The 5th episode of Season 12 and the 218th episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by actor and comedian Robin Williams, with musical guest Paul Simon. It premiered on November 22, 1986. This was Robin Williams' 4th appearance and his 2nd time as host, while Paul Simon made his 6th musical guest stint on SNL.
Cold Open Sketch Pre-recorded Weekend Update Music Performance Other
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Earpiece Cold Open
Ronald Reagan Press Conference - Saturday Night Live
Ronald Reagan (Robin Williams) uses an earpiece to assist him during a press conference about the sale of arms to Iran, but it starts to pick up stray signals.
Robin Williams' Stand-Up Monologue
Returning to host for the second time and makes his fourth SNL appearance, Robin Williams does his stand-up about Reagan's press conference, his administration, and televangelists.
Ticket Line
Paul SImon astounds his date (Jan Hooks) with his ability to remember people he encountered over the years.
Hamlet
William Shakespeare (Jon Lovitz) doesn’t think improvisational comedian Sir Robin of Wiltshire (Williams) is suited to the role of Hamlet.
Paul Simon performed "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo
The New York World Exchange
Don Bingham (Phil Hartman) gives tips on how the small investor can get rich in the word market.
Weekend Update With Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller continues to get mileage from the burgeoning Iran-Contra scandal, including a bit that presents actual footage of Reagan’s press conference as a screen test for Isuzu, whose advertising at the time featured pathological liar Joe Isuzu (David Leisure). There’s also a run of several jokes delivered in quick succession, after which Miller himself comments that he has to slow down A. Whitney Brown responds to last week’s show being edited by network censors with an address to the show’s sponsors. This isn’t presented as a “Big Picture” commentary, but it can be seen as a companion piece to his last one in the Rosanna Arquette episode; here, he argues that the easily offended have learned not to watch SNL, and the bigger threat to the show’s advertising pull is pay TV and cable (“The enemy is not the Moral Majority; the enemy is Phoebe Cates’ breasts!”)
Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home
The Sweeney Sisters (Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn) fill in for the entertainment at a Jewish retirement home.
And So Aideu
In 1937, Master Thespian (Jon Lovitz) frustrates a director’s (Robin Williams) attempt to shoot the final scene of his film.
Paul Simon performed "The Boy in the Bubble". Introduced by Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg
Robin Williams translates Whoopi Goldberg’s introduction into foreign-sounding gibberish.
Automobile Club of America
Kevin Nealon stresses the importance of knowing how to use a map, but demonstrates he doesn’t.
Paul Simon performed "The Late Great Johnny Ace"
Goodnights
Robin Williams bellows “We just want to THANK YEW!” and thanks “Mr. Simon, Mr. G, Ms. Whoopi, and Ms. Jane”.
