Saturday Night Live (season 7)

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Saturday Night Live
Season 7
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseOctober 3, 1981 (1981-10-03) –
May 22, 1982 (1982-05-22)
Season chronology
← Previous
season 6
Next →
season 8
List of episodes

The seventh season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 3, 1981, and May 22, 1982.

Background[]

Following the dismissal of producer Jean Doumanian during the show's sixth season, Dick Ebersol, the program's developer, was hired as Doumanian's replacement. In March 1981, Ebersol dismissed several of her cast members (repertory players Gilbert Gottfried, Ann Risley and Charles Rocket and featured players Yvonne Hudson, Matthew Laurance and Patrick Weathers). After one episode on April 11, 1981, the show was shut down for the rest of the season because of the 1981 Writers Guild of America strike. In the break, Ebersol would also dismiss repertory players Denny Dillon and Gail Matthius, and featured players Laurie Metcalf and Emily Prager were not asked back as cast members.

The new cast of Saturday Night Live for season 7 included most of the repertory players from the final Ebersol-produced episode of season 6: Robin Duke, Tim Kazurinsky and Tony Rosato along with the sole surviving cast members from Doumanian's era, Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo, while adding two new cast members Mary Gross and Christine Ebersole. Brian Doyle-Murray, who had been a writer for season 6, joined Ebersol's new cast as a featured player (he was also a featured player during season 5).

Michael O'Donoghue, who Ebersol brought back to the show in March, remained as head writer for the first half of season 7. Some sketches, as well as the appearances of artists like Fear and William S. Burroughs, reflected the increasingly bizarre ideas O'Donoghue had for the show. However, after developing a tense relationship with Ebersol and berating the cast in a meeting following the December 12 episode, O'Donoghue was fired, with Bob Tischler taking the role of head writer.[1]

A new logo was introduced for this season, and was used until season 10: It consisted of the words SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in the form of a square, with each word after it increasing in size; a modernized version of this logo was used from 2006-2014.

Format changes[]

Wanting to distance the show from its first five seasons, Ebersol cut the popular opening line Live from New York, It's Saturday Night! from the cold openings. In fact, sometimes cold openings were not even shown and the monologues were skipped over almost entirely. These changes were not permanent, as Ebersol decided to reverse them for the eighth season. Each episode began with the announcement "And now from New York, the most dangerous city in America, it's Saturday Night Live!" After the opening credits, the cast would enter together and pose with the show's host before running to their places for the first sketch.

Ebersol also revamped Weekend Update. The segment went through its first name change (aside from the temporary change to "Saturday Night Newsline" in the final Doumanian episode from March 1981) and became "SNL Newsbreak". At the newsdesk was featured player Brian Doyle-Murray with Christine Ebersole and Mary Gross alternating as co-anchor. Brian Doyle-Murray also became the first Weekend Update anchor to be a featured player while serving as anchor. The only other anchors to do this were Michael Che, Tina Fey and Colin Jost.

Additionally, this was the first season without Don Pardo (season 40 would become the next due to Don Pardo's death in 2014) as the show announcer. Instead the voice-overs were done by Mel Brandt, except for two episodes that aired in December 1981 when veteran NBC News announcer Bill Hanrahan handled such duties.

Cast[]

During the season, original cast member John Belushi died from an overdose of cocaine and heroin. The original airing of the episode hosted by Robert Urich had a tribute to Belushi.

Cast roster[]

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Writers[]

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § season 7

This season's writers were Barry W. Blaustein, Joe Bodolai, Brian Doyle-Murray, Nate Herman, Tim Kazurinsky, Nelson Lyon, Maryilyn Suzanne Miller, Pamela Norris, Mark O'Donnell, Michael O'Donoghue, Margaret Olberman, Tony Rosato, David Sheffield, Rosie Shuster, Andrew Smith, Terry Southern, Bob Tischler and Eliot Wald. The head writers were Michael O'Donoghue (episodes 1-8) and Bob Tischler (episodes 9-20).

Episodes[]

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Host(s)Musical guest(s)Original air date
1201NoneRod StewartOctober 3, 1981 (1981-10-03)

  • Rod Stewart performs "Young Turks" and "Hot Legs" (the latter with Tina Turner).[2]
  • Guest appearance by Michael Davis.
  • A short film made by Yoko Ono is presented.
  • Christine Ebersole and Mary Gross' first episode as cast members.
  • Brian Doyle-Murray rejoins the cast after a one-year hiatus.
  • Mel Brandt's first episode as announcer.
1212Susan Saint JamesThe KinksOctober 10, 1981 (1981-10-10)

  • The Kinks performs "Destroyer" and "Art Lover".[2]
  • Christine Ebersole performed "Single Women", a song written by head writer Michael O'Donoghue.
  • Eddie Murphy debuts his Buckwheat character.[3]
  • This episode features a film by Andy Aaron called Push Button to Explode Building with Tom Davis and Emily Prager.
  • This episode also features Sadat, a film by John Fox.
  • Brian McConnachie plays the title character in another film, Let's See What's Bothering Bob.
1223George KennedyMiles DavisOctober 17, 1981 (1981-10-17)

  • Miles Davis performs "Jean Pierre".
  • Ron Howard and Regis Philbin appears in the cold open as contestants.
  • John Candy appears as Juan Gavino during the SNL Newsbreak segment.
  • A stand up and magic routine by Harry Anderson.
  • Final appearance of Mr. Bill in a new short film, which this time, he moves to Los Angeles.
  • First appearance of Velvet Jones.[4]
1234Donald PleasenceFearOctober 31, 1981 (1981-10-31)

  • Fear performs "I Don't Care About You", "Beef Bologna", "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones" and "Let's Have a War".[2] Shortly after beginning "Let's Have a War," the group was cut off by a repeat of the filmed piece "Prose and Cons" previously shown on October 3.
  • In the cold opening, Donald Pleasence tries to open the show with "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" phrase in a different type of spelling, (the only line used for the 7th season, despite it normally didn't use the "Live from New York" catchphrase until its following season.) until Eddie Murphy shows up to suggests Pleasence for a vomit for luck. As Eddie Murphy leaves the bathroom, John Belushi appears from the other stall, stares into the camera, and says nothing.
  • Guest appearance by Michael Davis.
  • Neil Levy plays the corpse in the "I'm So Miserable" sketch.
1245Lauren HuttonRick JamesNovember 7, 1981 (1981-11-07)

  • Rick James performs "Give It to Me Baby" and "Super Freak".[2]
  • Beat-generation writer William S. Burroughs makes a guest appearance, performing spoken word.
1256Bernadette PetersThe Go-Go's
Billy Joel		November 14, 1981 (1981-11-14)

  • The Go-Gos performs "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat".[2]
  • Billy Joel performs "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" and "She's Got a Way",[2] live from a Manhattan recording studio.
  • Bernadette Peters opens with a parody of a U.S. Army hygiene film as Betty Boop in Johnny Keep Your Gun Clean.
  • Bernadette Peters also performs a song filled with masturbation innuendo called "Making Love Alone".
1267Tim CurryMeat LoafDecember 5, 1981 (1981-12-05)

  • Meat Loaf performs "Promised Land" and "Bat Out of Hell".[2]
  • The Rocky Horror Picture Show co-stars Curry and Meat Loaf appeared in a parody sketch where they sell chintzy "Rocky Horror"-related merchandise.
  • Frank Nelson cameos in the "Mick!" variety special sketch.
  • Bill Hanrahan fills in for Mel Brandt as announcer.
1278Bill MurrayThe Spinners
The Whiffenpoofs		December 12, 1981 (1981-12-12)

  • The Spinners performs a medley of "Then Came You", "I'll Be Around" and "Working My Way Back to You".[2]
  • Bill Murray delivers a short monologue about Santa and introduces "Saint Nick".
  • The Whiffenpoofs performs a medley of Christmas songs with Bill Murray and the SNL cast.
  • Guest appearances by Michael Davis and Father Guido Sarducci.
  • Bill Hanrahan fills in for Mel Brandt as announcer.
  • A young Fred Stoller makes an uncredited appearance as an extra in the first sketch.
1289Robert ConradThe Allman Brothers BandJanuary 23, 1982 (1982-01-23)

  • The Allman Brothers Band performs "Midnight Rider" and "Leavin'".[2]
12910John MaddenJennifer HollidayJanuary 30, 1982 (1982-01-30)

13011James CoburnLindsey BuckinghamFebruary 6, 1982 (1982-02-06)

  • Lindsey Buckingham performs "Bwana" and "Trouble".[2]
  • Guest appearance by Marc Weiner.
13112Bruce DernLuther VandrossFebruary 20, 1982 (1982-02-20)

  • Luther Vandross performs "Never Too Much" and "A House Is Not a Home".[2]
  • Bruce Dern appears in a surreal and dark parody of The Wild One called "The Mild One".
  • Among those interviewed in the "Who Do You Hate?" film is theatre critic/historian Peter Filichia.
13213Elizabeth AshleyHall & OatesFebruary 27, 1982 (1982-02-27)

13314Robert UrichMink DeVilleMarch 20, 1982 (1982-03-20)

  • Mink DeVille performs "Maybe Tomorrow" and "Love & Emotion".[2]
  • Brian Doyle-Murray gives tribute to John Belushi, who died two weeks before this show aired, at the episode's conclusion.
13415Blythe DannerRickie Lee JonesMarch 27, 1982 (1982-03-27)

  • Rickie Lee Jones performs "Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)", "Lush Life" and "Woody and Dutch On the Slow Train to Peking".[2]
  • Guest appearance by Michael Davis.
  • First appearance of Eddie Murphy as Gumby.[5]
13516Daniel J. TravantiJohn Cougar MellencampApril 10, 1982 (1982-04-10)

  • John Cougar Mellencamp performs "Hurts So Good" and "Ain't Even Done with the Night".[2]
  • Daniel J. Travanti's Hill Street Blues co-star Bruce Weitz appeared in a Hill Street parody.
  • There's a recurring sketch throughout the episode in which viewers at home can phone-in to decide whether Larry the Lobster lives or is killed.[6]
  • First appearance of The Whiners.[7]
13617Johnny CashElton JohnApril 17, 1982 (1982-04-17)

  • Elton John performs "Empty Garden" and "Ball & Chain".[2]
  • Johnny Cash performs "Man in Black", "I Walk the Line",[2] "Folsom Prison Blues",[2] "Ring of Fire"[2] and "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down".
13718Robert CulpThe Charlie Daniels BandApril 24, 1982 (1982-04-24)

  • The Charlie Daniels Band performs "Still in Saigon" and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".[2]
13819Danny DeVitoSparksMay 15, 1982 (1982-05-15)

  • Sparks performs "I Predict" and "Mickey Mouse",[2] the latter with an introductory monologue by Ron Mael, from its album Angst in My Pants.
  • During his monologue, Danny DeVito brings his castmates from Taxi for a farewell bow after ABC canceled the show (NBC later picked up the sitcom).
  • Danny DeVito appeared in a film where he blew up the ABC corporate headquarters.
  • Andy Kaufman appeared to apologize for wrestling women.
13920Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnMay 22, 1982 (1982-05-22)

  • Olivia Newton-John performs "Physical", "Make a Move on Me" and "Landslide".[2]
  • Guest appearance by Michael Davis.
  • Guest Graham Chapman appears in several sketches and in the SNL NewsBreak with a humorous promotion for the new movie The Secret Policeman's Other Ball.
  • Brian Doyle-Murray, Christine Ebersole and Tony Rosato's final episode as cast members.
  • Mel Brandt's last episode as announcer.

References[]

  1. ^ Hill and Weingrad, p. 453-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 124–127. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  3. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 138–140. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  4. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 141–143. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  5. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 144–146. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  6. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 147. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  7. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 148–149. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
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