March 7, 1981 Season 6 episode
| |
---|---|
Episode | 118 |
Season Episode | 12 |
Host | Bill Murray |
Musical Guest(s) | Delbert McClinton |
Song(s) performed by Musical Guest(s) |
"Givin' It Up for Your Love" "Shotgun Rider" |
Previous Episode February 21, 1981 |
Next Episode April 11, 1981 |
The 12th episode of Season 6 and the 118th episode of Saturday Night Live premiered on March 7, 1981. It was hosted by original (and former) cast member Bill Murray with musical guest Delbert McClinton. It was notable for two reasons: There was a one-time name and format change for Weekend Update, in which it was done in three segments and called Saturday Night NewsLine. It was also the last episode for producer Jean Doumanian and much of the cast. The episode contained two references to Charles Rocket's use of the "F" word on the previous episode. This was Bill Murray's first-time hosting, making him the second cast member to return and host the show. This is also the second musical guest stint on SNL for Delbert McClinton.
This was the second-to-last episode of season 6. The following episode would be delayed due to the replacement of Doumanian by Dick Ebersol. Due to a reorganization under Ebersol, this episode was the last for Gilbert Gottfried, Charles Rocket, and Ann Risley. While uncredited, featured players Matthew Laurance, Yvonne Hudson, and Patrick Weathers (who also end up getting fired) appear in this episode (though Hudson would continue to make a few uncredited cameos).
Cast[]
Repertory Players[]
- Denny Dillon
- Gilbert Gottfried (Last appearance)
- Gail Matthius
- Eddie Murphy
- Joe Piscopo
- Ann Risley (Last appearance)
- Charles Rocket (Last appearance)
- Featured players Yvonne Hudson, Mathew Laurance, and Patrick Weathers are not credited for this episode (even though they all appear in it).
- Cameos by Mark King and Paul Shaffer
- Onscreen appearance by writer Brian Doyle-Murray
Sketches and Music Performances[]
Cold Open Sketch Pre-recorded Weekend Update Music Performance Other
Sketch | Image | Comments |
---|---|---|
It Just Doesn't Matter | Bill Murray gives a pep talk to the cast members, telling them that it really doesn't matter that they're compared to the original cast, assuring them that they're good in their own right. He gives advice to each cast member, and references the previous night's profanity by telling Charles Rocket "Watch your mouth; clean it up, okay?" | |
Opening Montage | The last episode to use the season 6 opening montage, and the final episode to credit Gilbert Gottfried, Ann Risley, and Charles Rocket as cast members (the featured players are not credited, and are also let go after this episode). | |
Monologue by Bill Murray | Former cast member Bill Murray returns to host the show and he is a little overexcited by jamming with the band and tosses a woman in the audience over his shoulder, but Eddie Murphy sets him straight, and the two team up with the hopes of being the next Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. | |
Formula for the Good Life | Jersey guy Paulie Herman (Joe Piscopo) speaks favorably of the chemical industry. | |
Script in Development | The revisions in a writer's (Bill Murray) mystery novel are acted out behind him as he types. | |
Altered Walter | Walter Cronkite (Bill Murray) gets stoned in a sensory-deprivation tank, much to the chagrin of his wife (Denny Dillon) and Dan Rather (Joe Piscopo). | |
Delbert McClinton performs "Givin' It Up For Your Love" | McClinton is joined by Bonnie Bramlett | |
Saturday Night NewsLine: Science Break | ![]() |
Mark King appears as Dr. Jonathan Lear. He mistakenly refers to the segment as "Saturday Night Live NewsLine, though the correct name appears on the wall behind him. |
Chapstick Celebrities | Autograph-seeking girls (Denny Dillon and Gail Matthius) find that Dr. J., Sammy Davis, Jr. (Eddie Murphy), John Kenneth Galbraith (Joe Piscopo) and Roman Polanski (Gilbert Gottfried) have all adopted "ChapStick" as their surnames. This was Gilbert Gottfried's final SNL sketch. | |
Saturday Night NewsLine: Arts and Leisure | Bill Murray hosts. He nominates his own picks for the Oscars, naming former SNL cast members and their movies, earning an enthusiastic response from the audience. | |
Cut Flowers | Writer Brian Doyle-Murray does a onscreen appearance with his brother.[1] | |
Nick Rivers | Aboard a riverboat paddling down the Mississippi, lounge singer Nick (Bill Murray) and pianist Paul Shaffer entertain a crowd which includes a former hostage (Yvonne Hudson) and some Mary Kay representatives (Denny Dillon and Gail Matthius). Paul Shaffer does a cameo as Rivers' piano player. Uncredited appearances by Yvonne Hudson and Patrick Weathers (who mark their final SNL sketch with this one). | |
Saturday Night NewsLine with Charles Rocket | News segment; Joe Piscopo contributes on sports. He makes reference to hockey pucks, leading to the second reference to Rocket's profanity, when Rocket asks, "Did you say 'puck'?" He also gets mixed up on which camera he should face at the end of the broadcast. | |
No Sex With Mary | To avoid starting a scandal, Mary Cunningham's (Gail Matthius) new co-executives insist that they're no sleeping with her. Charles Rocket's final SNL sketch. | |
What's The Cat's Name? | Ron's house guests (Bill Murray and Ann Risley) try in vain to remember the name of his cat. Ann Risley's final sketch as a cast member. Uncredited cameo by Matthew Laurance (his final SNL appearance, as well). | |
Delbert McClinton performs "Shotgun Rider" | McClinton is again joined by Bonnie Bramlett | |
Bubba's Wash, Fayetta's Dry | Bubba (Bill Murray) and Fayetta (Denny Dillon) are forced to share their laundromat after their divorce. | |
Goodnights and Closing Credits | Bill Murray announces that next week's show will be Robert Guillaume with Ian Dury & The Blockheads and apologizes to the old cast for appearing on the show. The cast gives him a one-sided group hug. Murray seems more interested in bonding with Murphy, who hugs Patrick Weathers as well. Charles Rocket wears horrific pink pants. |
Aftermath[]
Murray provided a much-needed boost to SNL, after critics had regularly panned the earlier episodes from the season. NBC had already decided to replace producer Jean Doumanian; her replacement, Dick Ebersol, was in attendance at the taping. Doumanian was let go the following Monday, and at Ebersol's insistence, the show went on a month-long hiatus. Ebersol wished to replace the entire cast save Murphy and Piscopo, but due to the cost of buying out the contracts of those being released, he could not fire all of them. Therefore, he released Gottfried, Risley, Rocket, and all three featured players; Dillon and Matthius remained for the final episode of the season, before also getting the ax.[2]
Gallery[]
Notes[]
Preceded by: February 21, 1981 |
Saturday Night Live episode | Followed by: April 11, 1981 |