The Best 'SNL' Host of Season 37: Nos. 13-16

Saturday Night Live may have wrapped up its 37th season, but that doesn't mean we can't keep talking about the show. Twenty-two different actors, singers, athletes and whatever it is Lindsay Lohan does these days hosted the late-night institution over the past eight months, and in no way were all their efforts equal. Some hosts gave it their all (and got some excellent writing to support their stint) while other hosts possibly slept-walked through rehearsals and barely even realized they were hosting SNL.

Every day this week, The Bill Kuchman Chronicle will countdown the season's hosts. You'll get two bonus hosts on Monday, but after that, each day will bring four additional hosts.

MONDAY: Nos. 17-22 • TUESDAY: Nos. 13-16 • WEDNESDAY: Nos. 9-12

THURSDAY: Nos. 5-8 • FRIDAY: Nos. 1-4 

No. 16: Josh Brolin
April 14, 2012 (Episode No. 19)

I'll give Josh Brolin credit — the guy seemed really excited to be hosting SNL. That's not always the case, as some hosts sleepwalk their way through an episode. Watching the show, it looked like Brolin really wanted things to work. Unfortunately for him, Brolin never got the chance to show that he has what it takes to be a great SNL host.

Best sketch: The Californians


I'm actually a big fan of The Californians, at least the first time SNL did it, that is. It was such a ridiculous sketch. That said, when Jagger did a Californians installment himself, the bit was dead.

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No. 15: Anna Faris
Oct. 15, 2011 (Episode No. 4)

I've come to the conclusion that Anna Faris is an acquired taste and is best served in small doses. The actress has the potential to be very funny, but only in the right roles and only when she's playing a sporting role. An entire night of Faris is a bit much, though, and SNL couldn't find its groove during her episode.

Best sketch: J-Pop Talk Show


This sketch's secret to success? A small dose of Faris, letting Taran Killam and Vanessa Bayer do the heavy lifting.

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No. 14: Ben Stiller
Oct. 8, 2011 (Episode No. 3)

After starting Season 37 off strong with Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy, SNL brought Ben Stiller back. Now, Stiller has been funny for a long time. This episode? Not funny at all. Like his Tower Heist costar Eddie Murphy, Stiller's comedy has been dulled thanks to his work in the Night at the Museum and Madagascar movies, rendering the actor unable to perform the dynamic kind of comedy SNL requires a host to deliver.

Best sketch: Weekend Update (Stefon and Zoolander)


To actually land a funny sketch, Stiller had to depend on an old character, Zoolander, and one of SNL's biggest viral characters, Stefon. It doesn't say much for a host when they can't create something new without relying on the show's heavy hitters themselves.

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No. 13: Will Ferrell
May 12, 2012 (Episode No. 21)

You'd think that an SNL hosted by Will Ferrell, one of the great cast members of the 2000s, would rank higher than No. 13, and usually, you'd be right. I was surprised at how unfunny Ferrell's episode was. I don't know if it was the writing or Ferrell himself, but the episode lacked any kind of excitement. Instead of bringing back some class Ferrell sketches — Celebrity Jeopardy, Harry Caray, the hot tub lovas, James Lipton — the show burdened the actor in some pretty lame and uninspired material.

Best sketch: Cold Commercial


I was tempted to use the episode's cold open that featured Ferrell's George W. Bush living in Jason Sudeikis' Joe Biden's closet, but I determined that that sketch was carried by Sudeikis. So, this fake commercial was the funniest part of Ferrell's episode.