Comedy: The real winner of the U.S. election campaign

The seemingly never-ending TV drama better known as the U.S. presidential election will meet its climactic conclusion on Tuesday night. 

Whether a short-fused billionaire or an email-challenged career politician ends up in the Oval Office, one thing is certain: comedy was the biggest winner in this campaign.

• Trump vs. SNL: the importance of comedy as political critique

Riddled with jaw-dropping soundbites and scattered with potentially career-ending scandals, the road to the White House kicked up lots of dirt for America's funniest comedic actors to riff on — like Alec Baldwin's pitch perfect (and puckered) Donald Trump and Kate McKinnon's dialed-up Hillary Clinton.

Impactful impressions

While Democratic contender Hillary Clinton publicly endorsed McKinnon's portrayal, Saturday Night Live's political playacting proved too much for Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Skewering their spouses

There was no amnesty for political spouses either, with SNL's Cecily Strong and Broadway actress Laura Benanti each taking a stab at Trump's wife, Melania, and SNL's Darrell Hammond putting on Bill Clinton.

Hillary Meets Hillary

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments from early in the campaign was an SNL appearance by Clinton herself. The October 2015 cameo saw the U.S. secretary of state play bartender "Val."

• Hillary Clinton makes cameo in Saturday Night Live skit

In the skit, Clinton offered a sympathetic ear to McKinnon's Clinton impersonation while poking fun at her late opposition to the Keystone pipeline and support of same-sex marriage.

One month later, NBC was the target of protest when it announced that Trump would be guest-hosting an SNL taping. 

Despite noisy demonstrations and petitions to "Dump Trump", the show went ahead with Trump pulling fewer laughs than ratings for the network.

The real burn

Three days before before the New Hampshire primary, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders also made a cameo on the late-night sketch comedy show. The appearance gave the audience a side-by-side view of the real Sanders next to comedian Larry David's uncanny representation of the 75-year-old.

Political take-downs are proving to be a big ratings boost for SNL, with NBC's late-night series experiencing numbers unseen since 2008 — the last election cycle, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

But there is lots of material to go around. Political comedians like HBO's John Oliver, TBS's Samantha Bee, and CBC's Rick Mercer and the 22 Minutes cast are also making hay from the campaign's many dramas.

With U.S. voters about to pump the brakes on what's been a wild political ride, comedians and audiences alike will be savouring every last moment of levity before reality sets in on Tuesday.

• VIDEO | Celebrities weigh in as U.S. election looms

In anticipation, NBC is airing a SNL special on the eve of the election.

It airs on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.