Saturday Night Live: Season 21
The twenty-first season began September 30, 1995 and ended on May 18, 1996. 20 episodes were produced. SNL once again dodged cancellation from season twenty's low ratings and scathing reviews about the show's decline in quality. Only five cast members: Norm Macdonald, Mark McKinney, Tim Meadows, Molly Shannon and David Spade returned to the show from the previous season. This would be the final season for David Spade
Season 21 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Saturday Night Live Season 20.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Season overview
The twenty-first season began September 30, 1995 and ended on May 18, 1996. 20 episodes were produced. SNL once again dodged cancellation from season twenty's low ratings and scathing reviews about the show's decline in quality. Only five cast members: Norm Macdonald, Mark McKinney, Tim Meadows, Molly Shannon and David Spade returned to the show from the previous season. This would be the final season for David Spade. Spade had agreed to stay only for a year so that he could be a bridge between the old and new casts. Newcomers David Koechner and Nancy Walls were also let go after this season.
Episode Guide
Season 21 Progress Shield
Mariel Hemingway/Blues Traveler
Sep 30, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include: ""OJ Today,"" ""Leg Up,"" ""The Taylors,"" ""Spade in America,"" ""Long Phone Call,"" ""Nightline,"" ""Biography"".
Chevy Chase/Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
Oct 7, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include: ""NFL on NBC,"" ""The Mark Fuhrman Show,"" ""Althea,"" ""Lobotol,"" ""The Blame Game,"" ""Jim Breuer and Braveheart,"" ""Spade in America,"" and ""Fuzzy Memories"
David Schwimmer/Natalie Merchant
Oct 21, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Darius Rucker,"" ""Kids vs. Grownups,"" ""Rita Delvecchio,"" ""Fuzzy Memories,"" ""The Elevator,"" ""Secrets,"" ""Spade in America,"" ""Slim Shannon,"" and ""Tri
Gabriel Byrne/Alanis Morissette
Oct 28, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include: ""Halloween in New Hampshire,"" ""Grayson-Moorhead,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""Cooking With Keith,"" ""Marshall Power Tools,"" ""Spade in America at the 19
Quentin Tarantino/Smashing Pumpkins
Nov 11, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include: ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Old Glory Insurance,"" ""Clara Turley's Bible Challenge,"" ""Bill Clinton,"" ""Bug Off,"" ""Directors on Directing,"" and ""All Aboard
Laura Leighton/Rancid
Nov 18, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Air Force One,"" ""Psychic Reading,"" ""Midgets,"" and ""Spade in America.""
Anthony Edwards/Foo Fighters
Dec 2, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Inside Politics,"" ""Grimaldi's,"" ""The Joe Pesci Show,"" ""Nightline,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""G-Dog Does the Nasty,"" ""Spade in America,"" ""Turning
David Alan Grier/Silverchair
Dec 9, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Nightline,"" ""Rocky Roads,"" ""The Today Show,"" ""Three Wise Men,"" ""Wake Up and Smile,"" ""Spade in America,"" ""Black People,"" and ""Perspectives"".
Madeline Kahn/Bush
Dec 16, 1995 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Bosnian Goodwill Tour,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""John-John Mackie,"" ""Giant Bird,"" ""Leg Up,"" ""Lucien and Fagin,"" ""Spade in America,"" and ""Wedding Vo
Christopher Walken/Joan Osborne
Jan 13, 1996 · 67 min
Live from New York, it's...Rudolph Giuliani Sketches include: ""Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki Apologize For SNL's Low Quality,"" ""Rita Delvecchio,"" ""Spade In America,"" ""The
Alec Baldwin/Tori Amos
Jan 20, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Nightline,"" ""The Joe Pesci Show,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Navy Guys,"" ""Talking About Bill Brasky,"" and ""Accidentally Shot by Hunters.""
Danny Aiello/Coolio
Feb 10, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Inside Politics,"" ""Spaghetti Sauce,"" ""The Kevin Franklin Show,"" ""Time Life's Valentine's Day Arguments,"" ""Althea,"" ""Spade in America,"" ""Hi-C and Turk
Tom Arnold/Tupac Shakur
Feb 17, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Presidential Candidates,"" ""The Life We Lead/Channel 7 Action News,"" ""Ranger Ron and his Tree Slice,"" ""St. Gabriel's Annual Bake Sale,"" ""A Criminal and hi
Elle MacPherson/Sting
Feb 24, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Presidential Candidates,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Winston Graff,"" ""Stan Hooper,"" ""Dinner at Oliver's,"" and ""Australian P
John Goodman/Everclear
Mar 16, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Suel Forrester,"" ""The Real World,"" ""Steve Forbes,"" and ""The Joe Pesci Show.""
Phil Hartman/Gin Blossoms
Mar 23, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Leg Up,"" ""Acting Class,"" ""Fuzzy Memories,"" ""Bug-Off,"" ""Unfrozen Cave Man Lawyer,"" ""Petchow Rat Poison,"" ""Hollywood Minute With David Spade"".
Steve Forbes/Rage Against the Machine
Apr 13, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Class Reunion,"" ""Nightline,"" ""House Workers,"" ""Entering Penn State,"" ""Seattle Today,"" ""Greyson-Moore,"" ""Gibberish Sergeant,"" ""Fuzzy Memories,"" ""S
Teri Hatcher/Dave Matthews Band
Apr 20, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Kazinsky and his Lawyers,"" ""Spade in America,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""The Princess and the Homeboy,"" ""Romantic Music,"" and ""St. Gabriel's Women's Cha
Christine Baranski/The Cure
May 11, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Bob Dole Press Conference,"" ""AM Ale,"" ""The Courtney Love Show,"" ""Get Off The Shed!,"" ""20 Years and One Week,"" ""Terminally Ill Amateur Singer,"" ""Spade
Jim Carrey/Soundgarden
May 18, 1996 · 67 min
Sketches include: ""Nightline,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Roxbury Guys,"" ""Overprotective Lifeguard,"" ""I'll See You In Hell,"" ""Spade in America,"" ""The Joe Pesci Show,"" a