The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between September 28, 1991, and May 16, 1992, the seventeenth season of SNL.
A Tim Meadows and Chris Rock sketch. Debuted September 28, 1991.
An Ellen Cleghorne sketch. Debuted September 28, 1991.
A Chris Farley sketch. Debuted October 5, 1991.
Mike Myers plays an older Jewish woman. Debuted October 12, 1991.
Queen Shenequa, played by Ellen Cleghorne, was an Afrocentric social critic who dressed in African garb, observed Kwanzaa, and made commentaries on race. She had a somewhat disdainful persona, such as when she observed about Michael Jackson: "'Black or White'? If it doesn't matter, then why are you so white?", or when she commented that Kwanzaa "is a Swahili word which means 'Santa don't come to my house'". Debuted October 26, 1991.
A Chris Farley sketch. Debuted November 2, 1991.
A Phil Hartman sketch. Debuted November 23, 1991.
A David Spade sketch. Debuted December 7, 1991.
Theatre Stories was an SNL skit parodying English actors. Debuted December 14, 1991. It is described by the announcer as produced by the "British-American Theatre Alliance", and centered around several English Shakespearean actors recounting acting experiences and anecdotes. However, one of the most memorable performances was Dana Carvey as embittered former American child star Mickey Rooney, complaining about how the film industry largely turned their back on him, and reminiscing on better times.
Mike Myers played the host, Kenneth Rhys-Evans (aka "Cucumber Jones"), an English actor who discovered one day that he could not control the volume of his voice (a joke Myers later used in the first Austin Powers movie). Other characters included Steve Martin as an elderly British actor nicknamed "Nobby", because his real name was incredibly long.
Quotes:
The middle sister from The Brady Bunch, she was portrayed by Melanie Hutsell. She would usually begin a commentary on a subject, which devolved into a comparison to something that happened on one of the Brady Bunch episodes and her frustration with her siblings who get more attention. Her catchphrase was "Marcia, Marcia, MARCIA!", referring to her older sister, as well as a catchphrase from the popular TV series. Debuted January 11, 1992.
A Melanie Hutsell and Siobhan Fallon Hogan and Beth Cahill sketch, parodying the sorority Delta Delta Delta. Debuted January 11, 1992.
Adam Sandler portrayed a man from Cajun country in Louisiana who dressed like Huckleberry Finn and spoke in a heavily exaggerated Cajun French dialect. When interviewed he would simply respond with one or two word answers, all ending in the "-tion" suffix, or similar sound. For example, when asked where his girlfriend is, he would answer "long vacation" and then being asked how he occupies his time, would answer "masturbation." The character is essentially a send-up of TV chef Justin Wilson who specialized in Cajun cuisine, and would frequently enunciate the second syllable in the word "onion". Debuted February 8, 1992.
Later, Sandler would tweak the character and give him a full length movie in The Waterboy.
A Rob Schneider sketch. Debuted February 8, 1992.
A Chris Rock sketch. Debuted February 15, 1992.
A Phil Hartman sketch. Debuted February 15, 1992.
Opera Man was a Weekend Update character played in the early to middle 1990s by Adam Sandler. He would appear in a fancy shirt and black cape - often holding a white handkerchief as a parody of Pavarotti - and sing, opera style, jokes about current events and celebrities. Among Opera Man's sketches, regarding the L.A. Riots: "La Chiefa Policia, no dispatcha gendarme / morono, no respondo / no excusa, bagga doucha!" There was also the "Tom Hanks-o/ nominat-o/ next year go to France-o/ give someone else/ a freaking chance-o!" sketch, during which, on the screen, a picture of Billy Madison came up. The sketches always ended with mock-bravos and roses being flung in Opera Man's direction. Debuted April 18, 1992.
The earlier appearances of Opera Man featured him singing a higher quantity of accurate Italian lyrics, though the subtitles showed the lyrics rather than an English translation. Jon Lovitz showed up in one episode to play his older brother just in from Italy. Opera Man also appeared in his own sketch one time where it was done up like a genuine opera, and titled "One Match Short of the Jackpot". Phil Hartman narrates, explaining to the audience that Opera Man has just filled up his car at a gas station and included a New Hampshire Lottery scratch ticket with his purchase. Opera Man gets more excited as every box he scratches off reveal a million dollar prize, until the last one mismatches and he dejectedly says he must continue his job as a security guard for Montgomery Ward.
Opera Man also performed at the 2001 Concert for New York City.