Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...

aired its second season during the 1976–1977 television season on NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

. The second season started on September 18, 1976, and ended on May 21, 1977.

This season saw the first of many SNL cast changes. Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase

Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...

, who was pursuing a movie career in California, left the show after the October 30th episode hosted by Buck Henry with musical guest, The Band. Jane Curtin

Jane Curtin

Jane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...

 became the first female cast member to become a Weekend Update anchor following Chase's departure.

On the January 15, 1977 episode hosted by Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....

, Bill Murray

Bill Murray

William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...

 joined the cast to fill the void left by Chase's departure. Even though Murray would later become a fan favorite, his early appearances on SNL had many fans accusing Murray of being a poor replacement for Chevy Chase.

This season also saw another change in the show: its name. Following the cancellation of ABC

American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

's Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell

Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell

Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell was a program that ran on ABC from September 1975 to January 1976, hosted by Howard Cosell and executively produced by Roone Arledge. The series ran for 18 episodes before being cancelled...

, NBC changed the name of the show from NBC's Saturday Night to its current title, Saturday Night Live in the episode hosted by Jack Burns in 1977.

This season also marks the first time that Steve Martin

Steve Martin

Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....

 hosted the show. (Martin would later host a record 15 times and become so synonymous with Saturday Night Live that people often mistook him for one of the regular cast members.) It also marks the first time that a sports star (football player Fran Tarkenton

Fran Tarkenton

Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....

) hosted and the last time that the Muppet sketches (which were unpopular with both fans and writers) would appear on the show.

Cast

Repertory cast members

• Dan Aykroyd
  Dan Aykroyd
  Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
  
  
• John Belushi
  John Belushi
  John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
  
  
• Chevy Chase
  Chevy Chase
  Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
  
   (final episode: October 30, 1976 with a brief appearance at opening of November 20, 1976)
• Jane Curtin
  Jane Curtin
  Jane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...
  
  
• Garrett Morris
  Garrett Morris
  Garrett Gonzalez Morris is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980.-Early life and career:...
  
  
• Bill Murray
  Bill Murray
  William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
  
   (first episode: January 15, 1977)
• Laraine Newman
  Laraine Newman
  Laraine Newman is an American comedienne, actress, and writer, and was part of the original Saturday Night Live cast.-Personal life:...
  
  
• Gilda Radner
  Gilda Radner
  Gilda Susan Radner was an American comedian and actress, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1978.-Early life:...
  
  

Featured Players
(none)
bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Writers

Jim Downey

Jim Downey (comedian)

James Downey is an American comedy writer and occasional actor. Downey is best known as a long-time writer for Saturday Night Live.-Writing:Downey attended Harvard University, graduating in 1974 with a degree in Russian...

 joins the writing staff. Downey would go on to become one of the most well known writers and have a lasting impact on the show.

Specials

Special Name	Original Air Date	Notes
Live from Mardi Gras	February 20, 1977	The cast and crew participate in the annual Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans. The program aired in prime-time on Sunday, February 20. Jane Curtin Jane Curtin Jane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...  and Buck Henry Buck Henry Henry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...  try to provide commentary on the parade. Eric Idle Eric Idle Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....  and Penny Marshall Penny Marshall Penny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director.After playing several small roles for television, she was cast as Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley...  and Henry Winkler Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...  cameo in the special. Randy Newman Randy Newman Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....  was the musical guest. The Meters were also booked as musical guests on the episode -- and remain in the re-issue's opening credits -- but were bumped for time. This is the only episode of "SNL" not broadcast from New York This broadcast was a disaster in the making. During the broadcast, a person was killed when they were run over by a float so the parade, that they were supposed to make 'color commentary' on, never arrived.

Episodes

Episode Number	Date	Host(s)	Musical Guest(s)	Remarks
25	September 18, 1976	Lily Tomlin Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...	James Taylor James Taylor James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....	This episode marks the final appearance of the Muppets until 2004. During the Ford/Carter debate sketch, Chevy Chase falls on the podium and injures his groin because the podium wasn't padded. Chase appeared in the next two episodes only by phone. Actor Taylor Mead made a filmed cameo appearance in Gary Weis's piece.
26	September 25, 1976	Norman Lear Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...	Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...	Jane Curtin fills in for Chase as the Weekend Update Weekend Update Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance...  anchor in this episode and the next one before assuming the role permanently in the November 13, 1976 episode. Chase's voice and photo are used in a cold open Cold open A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...  in which Gilda Radner uses a telephone receiver to act out Chase's customary show-opening pratfall as the injured Chase speaks over the line warning her not to attempt such a fall.
27	October 2, 1976	Eric Idle Eric Idle Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....	Joe Cocker Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...  & Stuff Stuff (band) Stuff was a New York-based jazz funk band active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The members were Gordon Edwards , Richard Tee , Eric Gale , Cornell Dupree , Chris Parker , and later Steve Gadd...	Belushi "duets" with Cocker on "Feelin' Alright". First US television appearance of The Rutles The Rutles The Rutles are a band that are known for their visual and aural pastiches and parodies of The Beatles. Originally created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a fictional band to be featured as part of various 1970s television programming, the group recorded, toured, and released two UK chart hits in... . Producer Lorne Michaels was asking for the Beatles, as in the previous season, but Eric Idle sent a tape of the Rutles (He said he had a bad connection to London). Idle 'ruined' a Killer Bees sketch, because of his British accent and terms, like "Chap". Richard Belzer Richard Belzer Richard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...  makes a cameo appearance during the cold open Cold open A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...  impersonating the still-injured Chase.
28	October 16, 1976	Karen Black Karen Black Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...	John Prine John Prine John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...	The second appearance of Mr. Bill in response to the show's request for home movies; his first appearance was in the February 28, 1976 episode of Season 1 Saturday Night Live (Season 1) The first season of Saturday Night Live, the weekly late-night 90-minute American sketch comedy/variety show on NBC, aired during the 1975–1976 television season... . The third episode to run over the time limit, but the episode has credits.
29	October 23, 1976	Steve Martin Steve Martin Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....	Kinky Friedman Kinky Friedman Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...	The first of Martin's record 15 hosting stints (the latest occurring on January 31, 2009).
30	October 30, 1976	Buck Henry Buck Henry Henry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...	The Band The Band The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...	This is Chevy Chase Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon... 's final episode as a cast member (it's a common misconception that the November 27, 1976 episode is Chase's final episode; the misunderstanding likely stems from the fact that Chase would make cameo appearances in the next three episodes). Buck Henry was cut on his forehead by John Belushi John Belushi John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul... 's sword during Samurai Stockbroker sketch. Henry, as well as cast members, continued the show with bandaged heads. During this sketch Henry refers to Belushi's character as "Mr. Mikuraki." Belushi's character is typically cited as "Samurai Futaba."
31	November 13, 1976	Dick Cavett Dick Cavett Richard Alva "Dick" Cavett is a former American television talk show host known for his conversational style and in-depth discussion of issues...	Ry Cooder Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...	Cavett mentions in the monologue that Elliott Gould Elliott Gould Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...  was originally planned to host this episode.
32	November 20, 1976	Paul Simon Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...	George Harrison George Harrison George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...	Featured a rare duet performance by Paul Simon and George Harrison, playing Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun Here Comes the Sun "Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles... " and Simon's "Homeward Bound Homeward Bound (song) "Homeward Bound" is an American folk song written by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and Garfunkel, produced by Bob Johnston and recorded on December 14, 1965. The song describes his longing to return home, both to his then girlfriend, Kathy Chitty in Brentwood, Essex, England, and to return to the... ". George Harrison appeared on the show to promote his then-new album "Thirty Three & 1/3". Promo videos for the songs "Crackerbox Palace" and "This Song" aired during the show. During the cold open Cold open A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown... , Harrison and Lorne Michaels can be seen discussing Michaels's Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...  offer from the previous season. Paul Simon sang "Still Crazy After All These Years" in a turkey costume. Harrison's appearances were pre-taped.
33	November 27, 1976	Jodie Foster Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....	Brian Wilson Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...	Jodie Foster would be the youngest person to host SNL at age 14 years and 8 days until Drew Barrymore Drew Barrymore Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...  hosted six years later Saturday Night Live (Season 8) Saturday Night Live aired its eighth season during the 1982–1983 season on NBC. The 8th season started on September 25, 1982 and ended on May 14, 1983. This was the third season to air since Lorne Michaels had left his first tenure as executive producer.Many changes happened before the start of the...  at the age of 7 years, 8 months and 29 days old. In this episode, the age of Don Pardo Don Pardo Dominick George "Don" Pardo is an American radio and television announcer. He is best known as the voice of the long-running late night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live....  (the voiceover) is misgiven as 50, when he was actually 58 at the time (he would turn 60 in 1978). Fourth wall Fourth wall The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...  broken as Jodie addresses the audience in the Bee sketch. Brian Wilson appears solo, though he's promoting the current Beach Boys release 15 Big Ones 15 Big Ones -Singles:* "Rock And Roll Music" b/w "T M Song" , 24 May 1976 US #5; UK #36* "It's O.K." b/w "Had to Phone Ya" , 9 August 1976 US #29* "Everyone's In Love With You" b/w "Susie Cincinnati" , 1 November 1976... .
34	December 11, 1976	Candice Bergen Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...	Frank Zappa Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...  with Don Pardo Don Pardo Dominick George "Don" Pardo is an American radio and television announcer. He is best known as the voice of the long-running late night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live....  as "The Slime"	First appearance of Irwin Mainway. During the "Right to Extreme Stupidity" sketch, Bergen slips up and addresses Gilda Radner's character as Fern, which is actually the name of Bergen's character. While Bergen is reduced to spontaneous laughter, Radner responds by inverting the sketch's premise ("We can't all be brainy like Fern here!"). Frank Zappa performs "I'm The Slime" (with Don Pardo), "The Purple Lagoon" and "Peaches En Regalia" as well as appearing in "The Killer Trees" sketch. The show ends very ahead of schedule, with the last five minutes consisting of Bergen awkwardly ad-libbing a closing and the cast ice skating around Rockefeller Plaza.
35	January 15, 1977	Ralph Nader Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....	George Benson George Benson George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....	Bill Murray Bill Murray William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and... 's first episode as a cast member. Murray replaces an injured John Belushi, who only appears via telephone. Murray is not listed in the opening credits. First appearance of the Coneheads Coneheads The Coneheads is a sketch on Saturday Night Live which originated on the January 15, 1977 episode, and starred Dan Aykroyd as father Beldar, Jane Curtin as mother Prymaat, and Laraine Newman as daughter Connie.-Summary:... . Andy Kaufman Andy Kaufman Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...  makes his fourth appearance
36	January 22, 1977	Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Jones , better known as Ruth Gordon, was an American actress and writer. She was perhaps best known for her film roles such as Minnie Castevet, Rosemary's overly solicitous neighbor in Rosemary's Baby, as the eccentric Maude in Harold and Maude and as the mother of Orville Boggs in the...	Chuck Berry Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...	The 80-year-old Gordon was the oldest host in SNL history to that time, until her record was beaten by third-season host Miskel Spillman Miskel Spillman Miskel Spillman was the winner of the first and only "Anyone Can Host" contest on NBC's late-night variety series Saturday Night Live, and hosted the December 17, 1977, broadcast of the show.-Role in SNL history:... , winner of the "Anyone Can Host" contest (who was two weeks older than Gordon). Spillman's own record wasn't broken until the thirty-fifth season (May 8, 2010), when Betty White Betty White Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...  hosted at age 88. O. J. Simpson O. J. Simpson Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...  (who would later host during SNLs third season) can be seen in the audience near the end of the episode. Bill Murray's picture is added to the opening credits.
37	January 29, 1977	Fran Tarkenton Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....	Leo Sayer Leo Sayer Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s... Donny Harper	Tarkenton is the first athlete to host. Dick Schaap Dick Schaap Richard Jay Schaap was an American sportswriter, broadcaster, and author.-Early life and education:...  (NBC Sports) can be seen in an audience shot just after the "French Liquid" fake commercial.
38	February 26, 1977	Steve Martin Steve Martin Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....	The Kinks The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...	Lily Tomlin appears as "special guest". This is the second time Steve Martin hosted this season.
39	March 12, 1977	Sissy Spacek Sissy Spacek Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...	Richard Baskin Richard Baskin Richard Baskin is a film composer, and producer.best known as the writer of several songs from the Robert Altman film Nashville, and other creative film scores in the 1970's and 1980's...	This is the first episode that was nominated (and won) an Emmy. Richard Baskin Richard Baskin Richard Baskin is a film composer, and producer.best known as the writer of several songs from the Robert Altman film Nashville, and other creative film scores in the 1970's and 1980's...  was perhaps the most obscure musical guest ever on SNL, having never released an album or single. His sister Edie Baskin was a photographer for the show.
40	March 19, 1977	Broderick Crawford Broderick Crawford Broderick Crawford was an Academy Award-winning American stage, film, radio and TV actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his starring role in the television series "Highway Patrol."-Early life:...	Levon Helm Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band.... Dr. John Dr. John Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider... The Meters The Meters The Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...	The Meters had been bumped from SNL's prime-time Mardi Gras special a month earlier. This episode included Bill Murray's Bill Murray William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...  famous direct appeal that "I don't think I'm making it on the show." http://snlarc.jt.org/detail.php?i=197703197 This episode was the last one to carry the title NBC's Saturday Night.
41	March 26, 1977	Jack Burns Jack Burns Jack Burns is an American comedian and voice actor.-Biography:In 1959, he began his career as a comedy team with George Carlin when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas...	Santana Santana (band) Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...	The first episode to carry the title Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... , after gaining the rights to the name of Howard Cosell's failed show Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell was a program that ran on ABC from September 1975 to January 1976, hosted by Howard Cosell and executively produced by Roone Arledge. The series ran for 18 episodes before being cancelled... . Burns would go on to produce the 1980s ABC sketch show Fridays, which is often seen by critics and fans alike as a West Coast version of SNL.
42	April 9, 1977	Julian Bond Julian Bond Horace Julian Bond , known as Julian Bond, is an American social activist and leader in the American civil rights movement, politician, professor, and writer. While a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, during the early 1960s, he helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating...	Tom Waits Tom Waits Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."... Brick Brick (band) Brick is a former American band that created a successful merger of funk and jazz in the 1970s. Their most popular single was "Dazz", which was released in 1976.-History:...	Bond was the first politician to ever host the show. Tom Waits performed " Eggs & Sausages" Brick performed "Dazz"
43	April 16, 1977	Elliott Gould Elliott Gould Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...	McGarrigle Sisters Kate and Anna McGarrigle Kate and Anna McGarrigle, were a pair of Canadian singer-songwriters from Quebec, who performed as a duo until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010.-Profile:... Roslyn Kind	First appearance of Nick The Lounge Singer Nick The Lounge Singer Nick The Lounge Singer was Bill Murray's most popular recurring character during his tenure on Saturday Night Live. The character was a typical 1970s lounge singer who sang current songs in a drawn-out, schmaltzy manner, and was typically accompanied by Paul Shaffer on piano. Nick always had a...
44	April 23, 1977	Eric Idle Eric Idle Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....	Alan Price Alan Price Alan Price is an English musician, best known as the original keyboardist for the English band The Animals, and for his subsequent solo work.... Neil Innes Neil Innes Neil James Innes is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles.-Personal life:...	"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth" (played by Jeannette Charles Jeannette Charles Jeannette Charles is a look-alike actress of Queen Elizabeth II.Jeannette Charles appeared as an actress in repertory theatre in her twenties but initially had difficulty obtaining Equity membership as a look-alike of the Queen... ) assists in the telethon to "Save Great Britain" at "555-1066", which is a running skit throughout the show.
45	May 14, 1977	Shelley Duvall Shelley Duvall Shelley Alexis Duvall is an American film and television actress best known for her roles in The Shining, Popeye, Thieves Like Us and 3 Women....	Joan Armatrading Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...	Lorne Michaels appears in the opening sketch, with Shelley and John Belushi in Bee costumes The opening montage is only shown on a backstage TV, as the camera follows Shelley, Jane, Laraine, and Gilda onto the stage to sing as the "Video Vixens" Chevy Chase appears in the audience during one of the commercial bumpers, with the caption "USED TO BE ON THE SHOW" Spalding Gray Spalding Gray Spalding Rockwell Gray was an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, performance artist and monologuist...  narrates and appears in the video "Brides"
46	May 21, 1977	Buck Henry Buck Henry Henry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...	Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as... Kenny Vance Kenny Vance Kenny Vance is an American singer and music producer who was an original member of Jay and the Americans....	Bella Abzug Bella Abzug Bella Savitsky Abzug was an American lawyer, Congresswoman, social activist and a leader of the Women's Movement. In 1971, Abzug joined other leading feminists such as Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan to found the National Women's Political Caucus...  is interviewed by Emily Litella during Weekend Update Weekend Update Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance... . Home video by William Wegman William Wegman (photographer) William Wegman is an artist best known for creating series of compositions involving dogs, primarily his own Weimaraners in various costumes and poses.-Life and career:... Chevy Chase Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...  makes a cameo appearance as the Landshark Landshark The Land Shark was a recurring character from the sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live...  in a sketch about Charles Lindbergh Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S... .

DVD release

All 22 episodes were released on a DVD set on December 4, 2007.