The Best 'SNL' Host of Season 37: Nos. 17-22

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. 22: Steve Buscemi
Dec. 3, 2011 (Episode No. 8)

Let's just get this out there right off the bat: Steve Buscemi was the worst host of SNL's 37th season. I don't even know why the guy hosted this year. There was nothing funny enough about any of Buscemi's sketches to make me remember his episode

Best sketch: Miley Cyrus Show


This should sum up everything you need to know about Buscemi's episode. The best sketch in his show barely even had him in it and relied on Maya Rudolph to return as Whitney Houston. Of course, this sketch's thoughts about Houston's drug use is a bit awkward now ...

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No. 21: Charles Barkley
Jan. 7, 2012 (Episode No. 11)

Like Buscemi, I have no idea why Charles Barkley hosted an episode of SNL this season. Lorne Michaels or someone else at the show must really, really like Barkley to keep bringing him back. Barkley is a stiff host who isn't really versatile on stage.

Best sketch: White People Problems


White People Problems had Barkley playing the straight man, a great example of when he's at his best on SNL.

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No. 20: Lindsay Lohan

March 3, 2012 (Episode No. 16)

By some calculations, Lindsay Lohan was the worst SNL host of this past season. It still remains a mystery why Lohan even hosted this season. She's unemployed and didn't have any kind of project coming out. Maybe Lorne Michaels just wanted to celebrate Lohan being out of jail for once. Lohan once hosted some of the best episodes SNL has had to offer (remember that Hermione Harry Potter sketch?), so people were curious to see how she would fare this time around. Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon even showed up at the beginning to joke about being on hand in case Lohan failed.

Best sketch: Disney Housewives

The pre-recorded Real Housewives spoof was Lohan's best work during her episodes. Thanks to it being shot before the show (and not live), Lohan didn't have to worry about being unable to read cue cards or forgetting her lines.

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No. 19: Channing Tatum
Feb. 4, 2012 (Episode No. 13)

Channing Tatum was hilarious in 21 Jump Street. In SNL? No so much. I don't think SNL really knew what to do with Tatum during his episode, often leaving the actor as a minor player in his own episode.

Best sketch: Secret Word


Secret Word has always been a Kristen Wiig showcase, and its return in Tatum's episode was no exception. Tatum did get to play an astronaut changed by his time in space though.

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No. 18: Mick Jagger
May 19, 2012 (Episode No. 22)

For some reason, Mick Jagger's episode got great reviews on the Internet after the Rolling Stones frontman hosted, something that I'm still surprised by. I have a theory that people loved Wiig's farewell and Lazy Sunday 2, Andy Samberg's Digital Shorts sendoff, and somehow confused the quality of those sketches with Jagger himself. I could be off by a few, but I'm pretty sure SNL's season finale only had like four actual sketches in it, instead relying on Jagger to perform with the Foo Fighters or Arcade Fire. There was also that bizarre presidential election folk song.

Best sketch: Karaoke


SNL wisely chose to keep Jagger seated during this sketch, allowing the show's players to offer their (increasingly awful) Jagger impressions.

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No. 17: Sofia Vergara
April 7, 2012 (Episode No. 18)

If this list was The Hottest Host of Season 37, Sofia Vergara would probably be No. 1. That is not what this list is though. Vergara is very funny on Modern Family, but it's clear that improv isn't the actress' strength. Nothing about her episode stood out, with SNL repeatedly using Vergara's accent as her main comedic feature.

Best sketch: Manuel Ortiz


SNL went to an old standby with Manuel Ortiz, unable to think of anything more creative than putting a Spanish-speaking actress in a sketch with people who speak fake-Spanish.