Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 2015–16


The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced during the forty-first season of SNL, which began on October 3, 2015.

Young girl interrupting porn shoots

The shooting of a porn movie is regularly interrupted by a young girl, seemingly unaware of the fictional aspect of the scene she has stumbled into.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41October 10, 2015Amy SchumerShe interrupts the shooting of Hot For Teacher 8
41January 16, 2016Adam DriverShe interrupts the shooting of The Doctor Is In... My Butt 4
43November 18, 2017Chance the RapperShe interrupts the shooting of Skank Babysitter 17. This sketch was originally written for the Season 42 episode hosted by Dave Chappelle, with Cecily Strong in Gardner's part.

Citizens forum

An array of eccentric people monopolize the podium during the citizens' forum of Bakersfield, California, to the dismay of two helpless councilors. Also features Aidy Bryant as disgruntled, middle-aged spinster Jan Krang, Kyle Mooney as Dutch rapper MC Strategy, and Kenan Thompson as costume store owner Gary Loomis.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41October 10, 2015Amy SchumerSchumer plays Amy Merriwether Sherman, a young child with strong conservative beliefs. Also features Leslie Jones as Karen, an alcoholic, and Pete Davidson as Rick, a teen who asks the councilors if they are up-to-date with Justin Bieber's latest scandal.
41January 23, 2016Ronda RouseyRousey plays Mary Bonham, who runs a traveling carnival and freak show. Also features Kate McKinnon as Mrs. Dodd, Pete Davidson as a young man who lost a drone, and Leslie Jones as a woman who leaves the meeting early.

Colleen Rafferty

Three people are being interrogated about a paranormal encounter or phenomenon they experienced. But Colleen Rafferty's recollection of the events vastly differs from the other two, and is filled with unsavory details.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41December 5, 2015Ryan GoslingAlien abduction
41May 7, 2016Brie LarsonNear death experience
42December 17, 2016Casey AffleckMeeting Santa Claus
43September 30, 2017Ryan GoslingAnother alien abduction
44November 10, 2018Liev SchreiberGhost encounter
44May 18, 2019Paul RuddTime travel

Deenie, somebody's mom

Deenie inaccurately recaps her favorite soap-operas on Weekend Update while eating from a plastic container.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41December 19, 2015Tina Fey, Amy Poehler
41April 9, 2016Russell Crowe

Star Wars Undercover Boss

An Undercover Boss parody where Kylo Ren  goes undercover as a low level employee to interact with his subordinates.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41 January 16, 2016Adam DriverKylo Ren goes undercover as Matt, a radar technician.
45January 25, 2020Adam DriverKylo Ren goes undercover as Randy, an entry level intern.

''America's Funniest Pets''

The presenter of an animal-based video clip show invites the two presenters of a French similar series, Joelle LaRue and Noelle LeSoup. He asks them to cohost the show and provide silly voiceovers for the clips. But said voiceovers turn out to be more depressing than their American counterpart.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41January 16, 2016Adam DriverAmerica's Funniest Cats, presented by Finn Reynolds
42October 22, 2016Tom HanksAmerica's Funniest Pets, presented by filmmaker Ron Howard

Another sketch, America's Funniest Dogs, was cut for time from the Peter Dinklage-hosted episode in Season 41.

''True Tales From The Sea''

Adventurers down on their luck are rescued by beautiful mermaids, including Shud, a part-woman, part-blobfish mermaid who doesn't exactly enchant the men she's trying to seduce.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41March 12, 2016Ariana GrandeThe mermaids meet three men.
42March 11, 2017Scarlett JohanssonScarlett Johansson plays Kunk, part-woman, part-anglerfish.

''Shanice Goodwin: Ninja''

Despite her big stature and general clumsiness, Shanice Goodwin, cashier by day and ninja by night, is inexplicably a master of stealth.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41April 9, 2016Russell Crowe
42March 11, 2017Scarlett Johansson

Chad

plays Chad, an apathetic, easily distracted youth with limited conversational skills whose catchphrase is "okay". He's the heartbreaker of several people decades older than him, but he couldn't care less about their grand declarations of love. In one instance, he is the obsession of a psychopathic serial killer, but Chad takes no notice of the killer's attempts to torment him.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41April 16, 2016Julia Louis-DreyfusChad is a pool boy having an affair with his employer Ms. Handler, a housewife.
42November 5, 2016Benedict CumberbatchHis philosophy teacher tries to kiss him.
43October 7, 2017Gal GadotHe is "The Chosen One", chosen to take a queen 's virginity in a Narnia-like fantasy land and save the kingdom.
43December 2, 2017Saoirse RonanHe takes part in a Tennis Club Bachelor Auction. Unlike the prior three sketches this was filmed live rather than pre-taped. John McEnroe appears in this sketch.
43January 20, 2018Jessica ChastainHis doctor falls in love with him after saving his life.
44March 2, 2019John MulaneyChad receives a call from a Scream-esque killer.
44May 4, 2019Adam SandlerChad meets his long lost father after dying in an explosion caused by leaving a fork in the microwave. This sketch was cut for time, but later released online.
45December 7, 2019Jennifer LopezChad is the roadie for Lopez. Alex Rodriguez appears as himself.
45February 8, 2020RuPaulRu trains Chad to be the next generation of drag.

Suburban mothers

A group of suburban mothers engage in cult-like behavior in trying to convert a newer, inexperienced mother into doing something that would prove them of their motherhood.
SeasonEpisodeHostNotes
41May 5, 2016Brie LarsonThe moms teach a mom-to-be about the "business in the front, party in the back" haircut that all suburban mothers get.
42May 13, 2017Melissa McCarthyThe moms teach Jen about spirit animals.