Dana Carvey didn't just join the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1986. He basically resuscitated it. Before he arrived, people were genuinely wondering if the show was done for. It had been a rough few years. But then this wiry guy from Montana walks out with a church lady wig and a "Choppin' Broccoli" song, and suddenly, everyone is watching again.
If you grew up in the late 80s or early 90s, your vocabulary was probably 30% Dana Carvey Saturday Night Live skits. You weren't just "happy"; you were "special." You didn't just talk about the president; you did the "not gonna do it" hand gestures.
Honestly, looking back at his run from 1986 to 1993, the sheer volume of hit characters is kind of exhausting. Most cast members are lucky to get one "catchphrase" character that sticks for a season. Carvey had like five that are still in the cultural DNA forty years later. He won an Emmy for it in 1993, and honestly, he probably should’ve had a few more.
The Character That Saved the Show: The Church Lady
It’s hard to explain to people who weren't there how massive Enid Strict was. The Church Lady wasn't just a funny sketch; it was a phenomenon. Carvey based her on women he knew growing up—those hyper-pious types who used "goodness" as a weapon to make everyone else feel like garbage.
Church Chat was the perfect setup. He’d bring on guests (usually played by celebrities or other cast members) and just absolutely shred them for their "sins."
- The Catchphrases: "Well, isn’t that special?" and "Could it be... SATAN?"
- The Dance: That weird, stiff-armed "Superior Dance" he did at the end.
- The Vibe: Pure, unadulterated judgment.
Carvey has talked about how he was terrified during that first episode. His hands were literally sweating under the desk. He thought the character might be too weird or too mean. But the second he hit that first "isn't that special," the audience lost it. He knew he was safe.
✨ Don't miss: Why ASAP Rocky F kin Problems Still Runs the Club Over a Decade Later
Why It Still Works
Most topical humor dies the week after it airs. But The Church Lady works because we all still know that person. The person who smiles while they’re insulting you. It's timeless. When he returned to host in later years, the character barely needed an update. The wig still fit, and the attitude was still perfectly petty.
Not Gonna Do It: The Bush and Perot Era
Before Dana, presidential impressions were often just... guys in suits talking. Carvey changed the game by turning George H.W. Bush into a cartoon. He took the President's actual verbal tics—the "point of light," the "stay the course"—and amplified them until they were hilarious.
"Na-ga-da-it."
Not gonna do it. It became so famous that the actual George H.W. Bush eventually invited Dana to the White House to perform for the staff. That’s when you know you’ve peaked. But he wasn’t a one-trick pony. In the 1992 election cycle, he was pulling double duty. He’d play Bush in the cold open, then switch to Ross Perot for the debate sketches.
His Ross Perot was arguably even better. "Can I finish? Can I finish?" He played Perot as this tiny, hyper-aggressive billionaire with "crazy" charts and a voice like a frustrated chihuahua. During the 1992 campaign, Carvey actually played both Bush and Perot in the same debate sketch (using some clever editing and stand-ins). It was a masterclass in physical comedy and vocal control.
Garth Algar and the "Wayne's World" Explosion
We can't talk about Dana Carvey Saturday Night Live skits without Garth. While Mike Myers was the lead as Wayne, Garth was the soul of those sketches. Carvey based Garth on his brother, Brad. The hair, the glasses, the awkward drumming on the lap—it was all an homage to a real person.
🔗 Read more: Ashley My 600 Pound Life Now: What Really Happened to the Show’s Most Memorable Ashleys
What’s wild is that Garth was almost a background character at first. But Dana’s ability to do "nothing" was so funny that he became the co-pilot. Whether they were in the basement in Aurora or meeting Aerosmith, Garth’s nervous energy was the perfect foil to Wayne’s bravado.
- The "Foxy Lady" dance in the first movie (which started as an SNL bit).
- The "We're not worthy!" bowing.
- The "I like to play" drum solo.
It’s one of the few SNL sketches that actually translated into a massive movie franchise without losing its heart.
The Weird Stuff: Choppin' Broccoli and Grumpy Old Man
Some of Dana’s best moments weren't the big political hits. They were the bizarre, one-off bits that somehow became legendary.
Take "Choppin' Broccoli." It started as a stand-up bit. He plays this pretentious singer-songwriter named Derek Stevens. The song makes absolutely no sense. He just shouts "CHOPPIN' BROCCOLI!" in a deep, operatic voice. It's stupid. It’s objectively ridiculous. And yet, if you say "choppin' broccoli" to anyone over the age of 40, they will immediately know what you're talking about.
Then there was the Grumpy Old Man on Weekend Update.
"In my day, we didn't have fancy 'air.' We breathed COAL DUST! AND WE LIKED IT!"
It was a simple formula: take something modern and explain why the old, miserable way was better. But Carvey’s commitment to the bit—the squinting eyes, the shaky voice—made it a staple.
💡 You might also like: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
The Hans and Franz Connection
He teamed up with Kevin Nealon for these "Pumping Up" sketches. They were Arnold Schwarzenegger clones who obsessed over "flab" and "girlie men."
"Hear me now and believe me later."
The fake muscles, the gray sweatsuits—it was peak 90s absurdity. It worked because it poked fun at the hyper-masculinity of the era while being completely goofy.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Legacy
People think Carvey was just an "impressionist." That’s a bit of a slight. A lot of people can "do" voices. Dana did characters. When he played Jimmy Stewart, he wasn't just doing the voice; he was playing Jimmy Stewart as a confused vigilante. When he did Johnny Carson, he captured the "knowing" wink and the pencil-tapping rhythm that made Carson who he was.
He was a "chameleon" in a way that very few SNL cast members have been since. Maybe Bill Hader or Kate McKinnon come close, but Dana had this specific, manic energy that felt like he was always one second away from exploding.
Actionable Tips for Revisiting the Carvey Era
If you’re looking to dive back into the best of Dana Carvey, don't just search for the "best of" clips. You’ve got to see the context.
- Watch the Season 12 Premiere (1986): This is the debut of the Church Lady. You can literally hear the audience realizing they’re watching a star be born.
- Check out the "The McLaughlin Group" sketches: His John McLaughlin is arguably his most underrated impression. "WRONG!"
- Look for "Massive Head-Wound Harry": It’s one of the grossest, funniest physical comedy sketches ever put on TV. Carvey plays a guy with a giant head wound who refuses to acknowledge it at a fancy party.
- Find the 1992 Debate Skits: Watch how he switches between the candidates. It’s a lesson in comedic timing.
The reality is, the current SNL landscape owes a lot to what Dana did. He proved that you could be a "character" actor and a "political" actor at the same time. He showed that you could take a one-note joke (like "Choppin' Broccoli") and turn it into a classic through sheer force of personality. Honestly, we're still just living in the world he built.