""Judge Horace"", ""A Very Special Versace Hanukkah"", ""Violent Car Salesman"", ""Father Story Time"", and ""Radioactive Bear"" Norah Jones performs: ""Don't Know Why"" and ""Come Away With Me""

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Episode 7

Robert De Niro/Norah Jones

NR
Dec 7, 200267 min

Live From New York, it's...Tipper Gore Sketches include: Backstage SNL: The Kissing Gores, Al Gore's 'Bachelor', Hardball, Fiesta Politica, Gore Goes Inside 'The West Wing', Jarrett's Room, Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley, Willy Wonka's Accountant, TV Funhouse: A Charlie Brown Christmas 2002, Christmas Eve at the Bar, and The SNL Christmas Song Phish performs: ""46 Days"" and ""Chalk Dust Torture"" The Trans Am Airline commercial from the Sarah Michelle Gellar/Faith Hill episode appears on the E! rerun of this episode.

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Episode 8

Al Gore/Phish

NR
Dec 14, 200267 min

Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include: ""CNN: These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"", ""Live With Regis & Kelly"", ""Fun Friends Club"", ""The Falconer"", ""Global Century Investments"", ""Hannibal's Brain Restaurant"", ""The Hangman"", ""Top O' The Morning"", and ""The Rialto Grande Casino"" The Donnas perform: ""Take It Off"" and ""Who Invited You?"" The E! rerun of this episode adds the TV Funhouse from the Salma Hayek/Christina Aguilera episode where Lorenzo Lamas does an ""Are You Hot?"" show for classic cartoon characters.

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Episode 9

Jeff Gordon/Avril Lavigne

NR
Jan 11, 200367 min

Live From New York, It's... Chris Parnell & Maya Rudolph Sketches include,""United Nations Debate Lunch"", ""Idiot Blind Date"", ""Nutri-Quick"", ""Jarret's Room"", ""Protest"", ""Club Traxx"", ""Violent Office Stories"", ""Second Time Around"", ""McConaughey's Red Hot Texas Chili""

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Episode 10

Ray Liotta/The Donnas

NR
Jan 18, 200367 min

Live from New York...it's Christopher Walken Sketches include: Hardball, Pranksters, The Continental, The Bad Raft Captain, History Channel: African American Archives, Welcome Home Colonel Angus, Cabin Lovers, and The Rialto Grande. Foo Fighters perform: ""All My Life"" (by themselves) and ""Times Like These (One-Way Motorway)"" (with Jim Carrey playing his leg like a guitar).

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Episode 11

Matthew McConaughey/Dixie Chicks

NR
Feb 8, 200367 min

Sketches include; 60 Minutes, BET's 106 and Park Top 10 Live, Live with Regis and Kelly, FOX's Who Farted?, VH1's Where Are They Now: The Cherylettes, FOX's I'm a Celebrity: Who Farted?, Give Up The Ham, TV Funhouse: The X-Presidents, A&E's Profiles in Jazz, Don's Apothecary, and Horation Sanz's Mr. Rogers Tribute. Ms. Dynamite sings: ""Dy-Na-Mi-Tee!"" The NBC rerun of this episode removes the first ""FOX's Who Farted?"" sketch and fills up the missing time with a dress rehearsal version of Weekend Update.

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Episode 12

Jennifer Garner/Beck

8.0
Feb 15, 200367 min1 votes

Live from New York, it's...Chris Parnell (as George W. Bush)! Sketches include: ""Bush Press Conference,"" ""Top O' The Morning,"" ""TV Are You Hot?"" (cartoon), ""Versace Oscar Special,'""Husband In A Box,"" ""Vote for Frida,"" ""Seduction Class,"" ""Vote Frida to Fight Terrorism,"" ""Channel 5 Late Night Movie: King Kong, theDirector's Cut,"" and ""Vote Frida."" Christina Aguilera performed ""Beautiful"" and ""Fighter.""

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Episode 13

Christopher Walken/Foo Fighters

NR
Feb 22, 200367 min

Live from New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: ""The Situation in Iraq"", ""Boston Teens At Fenway Park"", ""Brain Busters"", ""Hot Sauce Carrying Purse"", ""Black People Watching 'The Pianist'"", ""The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Present: The Four Stooges"", ""No Smoking"", ""Second Time Around"", ""Swiffer Sleepers"" (from the Sarah Michelle Gellar/Faith Hill episode), ""Saddam's Briefing"", and ""Don Banks', Kings Of The ""Comedy"" Suits"" Good Charlotte performs: ""Anthem"" and ""Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous""

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Episode 14

Queen Latifah/Ms. Dynamite

NR
Mar 8, 200367 min

Sketches include,"" Message From Saddam"", ""What's The Rush?"", ""Wake Up Wakefield!"", ""The Rialto Grande"", ""CNN"", ""Phone Booth"", ""Access Hollywood"", ""Club Traxx"", ""Uday Hussein For President""

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Episode 15

Salma Hayek/Christina Aguilera

NR
Mar 15, 200367 min

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: "Bush Addresses The Nation on the USS Abraham Lincoln", "Count Chocula Silver", "Jarret's Room: 'Reloaded", "Madonna: An American Life", "Plagiarism Class", "The Falconer vs. The Muskrateer/Backstage SNL: No 'Punking", "Politics Today", "50's Ent.", and "Global Century Investments" 50 Cent performs: In Da Club (with G-Unit) and 21 Questions (with G-Unit and Nate Dogg) The "Mom Jeans" fake commercial from the episode after this (Adrien Brody/Sean Paul and Wayne Wonder) is added in the E! rerun of this episode

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Episode 16

Bernie Mac/Good Charlotte

NR
Apr 5, 200367 min

Live From New York, It's...Maya Rudolph Sketches include,""American Idol"", ""Mom Jeans"", ""Brian Fellow's Safari Planet"", ""The Self-Obsessed Man"", ""Live With Regis & Kelly"", ""TV Funhouse: Saddam & Osama"", ""Lensmasters"", ""Ballroom Dance For Beginers"", and ""Velvet Productions"". Sean Paul performs: ""Get Busy"" (after an unplanned introduction by Adrien Brody) Wayne Wonder performs: ""No Letting Go""

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Episode 17

Ray Romano/Zwan

NR
Apr 12, 200367 min

Live from New York, it's Darrell Hammond (and back on SNL after 24 years, it's Dan Aykroyd!) Sketches include: Hardball, Top O'The Morning, The Rialto Grande, TV Funhouse: Cokee, The Most Expensive Dog in the World, The Falconer, Donatella Versace's Backyard Barbecue, The Dog Restaurant (La Cuisina Canina), Astronaut Jones, and Dr. Deacon's Haunch Crack Powder Beyonce performs ""Crazy In Love"" (with Jay-Z) and ""Dangerously In Love"" (by herself)

Ashton Kutcher/50 Cent still

Episode 18

Ashton Kutcher/50 Cent

NR
May 3, 200367 min

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: ""Bush Addresses The Nation on the USS Abraham Lincoln"", ""Count Chocula Silver"", ""Jarret's Room: 'Reloaded'"", ""Madonna: An American Life"", ""Plagiarism Class"", ""The Falconer vs. The Muskrateer/Backstage SNL: No 'Punking'"", ""Politics Today"", ""50's Ent."", and ""Global Century Investments"" 50 Cent performs: In Da Club (with G-Unit) and 21 Questions (with G-Unit and Nate Dogg) The ""Mom Jeans"" fake commercial from the episode after this (Adrien Brody/Sean Paul and Wayne Wonder) is added in the E! rerun of this episode

Adrien Brody/Sean Paul & Wayne Wonder still

Episode 19

Adrien Brody/Sean Paul & Wayne Wonder

NR
May 10, 200367 min

Live From New York, It's...Maya Rudolph Sketches include,""American Idol"", ""Mom Jeans"", ""Brian Fellow's Safari Planet"", ""The Self-Obsessed Man"", ""Live With Regis & Kelly"", ""TV Funhouse: Saddam & Osama"", ""Lensmasters"", ""Ballroom Dance For Beginers"", and ""Velvet Productions"". Sean Paul performs: ""Get Busy"" (after an unplanned introduction by Adrien Brody) Wayne Wonder performs: ""No Letting Go""

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Episode 20

Dan Aykroyd/Beyonce Knowles

NR
May 17, 200367 min

Live from New York, it's Darrell Hammond (and back on SNL after 24 years, it's Dan Aykroyd!) Sketches include: Hardball, Top O'The Morning, The Rialto Grande, TV Funhouse: Cokee, The Most Expensive Dog in the World, The Falconer, Donatella Versace's Backyard Barbecue, The Dog Restaurant (La Cuisina Canina), Astronaut Jones, and Dr. Deacon's Haunch Crack Powder Beyonce performs ""Crazy In Love"" (with Jay-Z) and ""Dangerously In Love"" (by herself)