Saturday Night Live (season 5)

Saturday Night Live Season 5
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	20
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	October 13, 1979 – May 24, 1980
Season chronology
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Saturday Night Live aired its fifth season during the 1979–1980 television season on NBC. The fifth season started on October 13, 1979 and ended on May 24, 1980. SNL's fifth season was released on DVD on December 1, 2009.

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd left the show at the end of the fourth season, leaving a void in the cast that most fans thought would be the beginning of the end of the late-night sketch show.

To keep the show going, Lorne Michaels upgraded many of the show's writers to cast member status: Peter Aykroyd (Dan's brother), Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray (Bill's brother), Don Novello, Tom Schiller and Alan Zweibel.

Band leader Paul Shaffer also joined the cast, becoming the first person from the SNL band to become a cast member.

Future Simpsons voice actor Harry Shearer joined the show as a featured cast member, but was promoted to repertory status during the season, becoming the first person in the show's history to do so.

As the season progressed, all of the cast and writers, including Michaels, grew tired of the show and planned on ending it in May. NBC, on the other hand, wasn't about to let the successful series slip through their fingers and planned on keeping the show going with a new cast, new writers, and a new executive producer (a practice that initially spelled doom for the show, but has since become the secret to the show's longevity).

Al Franken was originally considered to be season six's executive producer, but after a scathing "Weekend Update" commentary about Fred Silverman ("A Limo for the Lame-O"), Franken was dropped.

This would be the final season for everyone in the cast. Tom Davis and Downey would return to the show in future seasons as writers. Al Franken, Novello and Shearer would rejoin the cast in future seasons (Franken would also return as a writer)

The season five finale marked the last time that Buck Henry would appear on the show.

Cast

Repertory cast members

• Jane Curtin
• Garrett Morris
• Bill Murray
• Laraine Newman
• Gilda Radner
• Harry Shearer

Featured cast members

• Peter Aykroyd (first episode: November 17, 1979)
• Tom Davis
• Jim Downey
• Brian Doyle-Murray (first episode: December 15, 1979)
• Al Franken
• Don Novello
• Tom Schiller (first episode: December 15, 1979)
• Paul Shaffer
• Alan Zweibel (first episode: December 15, 1979)

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Writers

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers#Season 5

Like previously mentioned, Michaels upgraded many of the show's writers to cast member status, including Aykroyd, Downey, Doyle-Murray, Novello, Schiller and Zweibel. Doyle-Murray would be the only one to return, as a writer, in the following season.

Movies

Movie Name	Release Date	Notes
The Blues Brothers	June 20, 1980	This is the first movie to be based on a character(s) that appeared on the show. The film is based on "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch. Cast members Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi appear in the film. The film received positive reviews and was commercially successful.

Episodes

Episode Number	Date	Host(s)	Musical Guest(s)	Remarks
87	October 13, 1979	Steve Martin	Blondie	Blondie performed "Dreaming" and "The Hardest Part". Until at least 1994, this episode was the highest-rated according to the Nielsen ratings. Harry Shearer's first episode as a cast member. Jim Downey and Paul Shaffer appeared uncredited, and though both actors would appear in every episode in Season 5, they did not appear in the opening credit montage until the Bea Arthur/Roches broadcast. Tom Davis and Al Franken's first episode as cast members. Buck Henry has a cameo in the "Rise" commercial parody with Steve Martin. Father Guido Sarducci appears during Weekend Update and announces the start of the "Find the Popes in the Pizza" contest, where the viewer would try to find all the hidden popes within the picture.
88	October 20, 1979	Eric Idle	Bob Dylan	Eric Idle performed with a fever (which explains why he was in a stretcher during the monologue). Buck Henry was brought in just in case Idle was too sick to perform. Buck Henry also appears in the Cold Opening. Bob Dylan performed "Gotta Serve Somebody", "I Believe in You", and "When You Gonna Wake Up".
89	November 3, 1979	Bill Russell	Chicago	Bill Russell was the first basketball player to host SNL. Chicago performed "Street Player" and a cover of The Spencer Davis Group's "I'm a Man."
90	November 10, 1979	Buck Henry	Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers performed "Refugee" and "Don't Do Me Like That". The winner of the "Find the Popes in the Pizza" contest (see above) is announced by Father Guido Sarducci on Weekend Update.
91	November 17, 1979	Bea Arthur	The Roches	Peter Aykroyd's first episode as a cast member The Roches were invited on at the behest of Paul Simon and performed two songs, "Bobby's Song" (from their upcoming second album Nurds), and "The Hallelujah Chorus", a staple of their live act but unreleased until their third album Keep On Doing in 1982.
92	December 8, 1979	Howard Hesseman	Randy Newman	First showing of the Bel Airabs
93	December 15, 1979	Martin Sheen	David Bowie	David Bowie performed "The Man Who Sold the World", "TVC 15" and "Boys Keep Swinging" Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias made appearances; they sang backup for Bowie. Brian Doyle-Murray, Alan Zweibel and Tom Schiller's first episode as cast members
94	December 22, 1979	Ted Knight	Desmond Child & Rouge	Andy Kaufman mat-wrestled a woman on stage. Kaufman stated that if he lost he would shave his head bald on SNL. However, Kaufman won the match. Wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers also appeared as Andy's manager. G.E. Smith, who would later lead the SNL Band for 10 years (between 1985–1995) played guitar backing Desmond Child & Rouge.
95	January 26, 1980	Teri Garr	The B-52's	The B-52's performed "Rock Lobster" and "Dance This Mess Around". Congressman and 1980 Republican Presidential candidate John B. Anderson has a cameo in a sketch.
96	February 9, 1980	Chevy Chase	Marianne Faithfull	Harry Shearer's first introduction as a member of the main cast rather than as a featured performer. In his monologue, Chase discusses the altercation he had with Bill Murray during his previous hosting experience in season three and invites Murray onstage to make peace and sing a duet. Bert Convy appears as the mystery guest on the "You Can't Win" sketch. Marianne Faithfull performed "Broken English" and "Guilt". Chevy Chase performed "Sixteen Tons".
97	February 16, 1980	Elliott Gould	Gary Numan	Gary Numan performed "Cars" and "Praying to the Aliens". This episode features a running gag where Father Guido Sarducci attempts to interview former President Richard Nixon in New York. He only manages to get a very brief appearance at the very end of the show after the credits roll. This episode is notable for its Wizard of Oz parody called "The Incredible Man," which almost didn't make it to air due to Garrett Morris's emotional breakdown over playing a flying monkey, which Morris felt was the last straw in being underused as a cast member.
98	February 23, 1980	Kirk Douglas	Sam & Dave	Sam and Dave performed "You Don't Know Like I Know" and "Soul Man".
99	March 8, 1980	Rodney Dangerfield	The J. Geils Band	Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow appear on the Celebrity Corner on Weekend Update. New opening sequence shows the cast members at the Old Town bar.
100	March 15, 1980		James Taylor Paul Simon David Sanborn	The show went without a host to celebrate its 100th episode. John Belushi and Michael O'Donoghue made return appearances in the cold opening. Bill Murray turned the monologue into a musical tribute to New York City. U.S. New York Senator Daniel P. Moynihan appears in two sketches. Ralph Nader appears on "Weekend Update" Michael Palin made a special guest appearance in the sketch "Talk or Die". During the sketch "The Minstrels of Newcastle", Paul Shaffer inadvertently said "fuckin'" on the air. The same sketch also featured a cameo appearance by Belushi. Paul Simon and James Taylor performed "Cathy's Clown", "Sunny Skies", and "Take Me to the Mardi Gras". David Sanborn performed "Anything You Want". The first episode without a host.
101	April 5, 1980	Richard Benjamin Paula Prentiss	The Grateful Dead	Benjamin and Prentiss are the first husband and wife to host SNL together. The Grateful Dead performed "Alabama Getaway" and "Saint of Circumstance".
102	April 12, 1980	Burt Reynolds	Anne Murray	This episode was infamous for its sketch where a man in ancient Rome (Burt Reynolds) tries to pick up women at a vomitorium. The sketch has been dubbed by critics as season five's low point.
103	April 19, 1980	Strother Martin	The Specials	This was Strother Martin's final acting gig as Martin died months after this episode aired. A scheduled rerun of this episode in August 1980 was pulled.
104	May 10, 1980	Bob Newhart	Amazing Rhythm Aces with Bill Murray Bruce Cockburn
105	May 17, 1980	Steve Martin	3-D Paul McCartney	Featured the world premiere of McCartney's then-current single "Coming Up", a rare instance of a music video airing on SNL. 3-D (the in-house musical guest that evening) performed "All-Night Television." Father Guido Sarducci tries to interview Paul and Linda McCartney in London.
106	May 24, 1980	Buck Henry	Andrew Gold Andrae Crouch	This is the final program produced by Lorne Michaels until his return in the 1985-1986 season. He later said that leaving SNL at the end of that season would be the biggest mistake of his life. Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Garrett Morris, Peter Aykroyd, Tom Davis, Jim Downey, Tom Schiller, Paul Shaffer and Alan Zweibel's final episode as cast members. This was also the very last time Radner would ever appear on SNL. Final appearance of Harry Shearer as a cast member until the 10th season. Final appearance of Al Franken as a cast member until the 11th season. Final appearance of Brian Doyle-Murray as a cast member until the 7th season. Final appearance of Don Novello as a cast member until the 11th season. In the DVD audio commentary from this episode, Buck Henry makes a point of stating that he did only two Uncle Roy sketches, when in fact he did three: the first 11-11-78 (in the living room), the second 5-26-79 (which was in the girls bedroom, and ended with him being tied up), and finally the 5-24-80 episode (again in the living room, but without Dan Aykroyd's father character).