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 September 28, 1996
 Season 22 episode
 Episode 407
 Season Episode 1
 Host Tom Hanks
 Musical Guest(s) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
 Song(s) performed by
 Musical Guest(s)
"Walls"
"Angel Dream"
Previous Episode
May 18, 1996
(Season 21)
Next Episode
October 5, 1996

The season premiere of Season 22 and the 407th episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by actor Tom Hanks, with musical guest Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the legendary rock band. This is Tom Hanks' 7th time as host and the sixth musical guest appearance for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on SNL. It premiered on September 28, 1996.

This marked the first episode for Ana Gasteyer and Tracy Morgan as cast members.

Cast[]

Repertory Players[]

Cameo by Kerri Strug

Sketches and Musical Performances[]

 Cold Open   Sketch   Pre-recorded   Weekend Update   Music Performance   Other 

Title Image Summary
ABC News Election Cold Opening

Peter Jennings (Tom Hanks) moderates as President Bill Clinton (Darrell Hammond), Bob Dole (Norm Macdonald) and Ross Perot (Cheri Oteri) bicker during their debate.
Opening Montage   The season 22 opening montage uses a '30 Rock" theme, and is virtually identical to the 1995 montage, but with brand new cast photos, and slight change in font. Additionally, longtime cast member David Spade, and first-year repertory players David Koechner and Nancy Walls are gone from the intro, since 3 of them had left the show, prior to this season. First credits for Ana Gasteyer and Tracy Morgan as cast members and Chris Kattan was promoted to a repertory player.
Monologue by Tom Hanks   Returning to host SNL for the seventh time, actor Tom Hanks reads his acceptance speech that he would have made at the Academy Awards.
Big Brawn

Will Ferrell plays a lumberjack in this commercial for Big Brawn feminine napkins, set to a reworked version of Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" (1961), which is titled as "Big Bad Brawn". The lumberjack cuts down the tree revealing to be a feminine napkin, and rips the roof off a house. Molly Shannon plays a woman impressing Big Brawn's absorbent power.
The Roxbury Guys   Another new club hopper (Tom Hanks) joins Steve (Will Ferrell) and Doug Butabi (Chris Kattan) in a wild night carousing, hitting on women and landing in jail. With Cheri Oteri as dancer and Fred Wolff as painter. First appearance of Tracy Morgan as a cast member.
Hey Remember The 80's   Goat Boy (Jim Breuer) hosts an 80's flashback show on MTV and interviews Andrew Ridgeley (Tom Hanks), William "The Refrigerator" Perry (Tracy Morgan) and former Family Ties star Tina Yothers (Cheri Oteri).
The Spartan Cheerleaders: Ping-Pong Touranment   Craig (Will Ferrell) and Ariana (Cheri Oteri) are visited by the Spartan Spirit (Tom Hanks). With Jim Breuer as Tommy.
Saturday TV Funhouse: The Ambiguously Gay Duo: It Takes Two To Tango   Superheroes Ace and Gary, the Ambiguously Gay Duo, fall victim to a trap set by their nemesis Big Head, who yearns for world domination and the opportunity to out his foes.
Weekend Update with Norm Macdonald


With guests, MTV airhead Kincaid (Ana Gasteyer) references past TV shows during her commentary, Kerry Strug and her brother Kippy (Chris Kattan) discuss their experiences at the Olympics in Atlanta and Bela Karolyi (Mark McKinney) stops by. First appearance of Ana Gasteyer as a cast member (and her very first Weekend Update appearance on the show).
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Performs "Walls (No. 3)"
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno   Missing link Mr. Peppers (Chris Kattan) wreaks havoc on the set of "The Tonight Show". Darrell Hammond plays the host Jay Leno. With Ana Gasteyer as Andie Macdowell and Tom Hanks as John Bumbry.
Creativity Test   Mr. Tolson (Tom Hanks) finds it an arduous challenge to come up with one original tonight. With Tim Meadows as Dr. Roberts.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Performs "Angel Dream (No. 2)"
Classic Sing-Along with the Drunken Asses   They love to sing, but they're too drunk to remember the lyrics.
Brief Histories  
Goodnights and Closing Credits   Tom Hanks announces the season premiere of SNL in 1996. He also thanked Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Keri Strug and to his wife.

Trivia[]

  • With this episode, Tim Herlihy and Adam McKay are named as the show's co-head writers, replacing both Steve Higgins and Fred Wolf (who were the previous season's head writers).
  • This is also the first SNL episode to have a TV Funhouse segment.
    • With this, Robert Smigel (who was previously a writer from 1985 to 1993) semi-officially rejoins the writing staff with this episode.
  • This is the first episode to feature Chris Kattan's character Mr. Peepers.
  • This also marked the first episode for Robert Carlock, Stephen Colbert, and Scott Wainio, who all joining the writing staff on SNL.
  • This is also Gena Rositano's first episode as stage manager, replacing the retiring Joe Dicso, who retired at the end of the previous season.


Preceded by:
May 18, 1996
(Season 21)
Saturday Night Live episode Followed by:
October 5, 1996
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