October 3, 1981 Season 7 episode
| |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| Episode | 120 |
| Season Episode | 1 |
| Host | none |
| Musical Guest(s) | Rod Stewart Tina Turner |
| Song(s) performed by Musical Guest(s) |
"Dance With Me" "Hot Legs" "Young Turks" |
| Previous Episode April 11, 1981 (Season 6) |
Next Episode October 10, 1981 |
The 120th episode and the season premiere of Season 7 of Saturday Night Live premiered on October 3, 1981, without a host, with musical guest Rod Stewart, an English music legend. Tina Turner and Michael Davis are the special guests. Rod Stewart made his musical guest debut on SNL.
The season started with a brand-new opening and introduced new cast members Mary Gross and Christine Ebersole. The sole featured player was writer/former featured performer Brian Doyle-Murray (who was previously a featured player in season 5, who anchored Weekend Update, which was retitled SNL Newsbreak.
The opening sketch concept was dropped for the early episodes of this season; this episode featured a quick parody of NBC's "Our Pride Is Showing" bumper, entitled "Our Age is Showing." Also, Don Pardo was absent for the entire season; Mel Brandt announced this and most other episodes. James Caan was rumored to host but backed down due to his sister being sick.
Cast[]
Repertory Players[]
Featured Player[]
Cameos by Yvonne Hudson and Swift Lazar. Guest appearances by Andy Warhol, Michael Davis, and Yoko Ono (pre-taped)
Sketches and Performances[]
Cold Open Sketch Pre-recorded Weekend Update Music Performance Other
| Title | Image | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| NBC: Our Age Is Showing | ||
| Opening Montage | 
|
The seventh season introduces a new montage style that would persist for three seasons. The music changed again to an uptempo theme, significantly faster than previous years. Cast photos were still, but shown in a new style- the photo would appear, then after a beat, the cast member's name would be superimpossed over the entire photo. With no host, announcer Mel Brandt (who replaced then-regular announcer Don Pardo for the entire season) finishes the montage with "Live, from New York, the Cast of Saturday Night Live!" The first credit for Chrisitne Ebersole and Mary Gross. The cast runs to the main stage and poses, before racing out of frame, and the four extras for the "Little Richard Simmons" sketch run onstage into their positions. The following sketch begins with no transition. |
| The Little Richard Simmons Show |  |
Little Richard Simmons (Eddie Murphy) does exercise & rock-n-roll with audience. Yvonne Hudson returns as one of the exercising women |
| The Clams | Brian DePalma’s latest movie plagarization project | |
| Nuns On The Beach | 
|
At the beach, (Robin Duke) finds that fellow nun (Mary Gross) has shoddy qualifications. The sketch debut of Mary Gross. |
| A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney | 
|
Shoes & assorted other topics discussed by Andy Rooney (Joe Piscopo). |
| Prose & Cons | 
|
Barred bards, like Tyrone Green (Eddie Murphy); Swifty Lazar cameo. |
| Rod Stewart performs a medley of "Dance With Me" and "Hot Legs". | Tony Rosato introduces Stewart. Tina Turner joins Stewart for "Hot Legs". | |
| SNL Newsbreak with Mary Gross and Brian Doyle-Murray | 
|
Weekend Update is now renamed "SNL Newsbreak". The segment opens with a superimposed graphic reading "SNL Newsbreak". The work "break" crumbles to pieces, and matching pieces of foam rubber letters are tossed onto Murray's head. Features Tom Snyder (Joe Piscopo) and Raheem Abdul Mohammed (Eddie Murphy). Mary Gross incorrectly refers to Mohammed as the Weekend Update film critic. |
| The Khaddafi Look | Terrorize in style with the Libyan leader’s fashions. | |
| Rod's One-Night Stand | Annoying one-night stand Rod (Tim Kazurinsky) irks Ruth (Robin Duke) after her father dies. In an unusual move, this sketch spans a commercial break. | |
| Strangers at the Funeral Parlor | At her father’s funeral, Ruth (Robin Duke) puts up with obnoxious relatives & Rod (Tim Kazurinsky). | |
| Andy Warhol's TV | Andy Warhol talks about appearing on SNL & tells a joke. | |
| Juggler Michael Davis | Michael Davis juggles a machete, an axe, a cleaver. | |
| Season Of Glass | Christine Ebersole invites viewers to send in their home movies. | |
| A Film by Yoko Ono | “Season Of Glass”- Yoko Ono's thoughts on life after John Lennon’s death. | |
| Rod Stewart performs "Young Turks" | Stewart introduces himself. | |
| Goodnights | Joe Piscopo says thanks to Rod Stewart and Michael Davis, and Eddie Murphy chimes in to thank Tina Turner. |
Trivia[]
- With this episode, writer/producer Bob Tischler was named as co-head writer, alongside Michael O'Donoghue.
| Preceded by: April 11, 1981 (Season 6) |
Saturday Night Live episode | Followed by: October 10, 1981 |