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Saturday Night Live season 8

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Saturday Night Live
Season 8
The title card for the eighth season of Saturday Night Live.
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 25, 1982 (1982-09-25) –
May 14, 1983 (1983-05-14)
Season chronology
← Previous
season 7
Next →
season 9
List of episodes

The eighth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 25, 1982, and May 14, 1983.

Format changes

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For the season, Dick Ebersol brought back the show's opening phrase "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", the monologues by the hosts and Don Pardo as announcer. Ebersol also changed Weekend Update's name for the second time, to Saturday Night News.[1] Since Brian Doyle-Murray and Christine Ebersole had both been dropped,[2] a new anchor was needed for the segment. Brad Hall got the gig and became the new anchor.[3]

Notable moments

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Notable moments of this season included Drew Barrymore hosting the show—the youngest ever person to host.[4] During the episode, the audience at home was given the chance to vote on whether or not Andy Kaufman should be banned from the show.[5] The vote was conducted by a 1-900 number. At the end of the show, Kaufman was banned from ever performing on SNL again.

With the release of the film 48 Hours during season eight, Murphy's star began to eclipse the other cast members.[6] Murphy's co-star in the film, Nick Nolte, was scheduled to host the show, but canceled at the last minute. Ebersol offered Murphy the chance to host, a move that Piscopo would perceive as a major slight.[7] Piscopo would later claim that Ebersol used Murphy's success to divide the two erstwhile friends and play them against one another.[8]

Cast

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Before the start of the season, Brian Doyle-Murray, Christine Ebersole and Tony Rosato were dropped from the cast. To fill the void, Dick Ebersol went to The Second City to look for performers; however, Second City was tired of losing their talent to network shows and instead directed him to The Practical Theatre Company,[9] where Ebersol discovered Brad Hall, Gary Kroeger and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The three were hired to the SNL cast on the spot.[10][9][11]

Cast roster

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Repertory players

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Writers

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Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § season 8

Before the season, Paul Barrosse was added as a writer.[11] This would be his only season on the writing staff. Returning cast members Robin Duke, Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo, previously uncredited for their writing contributions, were given writing credits starting this season.

This season's writers were Paul Barrosse, Barry W. Blaustein, Robin Duke, Ellen L. Fogle, Nate Herman, Tim Kazurinsky, Andy Kurtzman, Eddie Murphy, Pamela Norris, Margaret Oberman, Joe Piscopo, David Sheffield, Andrew Smith, Bob Tischler, Tracy Tormé and Eliot Wald. The head writer was Bob Tischler.

Among a few one-season writers, this would also be the final season for writers Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, who both leave the show after three seasons.[12]

Episodes

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Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Host(s)Musical guest(s)Original air date
1401Chevy ChaseQueenSeptember 25, 1982 (1982-09-25)

1412Louis Gossett Jr.George Thorogood & the DestroyersOctober 2, 1982 (1982-10-02)

1423Ron HowardThe ClashOctober 9, 1982 (1982-10-09)

1434Howard HessemanMen at WorkOctober 23, 1982 (1982-10-23)

1445Michael KeatonThe New Joe Jackson BandOctober 30, 1982 (1982-10-30)

1456Robert BlakeKenny LogginsNovember 13, 1982 (1982-11-13)

  • Kenny Loggins performs "Heart to Heart" and "I Gotta Try".[13]
  • Merv Griffin appeared in the cold opening.
  • During the week, Blake was very hard to work with and reportedly threw a crumpled script into the face of cast member/writer Gary Kroeger.[14] Blake would be banned from ever hosting again.
1467Drew BarrymoreSqueezeNovember 20, 1982 (1982-11-20)

  • Squeeze performs "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)".[13]
  • At age 7, Barrymore is the youngest person to host Saturday Night Live.
  • During this episode, the audience at home was given the chance to vote on whether or not Andy Kaufman, a regular guest on SNL, should be banned from the show. The vote was conducted via a 1-900 number. At the end of the night, the people had spoken, and Kaufman was banned from ever performing on SNL again.
1478The Smothers BrothersLaura BraniganDecember 4, 1982 (1982-12-04)

  • Laura Branigan performs "Gloria" and "Living a Lie".[13]
1489Eddie MurphyLionel RichieDecember 11, 1982 (1982-12-11)

  • Lionel Richie performs "You Are" and "Truly".[13]
  • Eddie Murphy substituted for his 48 Hours co-star Nick Nolte after Nolte fell ill; to date, he is the only SNL host to host the show while still performing as a cast member on it.
  • During the cold opening Murphy announced: "Live from New York, it's the Eddie Murphy Show!"
  • Steve Martin appeared near the end to chastise Eddie Murphy for being a second choice. This was the only appearance by Steve Martin in an SNL episode not produced by Lorne Michaels.
  • Guest appearance by Harry Anderson.
14910Lily TomlinTomlin as Purvis HawkinsJanuary 22, 1983 (1983-01-22)

  • Lily Tomlin acts as both host and musical guest for this episode.
  • Tomlin (as Hawkins) performs "We Care"[15]
  • As Murphy did the episode before, Tomlin opens the show by announcing: "Live from New York, it's the Lily Tomlin Show!"
  • Andy Kaufman makes a guest appearance in a pre-taped segment, ostensibly as "bought commercial time" since this is the only way he can still get to appear on SNL. It would be the last time Kaufman would appear on any form on SNL.
  • Guest appearances by Bob and Doug McKenzie to promote the following week's show.
15011Rick Moranis
Dave Thomas		The BusBoysJanuary 29, 1983 (1983-01-29)

  • The BusBoys perform "The Boys Are Back in Town" and "New Shoes".[13]
15112Sid CaesarJoe Cocker
Jennifer Warnes		February 5, 1983 (1983-02-05)

15213Howard HessemanTom Petty & The HeartbreakersFebruary 19, 1983 (1983-02-19)

15314Beau Bridges
Jeff Bridges		Randy NewmanFebruary 26, 1983 (1983-02-26)

  • Randy Newman performs "I Love L.A." and "Real Emotional Girl".[13]
  • Lloyd Bridges appeared via telephone in the monologue, telling his sons to "put on the gloves to settle their differences like they used to as children."
15415Bruce DernLeon RedboneMarch 12, 1983 (1983-03-12)

  • Leon Redbone performs "Sweet Sue", "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "I Ain't Got Nobody".[13]
  • This show features the death of Buckwheat which would carry on to next week's episode.
15516Robert GuillaumeDuran DuranMarch 19, 1983 (1983-03-19)

15617Joan RiversMusical YouthApril 9, 1983 (1983-04-09)

15718Susan Saint JamesMichael McDonaldApril 16, 1983 (1983-04-16)

  • Michael McDonald performs "If That's What It Takes" and "I Can Let Go Now".[13]
  • Guest appearance by Steven Wright.
15819Stevie WonderStevie WonderMay 7, 1983 (1983-05-07)

15920Ed KochKevin Rowland
Dexys Midnight Runners		May 14, 1983 (1983-05-14)

References

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  1. ^ Atwater, Carleton (January 6, 2011). "Looking Back at Saturday Night Live, 1980-1985". Vulture. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, pp. 450, 461.
  3. ^ "SNL Weekend Update Hosts Through the Years". NBC. August 17, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  4. ^ Ebersol 2022, p. 110.
  5. ^ Ebersol 2022, pp. 110–111.
  6. ^ Shales & Miller 2002, p. 239.
  7. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, p. 466.
  8. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, p. 467.
  9. ^ a b Saturday Night Live in the '80s: Lost and Found. NBC. November 13, 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Shales & Miller 2002, p. 213.
  11. ^ a b "New 'SNL' cast getting used to idea". Bangor Daily News. Associated Press. October 29, 1982. p. 5ME. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  12. ^ "Brandon Tartikoff/John Cougar Mellencamp". Saturday Night Live. Season 9. Episode 1. October 8, 1983. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 124–127. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  14. ^ Shales & Miller 2002, pp. 281–282.
  15. ^ "Classic SNL Review: January 22, 1983: Lily Tomlin / "Purvis Hawkins" (S08E10)". Brownyn Joan. August 20, 2014.

Works cited

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