The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced during the thirty-ninth season of SNL, which began on September 28, 2013.
Bruce Chandling Kyle Mooney plays stand-up comedian Bruce Chandling, who frequently slips into bouts of melancholy about how his life has turned out, in the middle of his appearances on Weekend Update. Season Episode Host Notes 39 September 28, 2013 Tina Fey Bruce Chandling gives his take on new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's first UN Speech. 39 May 17, 2014 Andy Samberg Bruce Chandling provides his perspective on summertime fun. 41 November 14, 2015 Elizabeth Banks Bruce talks about women and his girlfriend. 41 April 9, 2016 Russell Crowe Bruce talks about sports. 42 April 15, 2017 Jimmy Fallon Bruce talks about Easter. 43 November 18, 2017 Chance the Rapper Bruce talks about Thanksgiving.
An installment was scheduled to air on October 22, 2016, where Bruce talks about Halloween and brings on a fellow Comedian (Tom Hanks); the segment was cut from the episode before airing, but was released online. Two filmed pieces with Kevin Hart and Louis C.K. respectively were also cut for time in Season 40.
Cinema Classics Reese De'What (Kenan Thompson) presents classic cinema and television. Season Episode Host TV show/film lampooned 39 September 28, 2013 Tina Fey 40 October 4, 2014 Sarah Silverman Forgotten TV Gems: Supportive Women 40 January 31, 2015 J.K. Simmons Casablanca 40 April 11, 2015 Taraji P. Henson 40 May 16, 2015 Louis C.K. Forgotten TV Gems: Whoops! I Married a Lesbian 41 April 16, 2016 Julia Louis-Dreyfus 44 March 2, 2019 John Mulaney To Have and Have Not 44 May 11, 2019 Emma Thompson 45 November 23, 2019 Will Ferrell The Wizard of Oz 46 October 31, 2020 John Mulaney The Birds 47 January 22, 2022 Will Forte Gaslight 49 December 16, 2023 Kate McKinnon Meet Me in St. Louis
A further Cinema Classics sketch was set for the October 12, 2024 episode during season 50, in which host Ariana Grande would portray Judy Garland. It was canned during set construction in the live program due to cascading effects of earlier technical problems, which lead to insufficient time remaining in the program to perform it; its slot was instead filled by another, unrelated, but shorter, sketch initially dropped at dress rehearsal.
Mornin' Miami! Three surly and unusually-named news anchors of a Miami-based morning news program (played by Kate McKinnon, Bobby Moynihan, and the host) cheerfully record their promos for the week for their off-screen producer (voiced by Vanessa Bayer).
Season Episode Host Notes 39 October 5, 2013 Miley Cyrus Yolanda Natalie Portman (Miley Cyrus), Jill Amockingbird, and B.F. seethe in between recordings. 39 January 18, 2014 Drake Trey Shayearwood (Drake), Lena Towerapisa, and Burt Fingerblast fume over their new sign off. The producer is onscreen at the beginning of this sketch.
An installment of Mornin' Miami! was scheduled to air on May 10, 2014, featuring host Charlize Theron; the sketch was cut from the episode before airing, but was released online.
Miss Meadows (poetry teacher) Unusually perky poetry teacher Miss Meadows (Vanessa Bayer) visits students and teaches them about the joys of poetry. She reads her eccentric original poems to the group. Students take turns reading their odd original poems with one student (played by the host) using their poems to display their sexual attraction towards Meadows.
Season Episode Host Notes 39 October 5, 2013 Miley Cyrus Miss Meadows visits a class while the teacher is at a job interview. 39 January 18, 2014 Drake Miss Meadows visits detention. 40 November 22, 2014 Cameron Diaz Miss Meadows is a substitute teacher
Miley tapes A look in the fictional romance of Miley Cyrus and Kyle Mooney, which takes place during and after the filming of a homemade videotape. Bobby Moynihan and Beck Bennett interrupt the shooting, to which Kyle exits the room and confides in them that he doesn't really want to do what Miley wants him to do in the tape. Every time he opens the door after that, her actions and situations become more outlandish. Season Episode Host Notes 39 October 5, 2013 Miley Cyrus Miley and Kyle make a sex tape. However, due to Kyle's reluctance, she ends up making a tape with his brother (Taran Killam) instead. 41 October 3, 2015 Miley Cyrus Miley and Kyle make a wedding video, marry and have a child (Jon Rudnitsky), much against Kyle's wishes. At the end, time speeds up so fast that Kyle dies and becomes single again as Miley is now a widow.
Shallon A guest speaker (played by the Host) visits Astoria Elementary School to give a safety presentation, but finds that the loud, brash student Shallon (Nasim Pedrad) twists his lecture into an endorsement of whatever he's warning the children against (such as getting into cars with strangers) while the class' teacher Miss Finley (Kate McKinnon) is away doing something in her car. Shallon's actions would get her classmates (played by Aidy Bryant, John Milhiser, Bobby Moynihan, Kenan Thompson, and Noël Wells) into thinking that what Shallon says is right much to the chagrin of the guest speaker. When Miss Finley returns, the guest speaker leaves and makes a negative comment about the class. Afterwards, Miss Finley gives the children permission to go pursue the activity the guest speaker was attempting to discourage.
Season Episode Host Notes 39 October 26, 2013 Edward Norton Shallon convinces the class to get into vans with strangers while undermining the authority of a police officer named Officer Rosen (Edward Norton) to get candy on Halloween. 39 December 14, 2013 John Goodman While Captain Lemkee (John Goodman) of the Irvine Fire Department talks about fire safety on Christmas, Shallon convinces the class to get into the fireplace on Christmas Eve to save Santa Claus from the fire. 39 April 12, 2014 Seth Rogen Shallon convinces the class that they should seek out drug dealers to get crack from them while ignoring the words of D.A.R.E. member Officer Kellogg (Seth Rogen).
Holiday Food The episode's host plays an eccentric character who talks about the food they'll be giving out on a certain holiday.
Season Episode Host Notes 39 October 26, 2013 Edward Norton A father (Norton), accompanied by his wife Adult Ruth (Aidy) and their son Diego (Bobby Moynihan), shows off the candy he has bought for Halloween trick-or-treaters, including a kale chip in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup packet, and a Pez dispenser with his own head on it. 40 April 4, 2015 Michael Keaton Keaton (playing himself), accompanied by Portia (Kate McKinnon) and Jordan (Bobby Moynihan), shows off what he has bought for Easter, including creme eggs that he gave up for lent the year before, and a toy "Easter monkey".
A third sketch themed around Thanksgiving, starring Kristen Wiig as "Wisten Kriig", was cut for time during the Season 42 episode dated November 18, 2016. Another sketch for St. Patrick's Day, with Bill Hader as Liam Neeson, was also cut for time in season 43 on March 17, 2018.
Heshy Farahat Heshy Farahat (Nasim Pedrad) is a Yemeni motivational speaker who comes to speak at schools and hotels, etc. She often tells personal stories to motivate the audience, using hip thrusts and shooting-gun sound effects controlled by her son (Mike O'Brien).
Season Episode Host Notes 39 November 2, 2013 Kerry Washington Heshy arrives at a school's career week with her son and her assistant Tammy (Kerry Washington). 39 May 10, 2014 Charlize Theron Heshy appears at a hotel to give dating advice, "The Man Plan", with her friend Gail (Charlize Theron).
Waking up with Kimye Kanye West (Jay Pharoah) and Kim Kardashian (Nasim Pedrad) host a morning talk show with a typical daytime-talk-show format. Despite Kanye feeding Kim each of her lines to say in extremely obvious ways, she messes up most of them anyway. Kanye appears to be oblivious to Kim's ditziness, seeing her as both beautiful and brilliant. The other Kardashian sisters make giggling nasal-voiced appearances.
Season Episode Host Notes 39 November 16, 2013 Lady Gaga Kanye and Kim interview the Apple Store employee Karen (Lady Gaga) who repaired Kim's computer. 39 December 21, 2013 Jimmy Fallon Kim shows off her gingerbread nightclub. Fallon does not appear in the sketch. 39 May 17, 2014 Andy Samberg Kim shows off a drawing of her wedding dress. Samberg plays Kim and Kanye's wedding planner Jostin Pappick.
Jebidiah Atkinson Jebidiah Atkinson (Taran Killam), a Weekend Update character, is an 1860s newspaper critic who has something negative to say about everything.
The character was inspired by an actual incident: On November 14, 2013, in honor of the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, The Patriot-News retracted a scathing review of the address that its predecessor publication, The Patriot & Union, had published on November 24, 1863. Atkinson, ostensibly the author of that review, appeared on Weekend Update to defend his opinion. (The actual author was Oramel Barrett.)
The character has received critical acclaim from multiple reviewers. Mike Ryan of the Huffington Post said he would watch a Jebidiah Atkinson movie. HitFix's Ryan McGee said that while performing the bit, Killam was on fire, even comparing Atkinson to Bill Hader's beloved Weekend Update character Stefon.
Season Episode Host Notes 39 November 16, 2013 Lady Gaga Jebidiah is critical of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and other political speeches. 39 December 7, 2013 Paul Rudd Jebidiah is critical of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and other Christmas specials and movies. 39 March 1, 2014 Jim Parsons Jebidiah is critical of current and past Best Picture nominees. 39 May 3, 2014 Andrew Garfield Jebidiah is critical of current and past Tony nominees. 40 January 31, 2015 J. K. Simmons Jebidiah is critical of current and past Grammy nominees. 40 April 4, 2015 Michael Keaton Jebidiah is critical of current and past television shows.
Richard Patterson (Baby Boss) Dick Patterson (Beck Bennett) is a businessman who exhibits infantile reflexes. He is described by those who work for him as having "the body of a baby."
Season Episode Host Notes 39 November 23, 2013 Josh Hutcherson Josh Hutcherson plays Mr. Patterson's newly hired assistant. 39 March 29, 2014 Louis C.K. Louis C.K. plays a vice-president of Mr. Patterson's company. 40 November 22, 2014 Cameron Diaz Cameron Diaz plays Mr. Patterson's wife, Nancy. This is the first version of the sketch not to take place in the office. 41 May 14, 2016 Drake Drake plays a White House Representative representing Patterson as a potential third-party candidate. Here it is revealed his first name is Dick.
Animal Hospital (Vet Office) Nurses (played by Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and the host) work at a vet hospital and deliver the news of the pet's death to pet owners. The host plays a flamboyant nurse.
Season Episode Host Notes 39 November 23, 2013 Josh Hutcherson 40 September 27, 2014 Chris Pratt
Family Feud Steve Harvey (Kenan Thompson) hosts the TV quiz show of the same name. Season Episode Host Notes 39 December 21, 2013 Jimmy Fallon Celebrity edition: CBS vs. NBC
Team CBS: Jimmy Fallon as Jim Parsons
Taran Killam as Ashton Kutcher
John Milhiser as Jon Cryer
Noel Wells as Alyson Hannigan
Team NBC: Justin Timberlake as Jimmy Fallon
Kate McKinnon as Jane Lynch
Jay Pharoah as Ice-T
Brooks Wheelan as himself 39 May 3, 2014 Andrew Garfield Celebrity edition: American vs. International Musicians American Musicians: Andrew Garfield as Justin Timberlake
Nasim Pedrad as Bruno Mars
Noel Wells as Reba McEntire
Kyle Mooney as Skrillex
International Musicians: Kate McKinnon as Shakira
Jay Pharoah as Drake
Aidy Bryant as Adele
Taran Killam as Russell Crowe 40 January 24, 2015 Blake Shelton Celebrity edition: The Voice vs. American Idol
The Voice: Blake Shelton as himself
Taran Killam as Adam Levine