September 25, 1982 Season 8 episode
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| Episode | 140 |
| Season Episode | 1 |
| Host | Chevy Chase |
| Musical Guest(s) | Queen |
| Song(s) performed by Musical Guest(s) |
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "Under Pressure" |
| Previous Episode May 22, 1982 (Season 7) |
Next Episode October 2, 1982 |
The season premiere of Season 8 and the 140th episode of Saturday Night Live, which premiered on September 25, 1982, hosted by original (and former) cast member Chevy Chase, with musical guests Queen, a British rock band. Four cameos in this episode: John Zacherle, Danny DeVito, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Chevy was presented live from Burbank, California via satellite, the Chevy Chase segments were taped at NBC Studio 1 and the set of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson that was located at NBC West Coast Studios, and it was the first one to do so. This is the only musical guest appearance for Queen. (This is also Queen's final live performance in America with Freddie Mercury).
This was also Brad Hall, Gary Kroeger, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ first episode as cast members and Brad Hall's first episode as Saturday Night News anchor. Don Pardo returns as announcer, after a one-year hiatus.
The break captions and the opening sequence of the episode had photos of someone's face or a object being plastered with Chevy's head instead of adding a picture of him. This is also his 3rd time as the host.
Cast[]
Repertory Players[]
- Robin Duke
- Mary Gross
- Brad Hall (First appearance)
- Tim Kazurinsky
- Gary Kroeger (First appearance)
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (First appearance)
- Eddie Murphy
- Joe Piscopo
- Cameos by John Zacherle, Danny DeVito, Gene Siskel, and Roger Ebert
Sketches[]
Cold Open Sketch Pre-recorded Weekend Update Music Performance Other
| Title | Image | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Chevy Chase Live from Burbank Cold Opening | 
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Original (and former) Chevy Chase says he's honored to be chosen to host SNL's season premiere, but was surprised that, one, the show was still done live from New York, and two, the airport is a little more stingy with time than he expected. The camera slowly pulls out to reveal Chase is actually on a monitor sitting on the SNL home base set: he's not in New York, but, through the miracle of technology, is SNL's first bi-coastal video host. He manages to do a fall with the help of a video monitor and a stagehand, before shouting "Live, from Burbank and New York, it's Saturday Night!" |
| Opening Montage | The previous opening montage is revamped with new cast photos. The opening shot of a woman lighting her cigarette is replaced by a construction worker lighting a cigarette with an acetylene torch. The show's logo is now a little smaller, and a brighter shade of red. The cast shots are all redone, with a chalk city skyline background. First credits for new players Brad Hall, Gary Kroeger, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Don Pardo returns to the show, and the first line of the montage returns to "It's Saturday Night Live!" | |
| Monologue by Chevy Chase | Chevy (and monitor) is still on the ground; he says he'll be back as soon as he gets himself together. | |
| Art Opening | 
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An extension of the season 7 sketch "Prose and Cons". Gallery owner Felice Sloan-Duchamps (Robin Duke) and members of the New York art world fawn over their latest darling, thug Tyrone Green (Eddie Murphy); he shows collages inspired by (and made from) armed robberies. First appearances of Brad Hall and Gary Kroeger as cast members. |
| Joe Takes A Bride | Joe Piscopo announces that he fell in love over the summer. To beat the tabloids, he reveals who it is: Rose Kennedy. | |
| John Hinckley For President | Ronald Reagan's would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. (Brad Hall) says his institutionalization reaffirmed his faith in the concept of "justice for all"; since only a complete wacko like him gets to see that the system works, he announces his candidacy for President. | |
| The Web | Sentronix's new home security device stops criminals from breaking into your house by not letting them out of theirs. | |
| Mystery Theatre: Jaws | Chevy Chase portrays the Land Shark via a television on a stand. Cameo by John Zacherle. First appearance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a cast member. | |
| Queen performs "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | Chevy Chase begins introducing Queen via television, only to be interrupted by Danny DeVito. | |
| Alan: Video Junkie | A documentary reveals that video game junkies like Alan are the victims of a multi-billion dollar industry that feeds their addictions. | |
| Popiel Galactic Prohylactic | Spokesman (Eddie Murphy) promotes the new indestructible contraceptive devices: The Galactic Prophylactic and the Dura-phragm diapraghm. | |
| Saturday Night News with Brad Hall | First appearance of Hall as news anchor, and the first version called Saturday Night News. With guests, Joe Piscopo, Father Andrew B. Titus (Tim Kazurinsky) and Chevy Chase. | |
| Late Night with David Letterman | David Letterman (Joe Piscopo) chats with Paul Shaffer (Gary Kroeger), shows a film by Bob The Dog, and interviews Gumby (Eddie Murphy) about his latest tell-all, "I Am Show Business, Dammit!" | |
| PTC Club | The new cast members (Brad Hall, Gary Kroeger, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus) appear as televangelists, enlisting the help of the audience. Later repeats of this episode typically move this sketch to later. | |
| At The Movies with Siskel and Ebert | Cameos by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Chevy Chase mocks them via television screen as he used to do on Weekend Update segments. | |
| Queen performs "Under Pressure" | 
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| Running Long | Joe Piscopo announces that the show ran late, so the segment they had planned will air next week. | |
| Goodnights and Closing Credits | Chevy's monitor is flanked by the cast and Queen as he says goodnight to his new wife Jayni (who was pregnant with their first child at the time), his parents, and Ed. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Gary Kroeger are visibly thrilled to be there. |
Trivia[]
- Within this episode, Chevy Chase is the first former cast member to host a season premiere of Saturday Night Live.
- Chase respires his character Landshark in the "Mystery Theatre: Jaws" skit.
- Many former cast members had never hosted the season premiere of SNL for the past 35 seasons, until longtime former cast member and Weekend Update anchor Amy Poehler, who would host on September 25, 2010, the season premiere of Season 36, with musical guest Katy Perry.
| Preceded by: May 22, 1982 (Season 7) |
Saturday Night Live episode | Followed by: October 2, 1982 |