The People's Court - Saturday Night Live 

This is one of the most brilliant sketches ever on SNL; I can't believe it doesn't have at least a million views. "Mr. Mephistopheles, you may hold dominion in the nether regions, but I run this court!"

. . . I DID have it in writing . . . Jon Lovitz is so perfect as a faintly cheesy, vaguely threadbare Lucifer. At the end, when he notices the camera and starts speaking directly to the viewers, it's pure gold.

Jan Hooks reading of "I. Am. A. Barfly." is one of my favorite SNL lines of all-time.

Jan Hooks and Rosanna Arquette as mother and daughter are hysterical.

John Lovitz is one of SNL's greatest--yet most underrated performers--ever. His characters are as funny now as they were 30 years ago.

"I'm the Prince Of Darkness. When I harass you, you'll know it!" One of my favorite SNL lines ever!

That devil's costume is so ridiculously simple and absolutely hysterical.

Years after he left SNL I saw John Lovitz do a live standup routine at a small theatre at Atlantis in the Bahamas. It was the funniest standup comedy ever. The entire audience was in deep belly laughs for 90 minutes straight.

Jan Hooks "I am a barfly" one of the funniest lines ever.

This SNL sketch is legendary. R.I.P to the late Phil Hartman. He was a brilliant comedic actor. Jon Lovitz was just as funny as the devil. R.I.P also to the late Jan Hooks. She was a brilliant comedic talent as well.

"Vonda, I'm gonna smack you, honey, you've got to hush..." One of the best line deliveries in all of SNL. RIP Jan Hooks.

This skit had two of the most underrated SNL performers: John Lovitz and Jan Hooks. Both were utterly brilliant comedians/actors and had many great moments on this show.

The truly funny thing about this skit is the fact that the actors did such a good job displaying how things actually occurred on the actual People's Court show. The one example is when Jon Lovitz is showing the checks and Phil Hartman interrupts and says, "May I see those!" and then says "C'mon! C'mon!" Judge Wapner always did that in a rude way! And the way Kevin Nealon said, "And this time you'll get that in writing?" Doug always said that on the show! ... I loved the way Jon Lovitz said, "I had it in writing." This was a fantastic skit.

Jan Hooks agreeing that she's a barfly so matter-of-factly was hilarious.

Kevin Nealon at the end is hilarious as he patiently waits for Satan to stop mugging.

I have never seen this before. Just showed up as a youtube recommended. This is hilarious. Loved it! "Oh, it's not you Doug."

He is seeking the soul, plus court costs - this was so great, then and now.

RIP Jan and Phil, your legacy lives on.

I was playing a gig at a bar near Philly last night and the image of Jan Hooks saying, "I am a barfly." popped into my head and I couldn't stop laughing.

"Well I'm 33 but thats nice of you to say". OH Jan Hooks, she was a legend.

Softly, “….wait, wait, wait one second…” then goes back to his evil hypnotic rant. Comic genius

Jon Lovitz’s main go-to line, ‘Now you listen to me’. LOL

at 51-54 seconds when Jan Hooks (the mother) is checking out Jon Lovitz's (The Devil) butt has got to be an under rated comedy gold section of this whole skit

My friend and I leave voicemails saying “Become my willing thrall!” 😂

A Prince of Darkness who is refreshingly pleasantly polite. "I'm sorry... it's not you, Doug."

Every character Jon lovitiz played he nailed it.. yeah that's the ticket!!

"mmm shut up. Shut up! SHAAAT UP" I FELL TF OUT 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I love the whole understated feel of this sketch. They could have gone way crazier with the whole devil thing but what makes it so funny is how much it’s like an actual People’s Court case. Plus it never ceases to amaze me how Phil Hartman was funny no matter what he did. He plays it so straight in this sketch, basically acts just like Judge Wapner - and still he’s hilarious. With Jon Lovitz as the sad sack devil 😅, Jan Hooks is great too… and Rosanna Arquette… 🤩

I love hearing Phil say, "Mister Mephistopheles!"

Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, and especially Jan Hooks are putting on an absolute comedy clinic right here.

"I am a barfly." PUT ME IN THE GROUND I'M DEAD.

I love how the Devil just acts like a regular guy. 😂

"I am a barfly" One of the greatest lines ever

Jan Hooks and Phil Harman the goats of SNL. What an actress and never broke character in all she did. She and Phil Hartman were AMAZING together. What great memories and how the comedic world was robbed with their untimely deaths.

Jon Lovitz had to be one of the best cast members SNL ever had.

i go back this skit often. Idk I personally think it's just that hilarious!

"It's standard. I'm the Devil." ROFLMAO!

This is one of the all-time great SNL skits. Lovitz is a genius.

Little detail that I love: Mephistopheles, after having lost in court, comes out of the courtroom, and gets interviewed outside the courtroom by the reporter - and at a point during the interview grabs the microphone from the reporter and begins melodramatically addressing "the audience at home" - at which point the court security man comes out of the courtroom, accosts Meph, and says "let's go" (brilliant performance by actor playing the court security man by the way; I'd like to know his name). So in response Meph turns to the security man and, using a normal tone of voice that dramatically contrasts with the melodramatic tone he had been using to address the audience at home, says to the security man "wait, wait one second." Meph's transition from melodramatically speaking through the third wall, directly to the audience at home, to normal person taking a moment to quietly plead with the security man for just another second of freedom to speak - beautiful climax to the skit. I guess I just think that John Lovits's way of instantly switching from one manner of speaking to another manner of speaking is very funny..

I laugh-cried when Lovitz looks into the camera and demands we all become his thralls . He was/is truly an underrated cast member.

and what is your occupation? "I am a bar fly" :D Jan Hooks... so funny

That ending. One of the funniest things I've ever seen in the history of SNL.

This bit is one of SNL's best ever. The line "I am her mother" followed by "I am a barfly" all matter-of-fact like just kills me no matter how many times I see this thing.

Hartman, Hooks, Lovitz, Nealon. Legends.

"Mr. Mephistopheles . . . you may hold dominion over the nether regions, but I'm running this court! Is that clear?" Back in the day, my buddy and I almost fell of the couch laughing at that line.

Hartman is the GOAT of SNL. Every skit he did was funny. Guy could get laughs from just reading the phone book.

Love the source of sketch’s main humor: taking the rudeness and power that the judge held over the usual show participants and applying it to the supernatural evil incarnate Lord of Darkness. And Lovitz reaction is what seals the laugh: Wouldn’t be funny if the devil got insulted at the judge, but the fact that he so immediately reacts with subservience is what is hilarious. Judge really highlights the concept of this juxtaposition: “you may have dominion over the nether region, but I run this court.” Perfect writing: the first half of his statement uses archaic and grand language (hold dominion) and the second is perfect mundanity: “I run this court.”

That post trial wrap up by Lovitz had so many subtle jokes. It really put a nice bow on the skit.

Jon Lovitz as the Devil was perfect. This sketch is so memorable. I'm watching it like 30 years later or something, and it's like a breath of fresh air for some reason.

This skit is in my top 10 favorites of all time I would have to say. Every single actor as well as the writing of the skit is perfect comedically!

Kevin Nealon nailed the Doug Lewellen impersonation

one of my all time favorite sketches. The hairstyles alone are hysterical.

He seeks the soul PLUS court costs! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Without a doubt one of my favorite skits from SNL since I was a kid and I quote from it everyday, namely the southern accented reply "that is correct your honor". I also tell people I'm a barfly when asked what I do for fun.

One of my all time favorite skits! I haven’t seen this in years. When Lovitz says, “I HAD it in writing,” I lose it.

My bestie and I used to recite this skit and crack up so often. "Mister Mephistopheles, PLEASE!" We taped it onto a VHS tape and I hadn't seen it for years. ❤

Jan Hooks was just comedy gold, so underrated , she never felt she was quite good enough .. missed so much with Phil Hartman

He was the best Mephistopheles they ever had😁. His humor was precisely what was needed. Plus he spoke directly to the audience, thus breaking the 4th wall ala Deadpool

The exchange about the dented car, garbage and shut up SHUT UP is so LOL

I watch this every few months and it never gets old. Love me some Lovitz.

"Obey me! Obey me!" Lovitz was unique and a hoot. Because of him, I'll never forget the name, Morgan Fairchild.

“Complete obaddience to your evil master” 😂

The devil is so petty that he wants court costs!!! Lmao!!!

"It's standard, I'm the devil." Pure gold.

What I like was these guys were professionals. No one was sloppily reading a cue card or acting as if they're wasted and couldn't believe they were on TV like the way everyone on SNL acts nowadays. These people were serious about acting and it showed.

"wait wait one sec" is like one of the funniest lines in that whole skit

Pure gold.. What an ensemble cast. Jan Hooks, the professional barfly, absolutely shines. You left us far too soon, Jan.

"... that sort of thing ... well it's standard ... I'm the devil." 😆 The wonky horns add the finishing touch!!

Love Jan hooks declaring her occupation “ I am a barfly” too funny

Loving Jan Hooks's Southern accent! She's from Georgia.

For me Jon Lovitz doesn't even have to talk and I laugh. The cartoon "The Critic" (he was the voice of critic Jay Sherman) was shamefully underrated considering what passes for good animated tv shows these days!

That "what....wait wait one second" @ 6:49 is wonderful.

The perfect sendup of the 80’s era “People Court”. Lovitz just killed it in this skit. Seriously, at 6:49 “wait one second”, I lost it.

This showed up on RU-vid. I watch SNL but didn’t remember this: “I’m a barfly you honor” (J.H. - RIP) The surprise for me was Lovitz - he did nail it! Not too much, just enough crazy. Perfect.

“Mr. Mephistopheles, what do you think of the verdict?” It Stinks!

“It’s standard, I’m the devil.” “You may hold dominion over the nether regions but here in my court, my word is law.”

This is one of the best skits in SNL history featuring Jan Hooks, Jon Lovitz and the immortal Phil Hartman. This is better than most skits done in the 1975-80, original cast era.

This SNL cast was MY SNL years watching it. Lovitz, Dunn, Nealon, Jackson, Hooks, Hartman, Myers, Carvey and Miller. One of the best casts put together for the show.

Rosanna Arquette and Jan Hooks, perfectly cast as daughter and Barfly !

Conan O'Brien once described Jon Lovitz as a human cartoon character. This sketch more than any other basically proves it.

It's wonderful that we have this archeological record of a time when SNL actually had some talent.

Baliff: (irritated) "come on, lets go..." Mephistopheles: "wait, wait...wait a minute". 😆

0:50 Jan Hooks trying to look at The Devil's paperwork is a nice touch. She was so damn funny on the show.

LOL @ Jan and Rosanna squealing like fangirls when the judge rules in their favor

Great sketch, they almost don't have them anymore. Took classes at the Groudlings where Lovitz started. Not only did I watch SNL fairly regularly for the first 30 years, I used to have on the reruns on Comedy Central in my restaurant, which was back in the nineties. But all of that is Star Wars: A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away.

"Now you listen to me! I'm Mephistopheles, Prince of Darkness! When I start harassing you, you'll know it!"

As a child in Malaysia there had been a point in time on broadcast television when a cartoon series called The Critic was aired. I knew not of the name John Lovitz then but I was, and am now (before looking it up to be certain, which I’ll do after posting this) just certain that the main character in the series, an unlucky, unpopular film critic, was a cartoon Lovitz. The cartoon had a profound effect on me personally, of course, but what just sticks out like such a sore thumb is this inimitable, evidently unforgettable character. Note his brief appearance in the beginning of the film ‘Happiness’, where he isn’t even a character related to the plot of the film, but is able to significantly set a tone to that hard hitting movie. There’s not much that could/needs to be said of this screen personality, but what a genuine and impactful character he is.

"Ronda i am gonna smack you honey." is such an underrated line hidden in a gold mine great quotes.

Hooks' southern accent was flawless.

The Devil hand sign when Lovitz gets sworn in... classic.

A judge, a hairdresser and Mephistopheles .... Walk into a courtroom. 😈

I like when Jon takes the oath its the Vulcan greeting....and Phil Hartman's somewhat Freudian quote of, "you may hold Dominion over the Nether Regions" @4:48 is just GOLD!

"Oh, it's not you, Doug." Everyone does great on this sketch: Hooks, Hartman, Arquette, Nealon, but this is Lovitz' finest moment, hilarious.

“This is Mephistopheles, the devil.” Jon Lovitz enters, looking ridiculous. Lol

One of the all time classic SNL skits. Everyone is on point!

I busted out laughing the moment I saw Jon enter in that ridiculous devil costume lol

Today's SNL cannot even compare. This is Pure gold! Some of SNL's best work. "What?...wait, wait one second..."

LOL! One of my all time favourite skits. Jon Lovitz as the Devil! The best!

Underrated cast back then.

When he walks in and slams his briefcase down 🤣🤣

this is one of the best SNL sketches of all time.