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Season 5

Saturday Night Live

Season 5

  • 1979

Saturday Night Live aired its fifth season during the 1979–1980 television season on NBC, and also the final season with the original cast. This fifth season started on October 13, 1979 and ended on May 24, 1980. SNL’s fifth season was released on DVD on December 1, 2009.

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd left the show at the end of the fourth season, leaving a void in the cast that most fans thought would be the beginning of the end of the late-night sketch show.

To keep the show going, Lorne Michaels upgraded many of the show’s writers to cast member status: Peter Aykroyd, Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray, Don Novello, Tom Schiller and Alan Zweibel. Band leader Paul Shaffer also joined the cast, becoming the first person from the SNL band to become a cast member. Harry Shearer joined the show as a featured cast member and was promoted to repertory status during the season.

This would be the final season for everyone in the cast. Tom Davis and Downey would return to the show in future seasons as writers. Al Franken, Doyle-Murray, Novello, and Shearer would rejoin the cast in future seasons.

  1. Steve Martin/Blondie Episode 1 Steve Martin/Blondie October 13, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""The Pope's Doorman,"" ""Craig's Travellers' Checks,"" ""Free Spanish Lesson,"" ""Juvenile Delinquent Vandal,"" ""Rise,"" ""Carole King,"" ""The David Susskind Show,"" ""Bolshoi Ballet,"" ""The All-New Mr. Bill Show,"" ""What the…
  2. Eric Idle/Bob Dylan Episode 2 Eric Idle/Bob Dylan October 20, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Eric's Sick,"" ""Hotel-Motel Art Fair,"" ""Mr. Howard's Shoe Store,"" ""Prince Charles Tells You How To Pick Up Girls!,"" ""Hardcore II,"" ""Heavy Sarcasm,"" and ""Ask Elvis."" Bob Dylan performs…
  3. Bill Russell/Chicago Episode 3 Bill Russell/Chicago November 3, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Kennedy in '80,"" ""Banshee,"" ""The Black Shadow,"" ""The Landers Files,"" ""Mr. Bill at Home,"" ""Nick in the Arctic,"" ""Eleanor Roosevelt,"" ""Sports Hot Line,"" and ""Big n' Tall That's…
  4. Buck Henry/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Episode 4 Buck Henry/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers November 10, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Rush Home to the Bathroom,"" ""Find the Popes in the Pizza Contest drawing,"" ""Nerds #12,"" ""Harley's Bristol Cream"" and ""Banshee"" commercial parodies, and one of Aviva Slesin's ""First…
  5. Bea Arthur/The Roches Episode 5 Bea Arthur/The Roches November 17, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Sex Change,"" ""The Backers' Audition,"" and ""First, He Cries.""
  6. Howard Hesseman/Randy Newman Episode 6 Howard Hesseman/Randy Newman December 8, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include the ""Steve Marvin Radio Show"" and the debut of ""The Al Franken Decade.""
  7. Martin Sheen/David Bowie Episode 7 Martin Sheen/David Bowie December 15, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Quick Sex Change Operation,"" ""Le Shoe,"" ""Afraid of the Dark,"" ""Striking Teachers,"" ""Apocolypse Now,"" ""First Love, Part 2,"" ""Foreveready,"" ""Criminals,"" ""Minota AM-3 Camera,"" ""Revisions of Freudian History,"" ""Martin…
  8. Ted Knight/Desmond Child and Rouge Episode 8 Ted Knight/Desmond Child and Rouge December 22, 1979, 1 h 7 min Sketches include A Christmas Gift from The Shah, Nerds Nativity, and Java Junkie.
  9. Teri Garr/The B-52’s Episode 9 Teri Garr/The B-52’s January 26, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Paul McCartney in Japan: Day 11,"" ""Craig's,"" ""Somewhere Near Mason City, Iowa,"" ""Debs Behind Bars,"" ""Anchovy Council of America,"" ""Bad Playhouse,"" ""Baby Casting Director,"" and ""The Mr. Bill…
  10. Chevy Chase/Marianne Faithfull Episode 10 Chevy Chase/Marianne Faithfull February 9, 1980, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's…Chevy Chase! Sketches include ""Henry Kissinger and Gerald Ford,"" ""Pre-Chewed Charlies,"" The Bel Airabs, ""You Can't Win,"" Speaking of Fashion, ""Linden Palmer, Hollywood's Forgotten Director,"" and…
  11. Elliott Gould/Gary Numan Episode 11 Elliott Gould/Gary Numan February 16, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Kramer vs. Godzilla,"" ""The Incredible Man,"" Andy Aaron's film ""Get Rid of That Building,"" and ""All-Time Radio.""
  12. Kirk Douglas/Sam and Dave Episode 12 Kirk Douglas/Sam and Dave February 23, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Kirk's Greatest Kirks,"" ""What If?,"" ""Arlene Meets Kirk Douglas,"" ""Greg's Bar Mitzvah,"" ""Prime Time Saturday,"" and ""Mask of Fear""
  13. Rodney Dangerfield/J. Geils Band Episode 13 Rodney Dangerfield/J. Geils Band March 8, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include-- Dressing Room opening, Dr. Shockley's House of Sperm, Niggerands, Manhasset, The Subsitute Judge, Celebrity Corner: Bill Murray talks with Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow.
  14. Paul Simon/James Taylor Episode 14 Paul Simon/James Taylor March 15, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Anniversary Seance,"" ""Todd's Campaign,"" ""The Biggest Leprechaun,"" ""The Flogging Musicians,"" ""Talk or Die,"" and ""The David Susskind Show."" Paul Simon and James Taylor perform ""Cathy's Clown / Take…
  15. Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss/The Grateful Dead Episode 15 Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss/The Grateful Dead April 5, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Women Empowerment"" and ""Hotel Room/Smell You.""
  16. Burt Reynolds/Anne Murray Episode 16 Burt Reynolds/Anne Murray April 12, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Burt's Not Angry,"" ""Vomitorium,"" ""The Burt Book,"" ""Be a Pepper,"" and ""Baba Wawa at Large."" Anne Murray performs ""Lucky Me.""
  17. Strother Martin/The Specials Episode 17 Strother Martin/The Specials April 19, 1980, 1 h 7 min The host for the episode is Strother Martin, and the musical guest is The Specials. The skits for this episode are as follows: Rosalyn Carter talks about sections of the…
  18. Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn Episode 18 Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn May 10, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include ""Mysteries of the Universe,"" ""The Dating Zone,"" ""Writing Home,"" and ""Mr. Bill."" The Amazing Rhythm Aces (featuring Bill Murray) perform ""Third-Rate Romance.""
  19. Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney Episode 19 Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney May 17, 1980, 1 h 7 min Sketches include: ""Father Guido Sarducci, Live from London,"" ""Real Incredible People,"" ""Stretch Marks Record Offer,"" ""Reagan's Dinner,"" and ""The Hominids."" 3-D performed ""All-Night Television.""
  20. Buck Henry/Andrew Gold Episode 20 Buck Henry/Andrew Gold May 24, 1980, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's Harry Shearer! Sketches include "Election '80: Almost Halfway Over," "The SNL Stars of the Future" monologue, "Lord and Lady Douchebag," "Uncle Roy," and "Nick at…