The People's Court - Saturday Night Live

[@jazzfan6]

. . . I DID have it in writing . . . Jon Lovitz is so perfect as a faintly cheesy, vaguely threadbare Lucifer. At the end, when he notices the camera and starts speaking directly to the viewers, it's pure gold.

[@wheelie63]

agreed !....

[@LRS905]

"I COMMAAAAND YOU, WORSHIP MEEE, WORSHIP oh wait just a second, WORHSIIIIP MEEEE!" lol

[@mrs.dinahsaur7195]

jazzfan6 his pudgy nod in tights, loll

[@chasbodaniels1744]

I agree. This sketch was blessed with such good actors, and the writing was tight and hit all the right notes. Hartman and Lovitz were so good. Even the bailiff was played well.

[@czarnick2]

The ending bit has stuck with me all these years - I remember laughing uncontrollably when it first aired

[@notabritperse]

Jan Hooks reading of "I. Am. A. Barfly." is one of my favorite SNL lines of all-time.

[@andrewdundee8842]

No doubt. Her Southern twang really sells it. Also, the ladies squeal when the verdict is announced 😂. RIP Jan Hooks ❤

[@istanformarzipan]

She was a Georgia Peach ;)@@andrewdundee8842

[@brianhammer5107]

sadly, there are plenty of women around that talk just like that!

[@yaywhewclips242]

I liked the fast talking old school Hollwood agent

[@slackerman9758]

Yeah, dammmit. RIP Jan Hooks.

[@Mumblix]

"I'm the Prince Of Darkness. When I harass you, you'll know it!" One of my favorite SNL lines ever!

[@strobe155]

did you put trash in MY YARD?? ( fall down laughing )

[@mschwes5376]

I have always loved that line. This is one of my favorite skits ever.

[@BobWeaver3000]

same!

[@Alvin-1138]

Anything with Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz, INSTANT THUMBS UP. This bit reminds me how We have lost so many of the SNL greats...😒 Btw, I like the Arquette girls.They were perfect for that era!

[@Alvin-1138]

@strontiumXnitrate Patricia Arquette, she was I'm "True Romance" with Christian Slater & Christopher Walken.

[@aaguero]

This is one of the most brilliant sketches ever on SNL; I can't believe it doesn't have at least a million views. "Mr. Mephistopheles, you may hold dominion in the nether regions, but I run this court!"

[@soilmanted]

I'd like to know who penned the script!

[@joematerascz3725]

​Yeah! Cuz whoever made her occupation a barfly is a sheer comedic genius! I'm snickering just thinking about that right now!!

[@sweiland75]

Suddenly, within a mon , it gained two million views after being uploaded ten years ago!

[@McBaller96]

couldn't agree more. It is honestly what establishs the prestige of SNL, only the best of the best writing for them...

[@michaelkottler]

I wouldn't kick it out of bed for smoking a lil' crack, that's for sure ;)

[@Izaakwalton_]

This skit is in my top 10 favorites of all time I would have to say. Every single actor as well as the writing of the skit is perfect comedically!

[@georgecarroll8441]

John Lovitz is one of SNL's greatest--yet most underrated performers--ever. His characters are as funny now as they were 30 years ago.

[@justrione]

John Lovitz makes my day

[@elijahrobinson2362]

Lovitz and Hartman were beyond hilarious.

[@sifugurusensei]

Jan Hooks as well.

[@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113]

Saturday Night Live Inventor, "Lorne Michaels-Bieber," agrees.

[@sifugurusensei]

@Rob Melrose literally?

[@jeffreymorgan8687]

at 51-54 seconds when Jan Hooks (the mother) is checking out Jon Lovitz's (The Devil) butt has got to be an under rated comedy gold section of this whole skit

[@constanttraveler]

Wow, thanks for that

[@lqr824]

I think she was remarking that he had a tail, no? That said nothing was actually said

[@wisdomdantecourt8179]

@@lqr824 me too!

[@noodlehat3250]

Jan Hooks and Rosanna Arquette as mother and daughter are hysterical.

[@paraguaymike5159]

Thank you for identifying Rosana Arquette. I was trying to figure out who the daughter was.

[@jonathanlocke6404]

It's almost hard to not believe that they are mother and daughter in real life...

[@jedmonson100]

Rosanna Arquette was smoking hot back then! 😮 😮😮

[@Falconlibrary]

"Why thank you, I'm 33." With an 18 year old daughter.

[@sisterdoublehappiness9714]

@@jedmonson100 So was Jon Lovitz!!!

[@rogerfritz]

I have never seen this before. Just showed up as a youtube recommended. This is hilarious. Loved it! "Oh, it's not you Doug."

[@michellepricejawers2028]

Same... The ending had me laughing so hard my cheeks hurt 😂

[@kitlee172]

It’s every bit as hilarious as it was live. 😂 For some reason, I keep Nelson Mendela effect remembering “It was a Rottweiler, your honor”.

[@kaywat40]

😆

[@TheTibetyak]

That devil's costume is so ridiculously simple and absolutely hysterical.

[@michaelkottler]

Plus: ACTING

[@joematerascz3725]

Like a child's cheapo devil costume that they sold in the sixties!!

[@swengeer]

@@michaelkottler BRILLIANT!

[@Jay-z5w6g]

@@michaelkottler "ACTING! Thank youuu!" 😆 Classic Lovitz, who btw was married to Morgan Fairchild. 😆

[@kevinnewsom3128]

@@Jay-z5w6g Morgan Fairchild! Yeahhhh.....THAT'S the ticket! 😁

[@michaelzoran]

The truly funny thing about this skit is the fact that the actors did such a good job displaying how things actually occurred on the actual People's Court show. The one example is when Jon Lovitz is showing the checks and Phil Hartman interrupts and says, "May I see those!" and then says "C'mon! C'mon!" Judge Wapner always did that in a rude way! And the way Kevin Nealon said, "And this time you'll get that in writing?" Doug always said that on the show! ... I loved the way Jon Lovitz said, "I had it in writing." This was a fantastic skit.

[@billyjoejimbob75]

Did anybody ever inform him to the fact that they don't work for him when he did that? He sounds like a little bitch the way you describe him.

[@stourleykracklite7663]

Really well-written sketch. By whom?

[@g33kn4sty]

That’s the genius of this skit. Perfectly acted, anyone who grew up with the show loved this.

[@michaelzoran]

@ShadowKnight8 Judge Wapner was often rude, and so are other TV Judges. The way this skit showed Phil Hartman saying, "C'mon! C'mon!" was a 100% perfect recreation of the way Judge Wapner repeatedly did that on TV - in a rude way. That was the entire reason it was so funny.

[@Alvin-1138]

@@billyjoejimbob75 The 'irritated judge' is part of the Schtick. IRL they often let lawyers drone on and on.

[@longlakeshore]

Jan Hooks "I am a barfly" one of the funniest lines ever.

[@strobe155]

I used that line at work and everyone burst out laughing!!!

[@peterjoseph6133]

“That is correct, your honor...” 😂

[@negativeindustrial]

You actually believe this sketch was funny?

[@longlakeshore]

@@negativeindustrial You'll get it when you're a little older.

[@negativeindustrial]

longlakeshore A shitty sense of humor? I doubt it

[@mikkifarmer9626]

This SNL sketch is legendary. R.I.P to the late Phil Hartman. He was a brilliant comedic actor. Jon Lovitz was just as funny as the devil. R.I.P also to the late Jan Hooks. She was a brilliant comedic talent as well.

[@sirreal1290]

Let's not forget R.I.P. to the late Judge Joseph Wapner to whom this skit was based on.

[@mazatano]

Mikki Farmer...Yes, this is one of the funniest skits I've ever seen on SNL. Lmao!

[@mikkifarmer9626]

mazatano I agree. Brilliant comedy is always timeless.

[@matthewJ142]

She died?! She was young!

[@someonerandom256]

@@matthewJ142 Cancer.

[@chrismassaroni1366]

Years after he left SNL I saw John Lovitz do a live standup routine at a small theatre at Atlantis in the Bahamas. It was the funniest standup comedy ever. The entire audience was in deep belly laughs for 90 minutes straight.

[@whoareyoutoaccuseme]

I'm so envious.

[@buckdraper303]

This skit had two of the most underrated SNL performers: John Lovitz and Jan Hooks. Both were utterly brilliant comedians/actors and had many great moments on this show.

[@michaelkottler]

Agreed. "You are correct, sir!"

[@Mr.TomHyland]

Stop with the underrated crap. There's always the youtube critic declaring "underrated." Who's handing out the ratings?

[@higgme1ster]

John Lovitz was not underratted. Jon Lovitz was a household name across the nation for being the ultimate liar claiming that he was married to Morgan Fairchild.

[@Mr.TomHyland]

@@higgme1ster He wasn't lying! But Morgan Fairchild wasn't his wife. She was his girlfriend... yeah... that's right. Yeah.

[@Driven2Beers]

Damn, I had such a thang for Jan Hooks back around 1990!

[@josec7830]

Softly, “….wait, wait, wait one second…” then goes back to his evil hypnotic rant. Comic genius

[@michaelkottler]

Damn straight

[@XalphYT]

Did it work?

[@kassandjohnbolles3522]

I was playing a gig at a bar near Philly last night and the image of Jan Hooks saying, "I am a barfly." popped into my head and I couldn't stop laughing.

[@robertdebrus3732]

What bar was that near Philly

[@kassandjohnbolles3522]

@@robertdebrus3732 That was 8 months ago so I don't remember but according to my calendar it was either Great Barn Taphouse in Warrington or Crafty's in Warminster. I think it was Crafty's. Now I remember. It was Crafty's. Not meant as an insult BTW. It just popped into my head.

[@robertdebrus3732]

@@kassandjohnbolles3522 no offense taken I miss the area had a friend on Irma Drive probably will never see him again I graduated from North Catholic we played Archbishop Wood a few times

[@kassandjohnbolles3522]

@@robertdebrus3732 It was Crafty's in Warminster.

[@donjones4719]

That line is under appreciated, it stands up next to many of SNL's great lines - as does her delivery - it's her not overselling it that makes it so funny.

[@toomuchdrivetothrive]

Hartman is the GOAT of SNL. Every skit he did was funny. Guy could get laughs from just reading the phone book.

[@pamelahays-lx1to]

So true & We miss his talent! R.I.P. Phil Hartman.

[@ceciliapreziose3783]

he did bill clinton spot on

[@bonniemarshall3498]

Very true his loss was a tragic event. He didn't deserve to die like that.

[@WVgrl59]

I know, it is sad that his wife shot him

[@NormAppleton]

@@WVgrl59 Then herself, those poor kids.

[@tbc210]

I love the whole understated feel of this sketch. They could have gone way crazier with the whole devil thing but what makes it so funny is how much it’s like an actual People’s Court case. Plus it never ceases to amaze me how Phil Hartman was funny no matter what he did. He plays it so straight in this sketch, basically acts just like Judge Wapner - and still he’s hilarious. With Jon Lovitz as the sad sack devil 😅, Jan Hooks is great too… and Rosanna Arquette… 🤩

[@jeffreym.8957]

Rosanna - not Patricia.

[@terracottapie]

Phil Hartman is playing it straight, but if you think about it, so is Jon Lovitz. He's 100% channeling a devil type from a 1940s horror film with all the beats of a seasoned Shakespearean actor doing camp. The humor derives from how out of place it is in a small claims court. But this wouldn't work without his insane acting chops.

[@chryssy3255]

The fact that they got Judge Wapner to play the baliff at the end was gold.

[@joelluongo7419]

Phil Hartman Was A Comedic Genius! When He Did A Sketch.. He Captured The Real Life Person.. The Person's Manerisms.. Everything! I Remember Hartman Did Phil Donahue.. He Pauses At The Exact Right Moment! Nobody On This Planet Does That.. Just, So Wonderfully Funny! R.I.P. Phil Hartman.

[@mplsmark222]

⁠@@chryssy3255I don’t think that was Judge Whapner, that was the real bailiff from the Peoples Court Show. A little detail I don’t think most people got. SNL has seemed to forget how “playing it straight” is often the funniest thing. I can’t watch Weekend Update anymore. The clowns they have are alway cracking up, laughing at themselves. its just is not funny that way, for the life of me, why does Lorene Michaels not get that?k

[@TigerzLionzPistonzWingz]

Kevin Nealon at the end is hilarious as he patiently waits for Satan to stop mugging.

[@CuriousGoodsJessica]

He is seeking the soul, plus court costs - this was so great, then and now.

[@TlalocW]

A Prince of Darkness who is refreshingly pleasantly polite. "I'm sorry... it's not you, Doug."

[@strobe155]

Jon Lovitz!! take a beat...then drop the punchline!!

[@maddogsmith5719]

Never good when you're on a first name basis with the devil ...

[@MikeLinPA]

@@strobe155 Jon Lovitz is a national treasure!

[@mattparks2153]

I know it's comic genius isn't it?

[@mikkifarmer9626]

TlalocW Jon Lovitz was extremely funny portraying the devil.

[@philmccartney3214]

RIP Jan and Phil, your legacy lives on.

[@malcolmwatt4866]

Jesus, I don't know. If they're dead I'd say Jon Lovitz devil won the prize. You're supposed to have a little more respect for the clever one, otherwise, you end up dead. Does anybody understand what the Faustian legend means and why it is solely a modern legend?

[@mdhall04]

@@malcolmwatt4866 nobody reads anymore apparently

[@malcolmwatt4866]

@@mdhall04 What's the Vortech? Is it our tech or divine? Does it matter?

[@frankspikes7858]

@@malcolmwatt4866 The Faustian legend. Great story!!! It begs the question, what's the cost of fame???.

[@vicdmise]

The greatest SNL team ever.

[@s.kreusler5081]

LOL @ Jan and Rosanna squealing like fangirls when the judge rules in their favor

[@NormAppleton]

The ultimate white trash hotness.

[@scottsantana2248]

This bit is one of SNL's best ever. The line "I am her mother" followed by "I am a barfly" all matter-of-fact like just kills me no matter how many times I see this thing.

[@TigerzLionzPistonzWingz]

Jan Hooks and Phil Harman the goats of SNL. What an actress and never broke character in all she did. She and Phil Hartman were AMAZING together. What great memories and how the comedic world was robbed with their untimely deaths.

[@Kronx1970]

Phil and Jan were so good together. Absolute legends.

[@Wwilltzx99]

Brita Cashman-Tarrant Yes Phil was a great actor on SNL. He is truly missed. He should have moved out when he knew he was getting a divorce from his cocaine addictive wife.

[@SMATF5]

Jan Hooks was great as Jenna's mom on 30 Rock.

[@nickimorelli9991]

I so agree. Her flawless delivery here about her profession as a "bar fly" is dead on!

[@TigerzLionzPistonzWingz]

@@nickimorelli9991 DEAD ON, And the skit where she's the waitress with Alec Baldwin. Perfection.

[@SuperJNG18]

"Vonda, I'm gonna smack you, honey, you've got to hush..." One of the best line deliveries in all of SNL. RIP Jan Hooks.

[@jv-lk7bc]

0:13 are those real?

[@papat7435]

You have to be kidding. THE BEST??

[@uncleflansy5621]

Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, and especially Jan Hooks are putting on an absolute comedy clinic right here.

[@paystarbuzzy]

Jan kicked ass back in the day. Loved the Sweeney sisters.

[@Alvin-1138]

"Vonda, I'm gonna smack you Honey, you've _got to hush._

[@Phil_Melone]

Yeap they were all good may they rip

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

Love the source of sketch’s main humor: taking the rudeness and power that the judge held over the usual show participants and applying it to the supernatural evil incarnate Lord of Darkness. And Lovitz reaction is what seals the laugh: Wouldn’t be funny if the devil got insulted at the judge, but the fact that he so immediately reacts with subservience is what is hilarious. Judge really highlights the concept of this juxtaposition: “you may have dominion over the nether region, but I run this court.” Perfect writing: the first half of his statement uses archaic and grand language (hold dominion) and the second is perfect mundanity: “I run this court.”

[@bsidegirl9069]

i go back this skit often. Idk I personally think it's just that hilarious!

[@bengelman2600]

Same

[@JoelHernandez-yl6yw]

I come back once a year lol

[@Pau_Pau9]

The Devil compels you back

[@glennaa11]

"I am a barfly" One of the greatest lines ever

[@jsmith1746]

So totally agree!

[@joefelice5062]

Yep

[@robedmund9948]

She looks pretty good for 33!

[@colleenmaecallender7478]

"Well I'm 33 but thats nice of you to say". OH Jan Hooks, she was a legend.

[@michaelkottler]

IKR?

[@dylancooper3690]

one of the best SNL cast members ever. Hilarious, super talented and gorgeous.

[@mss627]

This is one of the all-time great SNL skits. Lovitz is a genius.

[@danmseattle975]

Even if this sketch DIDN'T have such great lines, it would be hysterical just by having Jon Lovitz as the Devil. But it was a combination of great writing and terrific casting that made this a classic.

[@00bikeboy]

The writing is genius. Who wrote it?

[@happydayz7857]

Yeah really nobody could pull off playing the devil like he did. The most cheesy shyster version of The Devil.

[@BryanPSears]

I laugh-cried when Lovitz looks into the camera and demands we all become his thralls . He was/is truly an underrated cast member.

[@patrickc3419]

Same here 😂😂😂😂

[@zAvAvAz]

one of the greats

[@LRS905]

"OK wait a minute, wait a minute..."

[@chonqmonk]

Underrated? That's weird... What's his current rating?

[@40thCapeRifles]

"I am a barfly." PUT ME IN THE GROUND I'M DEAD.

[@joedude4822]

Like it's a legit job😂

[@theBaron0530]

I love hearing Phil say, "Mister Mephistopheles!"

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Me too! I LOL when he says that. Mr. Hartman practically owned comical authority figure roles.

[@tiger1044]

My favorite line!

[@dollcefina]

Oh, well, I never - was there ever a cat so clever as magical Mr. Mephistopheles? 😽

[@willrogeberg4365]

One of my all time favorite skits! I haven’t seen this in years. When Lovitz says, “I HAD it in writing,” I lose it.

[@tracys4161]

"Mr. Mephistopheles . . . you may hold dominion over the nether regions, but I'm running this court! Is that clear?" Back in the day, my buddy and I almost fell of the couch laughing at that line.

[@strobe155]

Phil. F**ing . Hartman

[@ericsmith8373]

Now you listen here! I'm Mephistopheles, Prince of Darkness. When I start harassing you, you'll know it!

[@strobe155]

@@ericsmith8373 " Did you put Trash in my YARD???" Hysterical!!

[@berserkley]

Me too! I love that line!

[@strobe155]

@@berserkley the cheap Party City devil costume MAKES the sketch!! LOL 😂

[@chasbodaniels1744]

I watch this every few months and it never gets old. Love me some Lovitz.

[@macmacreynolds8712]

Jon Lovitz’s main go-to line, ‘Now you listen to me’. LOL

[@dennisfant2620]

Every character Jon lovitiz played he nailed it.. yeah that's the ticket!!

[@thesmackdaddy9888]

City Slickers 2 ...the loser brother. LOL

[@josephgodfrey8468]

"And I'm the PRESIDENT of the compulsive liars association of America! Yeah...dats it! Yeah!"

[@louispkaczmarek5482]

Loved him as Master Thespian!!

[@BxCortez2050]

Him and his wife ...Morgan Fairchild

[@dennisfant2620]

@@BxCortez2050 😂"whom I've seen naked!".. 🤣

[@sujoyteslesl]

Jon Lovitz as the Devil was perfect. This sketch is so memorable. I'm watching it like 30 years later or something, and it's like a breath of fresh air for some reason.

[@jeremyb4493]

Because great comedy is timeless

[@mrf19741]

"It's standard. I'm the Devil." ROFLMAO!

[@mcmobius1]

That "what....wait wait one second" @ 6:49 is wonderful.

[@paulfbeatty]

"I'm sorry. It's not you, Doug" is one of the most underrated lines in SNL history.

[@harlandted]

This showed up on KZbin. I watch SNL but didn’t remember this: “I’m a barfly you honor” (J.H. - RIP) The surprise for me was Lovitz - he did nail it! Not too much, just enough crazy. Perfect.

[@jdspencer60]

Jan Hooks was SO funny as Jenna's mom on 30 Rock too, I was very glad she came back to do that role

[@robedmund9948]

It was the late 80s. Great time for SNL!

[@harlandted]

Rob Edmund I was just a kid but did u see?: www.google.com/search?q=snl%20new%20shimmer

[@robedmund9948]

@@harlandted Chevy, Gilda, and Dan were some of the best SNL ever.

[@harlandted]

Rob Edmund Thank you Rob. I have been stuck indoors for almost 2 months. You get a bit loopy. Thanks for responding. I don’t even know what u received in response. I was going to send new shimmer Or Jane u.... I am stuck at home in Boston US screamed at the checkout line by an older than me customer because I had trouble with my code. I am on snap benefits / food stamps that I gave up and left crying.

[@paulcooper8818]

The exchange about the dented car, garbage and shut up SHUT UP is so LOL

[@shawnrose1211]

So People's Court

[@harveydents]

"wait wait one sec" is like one of the funniest lines in that whole skit

[@stevehall71]

I know, right? It completely undermines the devil's efforts to seem ruthless and all-powerful, but then he jumps right back into his "worship me, I command you" spiel without missing a beat. Easily some of Lovitz's best work.

[@jwholland73]

@@stevehall71 And Kevin Nealon maintains the straight man in the bit. Hilarious!!

[@felixshut2603]

He was the best Mephistopheles they ever had😁. His humor was precisely what was needed. Plus he spoke directly to the audience, thus breaking the 4th wall ala Deadpool

[@euchrewacko]

Kevin Nealon nailed the Doug Lewellen impersonation

[@SpaceCowboy-u7j]

Kevin Nealon is Senator Josh Hawley

[@rhomotor]

Jon Lovitz had to be one of the best cast members SNL ever had.

[@romanramirez7847]

I agree. I feel like Jon doesn’t get enough credit nowadays. He was one of the best.

[@dianapevtsov]

@@romanramirez7847 - He has a completely natural gift, in his bones. And a lot of people talk about actors being humble, but Lovitz's humility is a whole other thing. Usually, when a famous actor's humble, you can tell they know it's noble of them to be humble. But Jon is like a 45-year-old 16-year-old, and I mean that in the best way. He's just completely like a regular, unassuming person out of character; you can see iT when he's interviewed on Kevin Pollak's Chat Show. It wouldn't even occur to Lovitz to be full of himself. It's breathtaking. And he's a wonderful actor in everything from THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER to HAPPINESS. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpOUqZtjlJ2nZ5o

[@payableondeath9091]

and John Candy

[@Stewart1953]

one of the funniest humans where ever he is. in my top 5

[@Stewart1953]

@@payableondeath9091 sctv. stay healthy and happy

[@danbrennan3461]

one of my all time favorite sketches. The hairstyles alone are hysterical.

[@BDUBZ49]

Hartman, Hooks, Lovitz, Nealon. Legends.

[@mattaffenita4268]

I think it might be my all time favorite SNL skit. It’s perfect in every way.

[@stephenabootman6051]

This is one of the best skits in SNL history featuring Jan Hooks, Jon Lovitz and the immortal Phil Hartman. This is better than most skits done in the 1975-80, original cast era.

[@jacobgordon7998]

For my part this is from the best era of SNL which would be at least Phil Hartman's entire 8 season run.

[@jennawildah6514]

and what is your occupation? "I am a bar fly" :D Jan Hooks... so funny

[@michellegriff13]

He seeks the soul PLUS court costs! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Without a doubt one of my favorite skits from SNL since I was a kid and I quote from it everyday, namely the southern accented reply "that is correct your honor". I also tell people I'm a barfly when asked what I do for fun.

[@Nhamp2000]

Wanda, I'm gonna smack you, honey. This was one of the best.

[@michellegriff13]

@@Nhamp2000 You're gonna have to hush. Roseana Arquette saying "I do too" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sonofab_tch]

Pure gold.. What an ensemble cast. Jan Hooks, the professional barfly, absolutely shines. You left us far too soon, Jan.

[@sblagg527]

LOL!! I think my favorite line from this whole hilarious skit is "That was probably a black cat."-- probably because that's exactly what I would have said! Also, is that actually Rusty the bailiff from the real People's Court??!

[@scottswanson5803]

The guy playing the bailiff was named Andy Murphy. He was an extra for SNL who appeared in 155 episodes spanning from 1977 to 2005.

[@jenjen462]

My bestie and I used to recite this skit and crack up so often. "Mister Mephistopheles, PLEASE!" We taped it onto a VHS tape and I hadn't seen it for years. ❤

[@jshepard152]

Worship meee! I command you!

[@2004mojo]

For me Jon Lovitz doesn't even have to talk and I laugh. The cartoon "The Critic" (he was the voice of critic Jay Sherman) was shamefully underrated considering what passes for good animated tv shows these days!

[@c.o.n.collectingofnostalgi889]

Huchee mumma you are correct

[@omnitool]

Dude, imagine if The Critic was put on netflix. I bet they could license it for cheap cuz nobody even knows it exists.

[@2004mojo]

@strontiumXnitrate That is so true!

[@TallDocK]

The Critic was a great show as was Duckman.

[@manzi71]

TallDocK cornfed rules!!

[@Knickerson]

This SNL cast was MY SNL years watching it. Lovitz, Dunn, Nealon, Jackson, Hooks, Hartman, Myers, Carvey and Miller. One of the best casts put together for the show.

[@battafyuwi6760]

I bet you do. At least add in one black guy for diversity you know

[@Knickerson]

Batta Fyuwi In terms of diversity, yeah, it definitely lacked. Had Tim Meadows and Chris Rock come in during Dunn and Hooks’s tenure, I would have included them.

[@fredwright5954]

@@Knickerson maybe there wasn't any truly funny black people worthy of being a cast member? I know of several white cast members who weren't worthy of being so.

[@raheemhamilton8624]

Mayers came onto the show during the 1989-1990 season.

[@rickmainecali]

The Golden age

[@macmacreynolds8712]

Loving Jan Hooks's Southern accent! She's from Georgia.

[@billyc768]

For a long time I thought she was intentionally doing the southern accent. Didn't realize until after she died that she was a southern girl, probably one of the few southerners on SNL over the years.

[@LL-fd7xn]

RIP Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman.

[@christophermcbride6021]

I used to watch her on Tush on WTBS back in the early 80s

[@dalekinnear7303]

Loved her as the Alamo tour guide in Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

[@golfdynamics2532]

Jan Hooks was great! Love the line “I am her mother”! And “ I’m 33 but thanks for noticing”

[@smakfu1375]

The perfect sendup of the 80’s era “People Court”. Lovitz just killed it in this skit. Seriously, at 6:49 “wait one second”, I lost it.

[@BladeRunner-td8be]

"Obey me! Obey me!" Lovitz was unique and a hoot. Because of him, I'll never forget the name, Morgan Fairchild.

[@doggonepointgooddogbacking3248]

... whom I've slept with...

[@scottp300]

I'll never forget the body and breasts of Morgan Fairchild, perfect. What was that movie from the 90's? The Obsession, or something like that, with the crazy guy that was stalking her, and the shower scene. Pretty disturbing movie, but the only time she did nudity, as far as I know.

[@kitlee172]

@@doggonepointgooddogbacking3248 Whom I’ve seen nude 😂

[@MacTechG4]

“Mr. Mephistopheles, what do you think of the verdict?” It Stinks!

[@strobe155]

Drop THE mic Lovitz!!! Avenge ME! ( in a cheap Halloween Costume )

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

"Buy my book!"

[@tocororo]

I love how the Devil just acts like a regular guy. 😂

[@IrishCarney]

Until the end when he goes megalomaniacal villain like we expect .. but even then he pauses at interruptions

[@kennyhagan5781]

"It's standard, I'm the devil." Pure gold.

[@travisdavis7488]

"mmm shut up. Shut up! SHAAAT UP" I FELL TF OUT 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mikes6961]

He is hysterical. That devil character was always funny. One of my "I'd like to meet in person" actors.

[@dm0065]

So carefully constructed and orchestrated. Keeps unfolding, every angle is mined for laughs. Amazing when you think this is just one sketch of many that night. Nothing against the newer SNL, but this just holy shit great

[@BobWeaver3000]

easily an all-timer, top handful of greatest SNL sketches ever. "When I'm harassing you, you'll know it!"

[@TomServo1969]

What I like was these guys were professionals. No one was sloppily reading a cue card or acting as if they're wasted and couldn't believe they were on TV like the way everyone on SNL acts nowadays. These people were serious about acting and it showed.

[@mikelisacarb]

Absolutely! It was funny because it was well written and clearly presented. Nobody made mistakes on purpose or grandstanded to get cheap laughs!!!

[@lseger62]

I think they make a lot of last minute changes lately.

[@wiskyr6510]

I promise you, everyone in every era of SNL was reading cue cards, and some more "sloppily" than others. There's plenty of greats from the past 5-10 years that definitely weren't doing any of what you were saying.

[@greggerman7512]

Member Luke Skywalker? Member Cloud City?

[@ja3482]

0:50 Jan Hooks trying to look at The Devil's paperwork is a nice touch. She was so damn funny on the show.

[@ericjohnson4877]

This is one of my all time favorites. Jon Lovitz always cracks me up

[@MyKetoRecovery]

That post trial wrap up by Lovitz had so many subtle jokes. It really put a nice bow on the skit.

[@tennyc]

Jan Hooks was just comedy gold, so underrated , she never felt she was quite good enough .. missed so much with Phil Hartman

[@anavigil7603]

I think that's what makes her so good!

[@Liggie55821]

I remember the two of them playing Ivana and Donald Trump back in the 1990s. They both nailed it.

[@chonqmonk]

Jan was so highly rated that she was on TV shows and movies, and she won an Emmy; can't get much higher rated than that, but since words don't mean anything and we are approximately 450 years ahead of the schedule in Idiocracy, good comment...

[@dayffe]

"Oh, it's not you, Doug." Everyone does great on this sketch: Hooks, Hartman, Arquette, Nealon, but this is Lovitz' finest moment, hilarious.

[@TheAlicia1195]

The devil is so petty that he wants court costs!!! Lmao!!!

[@TallDocK]

He dated Sadaam Hussein so what do you expect?

[@hammer44head]

When both Jan and Rosanna start screeching at Jon is pure gold, geez this had me when it came out and still does. RIP Jan and Phil, way too soon.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I didn't get the chance to see this era. I was young and alive but unfortunately on the other side of the pond in pre Internet days. Just gotta say Jan Hooks was incredible in every sketch I've caught up on from this period. I can see why so many people hold her in high regard

[@soilmanted]

Little detail that I love: Mephistopheles, after having lost in court, comes out of the courtroom, and gets interviewed outside the courtroom by the reporter - and at a point during the interview grabs the microphone from the reporter and begins melodramatically addressing "the audience at home" - at which point the court security man comes out of the courtroom, accosts Meph, and says "let's go" (brilliant performance by actor playing the court security man by the way; I'd like to know his name). So in response Meph turns to the security man and, using a normal tone of voice that dramatically contrasts with the melodramatic tone he had been using to address the audience at home, says to the security man "wait, wait one second." Meph's transition from melodramatically speaking through the third wall, directly to the audience at home, to normal person taking a moment to quietly plead with the security man for just another second of freedom to speak - beautiful climax to the skit. I guess I just think that John Lovits's way of instantly switching from one manner of speaking to another manner of speaking is very funny..

[@nerdrage9739]

One of the all time classic SNL skits. Everyone is on point!

[@TubeScavenger]

I am a barfly. LMAO! I recorded this when it first came on and watched that part about 1000 times and then forgot about it until just a few minutes ago. One of the best lines ever!

[@ATHENA2O12]

classic...truly funny. I clicked because I've seen this before, when it aired, and I remembered how damn funny it was

[@triciaaw4539]

That's when SNL was funny, and not a bunch of whining SJW

[@ATHENA2O12]

@@triciaaw4539 ain't that the truth?

[@joefelice5062]

My friends & I used to throw that “I am a barfly” line around all the time back when this aired. It’s genius...

[@eezyclsmooth9035]

Rosanna Arquette and Jan Hooks (RIP), perfectly cast as daughter and Barfly !

[@number4cat1]

Jan Hooks agreeing that she's a barfly so matter-of-factly was hilarious.

[@thunderbolt2145]

Baliff: (irritated) "come on, lets go..." Mephistopheles: "wait, wait...wait a minute". 😆

[@sgmares]

The whole skit was simply COMEDY! I was cracking up from beginning to the grand finale. Bravo to all the actors...and to those that have gone on to the big comedy club in the sky, thank you for leaving us some great covid past time laughs. Who knew? 😍😜

[@johnharrison9685]

“It’s standard, I’m the devil.” “You may hold dominion over the nether regions but here in my court, my word is law.”

[@ErikMaitland65]

"W-WAIT, wait one second..." Everything Lovitz touched was GOLD! The end with his plea to the viewer is HILARIOUS!

[@carlstawicki1915]

0:37 I just now noticed Lovitz's hand sign when he was sworn in. 🖖

[@tomschoenke5519]

Great sketch, they almost don't have them anymore. Took classes at the Groudlings where Lovitz started. Not only did I watch SNL fairly regularly for the first 30 years, I used to have on the reruns on Comedy Central in my restaurant, which was back in the nineties. But all of that is Star Wars: A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away.

[@chowkitmusic7278]

As a child in Malaysia there had been a point in time on broadcast television when a cartoon series called The Critic was aired. I knew not of the name John Lovitz then but I was, and am now (before looking it up to be certain, which I’ll do after posting this) just certain that the main character in the series, an unlucky, unpopular film critic, was a cartoon Lovitz. The cartoon had a profound effect on me personally, of course, but what just sticks out like such a sore thumb is this inimitable, evidently unforgettable character. Note his brief appearance in the beginning of the film ‘Happiness’, where he isn’t even a character related to the plot of the film, but is able to significantly set a tone to that hard hitting movie. There’s not much that could/needs to be said of this screen personality, but what a genuine and impactful character he is.

[@vd3364]

The Devil hand sign when Lovitz gets sworn in... classic.

[@RP_Williams]

But he got it wrong.....that's the Vulcan 'live long and prosper' hand signal, he should've done the devil's horns signal (your two middle fingers touching your palm).

[@mickaleneduczech8373]

How did he even do that? With his outer fingers bent forward?

[@RasMix1]

this is one of the best SNL sketches of all time.

[@admtech69]

Love Jan hooks declaring her occupation “ I am a barfly” too funny

[@mayssm]

Jon Lovitz is one of my favorite comedians. Always looked forward to skits with him in them.

[@silviabrunopicciano]

LOL! One of my all time favourite skits. Jon Lovitz as the Devil! The best!