It’s been a great year for entertainment across the board, but particularly for comedy. Whether it was in a sitcom, on late-night, or on a talk show, there has been no shortage of memorable - and hilarious - TV moments in 2024. Note: We’re not including stand-up specials on this list, as that list will come out next week.
We invite you to take a look back with us at five TV moments from this year that we absolutely loved!
Saturday Night Live - Beavis and Butt Head
2024 has been a very good year for SNL, especially with the 50th anniversary right around the corner. There’s been plenty of moments that managed to take the internet by storm, including the political cold opens, Sushi Glory Hole, Domino, Washington’s Dream, and of course Domingo. But the top spot has to go to this bizarre sketch from Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling.
In it, they play two guys in the background of a town hall debate that resemble Beavis and Butt Head, and are oblivious to it. The sketch sort of went off the rails when Heidi Gardner saw Day, and that energy stayed consistent throughout. The infectious laughter made the sketch that much funnier.
Hot Ones - Conan O’Brien
Conan O’Brien is regarded as one of the greatest late-night hosts of all time. Even after leaving the late-night world after 28 years back in 2021, he’s maintained an important comedy fixture, thanks to his podcast and Max travel show.
To promote the latter, O’Brien went on the popular show Hot Ones, where celebrities get interviewed while eating hot wings. The level of difficulty is always intense, but O’Brien came to the table ready to play. After admitting he is not a fan of spicy food, he proceeded to bring in his (fake) doctor, started openly taunting things, asking “Is this all you’ve got?” He then turned to start drinking the hot sauce right out of the bottle, and even smearing it on his shirt. It’s - without a doubt - one of the greatest arguments to be made for how a performer can commit to a bit, by any means necessary. Something you have to see to believe.
Curb Your Enthusiasm - Larry in Jail
Spoilers! In the series finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, we saw a conclusion to a joke that was 25 years in the making. In the series finale of Seinfeld - written by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld -, the cast of the series wound up in jail, in a finale that was not too highly regarded upon airing.
So what does David do when he decides to give his show a proper sendoff? He spends all of season 12 with a dark cloud looming that Larry could go to jail for bringing water to a woman standing in line to vote in Atlanta. After finally being sentenced to jail, who steps into the cell with him and saves the day? Seinfeld, of course. It ties a perfect bow to a joke that was years in the making. Doesn’t get more meta than that!
Hacks - The Woods
After three seasons on the air, Hacks finally took home the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series this year. This is a show we’ve been a champion of since day one, and it has also become adored by critics and fans alike. Set around a legendary Las Vegas comedian and her young writer, each season brings a lot of insight into the world of comedy. Season three was no different.
In this season, there was a special episode that showed the dynamic between the two characters, and just how dependent they are on each other. Episode five shows them getting lost in the woods, and the dialogue reads as an epic ping pong match between two very talented performers. There’s no question as to why this episode in particular has been signaled out this season. The writing is just that solid.
Only Murders in the Building - Meeting the Cast
Only Murders in the Building is another critically beloved show that’s been around for four seasons now. Since season two, the show has had a tendency to bring in big name cameos to join the ranks of the show’s leads. This year was no exception as they brought in Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria.
The three actors go head to head with their counterparts that they’ll be playing in a movie about their murder podcast. Again, it’s a bit that becomes very meta at certain points. But it’s the stunted dynamic between characters - particular with Galifiankis and Short - that allows the humor to rise to the top with these pairings. It’s a slam dunk, and we hope to see them all return for season five!