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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
'''''[[Saturday Night Live]]''''' aired its '''fifth season''' during the 1979–1980 television season on [[NBC]]. [[John Belushi]] and [[Dan Aykroyd]] left the show at the end of [[SNL: Season 4|the fourth season]], leaving a void in the cast that most fans thought would be the beginning of the end for the late-night sketch show. Future ''[[The Simpsons|Simpsons]]'' voice actor [[Harry Shearer]], as well as many of SNL's writers (see "Featured Cast Members" list below), were hired to be replacements. By 1980, all of the cast and writers, including Lorne Michaels, grew tired of the show and planned on ending it in May. NBC, on the other hand, wasn't about to let the successful series slip through their fingers and planned on keeping the show going with a new cast, new writers, and a new executive producer (a practice that initially spelled doom for the show, but has since become the secret to the show's longevity{{cn}}). Al Franken was originally considered to be season six's executive producer, but after a scathing "Weekend Update" commentary about Fred Silverman ("A Limo for the Lame-O"), Franken was dropped.
{{Infobox television season

| season_number = 5
The fifth season started on [[October 13]], [[1979]] and ended on [[May 24]], [[1980]].
| bgcolour = #ffca4a

| image = Saturday Night Live season 5 DVD cover art.jpg
==Cast==
| image_size = 250
===Repertory cast members===
| image_alt = The title card for the fifth season of ''Saturday Night Live''.
| caption =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
*[[Jane Curtin]]
*[[Jane Curtin]]
*[[Garrett Morris]]
*[[Garrett Morris]]
*[[Bill Murray]]
*[[Bill Murray]]
*[[Laraine Newman]]
*[[Laraine Newman]]
*[[Gilda Radner]]'''†'''
*[[Gilda Radner]]
}}
*[[Harry Shearer]]
| num_episodes = 20
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1979|10|13}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1980|05|24}}
| prev_season = [[Saturday Night Live season 4|season 4]]
| next_season = [[Saturday Night Live season 6|season 6]]
| episode_list = List of Saturday Night Live episodes
}}


The '''fifth season''' of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', an American [[sketch comedy]] series, originally aired in the United States on [[NBC]] between October 13, 1979, and May 24, 1980.
===Featured cast members===

*[[Peter Aykroyd]] (First episode: [[November 17]], [[1979]])
==Cast==
[[Dan Aykroyd]] and [[John Belushi]] left the show at the end of [[Saturday Night Live season 4|season 4]], leaving a void in the cast that most fans thought would be the beginning of the end of the late-night sketch comedy show. Belushi left to make movies while Aykroyd had intended to stay for the fifth season, only to change his mind to concentrate on filming ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' only weeks leading up to the season premiere. Aykroyd's sudden departure caused a rift between him and [[Lorne Michaels]] which wouldn't be healed for many years.

To keep the show going, Michaels upgraded many of the show's writers to featured cast member status: [[Peter Aykroyd]] (Dan's brother), [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]] (Bill's brother), [[Don Novello]] (also credited as [[Father Guido Sarducci]]), [[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 season was the first to have two members of the same family as cast members ([[Bill Murray]] and [[Brian Doyle-Murray]]).

This would be the final season for everyone in the cast. [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]] and [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]] would return to the show in future seasons as writers. [[Al Franken]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Don Novello]], and [[Harry Shearer]] would rejoin the cast in future seasons (Al Franken would also return as a writer).

{{col-begin}}'''Repertory players'''
*'''[[Jane Curtin]]'''
*[[Garrett Morris]]
*'''[[Bill Murray]]'''
*[[Laraine Newman]]
*[[Gilda Radner]]
*[[Harry Shearer]] (first episode: October 20, 1979; upgraded to repertory status: February 9, 1980)
{{col-2}}'''Featured players'''
*[[Peter Aykroyd]] <small>(first episode: January 26, 1980)</small>
*[[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]]
*[[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]]
*[[Jim Downey (writer)|Jim Downey]]
*[[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]] <small>(first episode: January 26, 1980)</small>
*[[Brian Doyle-Murray]] (First Episode: [[December 15]], [[1979]])
*[[Brian Doyle-Murray]] <small>(first episode: January 26, 1980)</small>
*[[Al Franken]]
*[[Al Franken]]
*[[Don Novello]]
*[[Don Novello]] <small>(first episode: December 8, 1979)</small>
*[[Tom Schiller]] (First Episode: [[December 15]], [[1979]])
*[[Tom Schiller]] <small>(first episode: April 19, 1980)</small>
*[[Paul Shaffer]]
*[[Paul Shaffer]] <small>(first episode: November 17, 1979)</small>
*[[Alan Zweibel]] (First Episode: [[December 15]], [[1979]])
*[[Alan Zweibel]] <small>(first episode: April 19, 1980)</small>
{{col-end}}
<small>'''bold''' denotes [[Weekend Update]] anchor</small>

Featured cast members announced and shown during the "Opening Introductions" varied from week to week, as noted below in each episode's description.

==Writers==
{{main|List of Saturday Night Live writers#Season 5}}
As previously mentioned, Michaels upgraded many of the show's writers to cast member status, including Aykroyd, Downey, Doyle-Murray, Novello, Schiller and Zweibel.

This season's writers were Peter Aykroyd, [[Anne Beatts]], Tom Davis, Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray, Al Franken, Tom Gammill, Lorne Michaels, Matt Neuman, Don Novello, Sarah Paley, Max Pross, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Harry Shearer, Rosie Shuster, and Alan Zweibel. The head writer was Herb Sargent. Doyle-Murray would be the only one to return as a writer in the following season. (Although Downey, Franken, Davis, Michaels, Novello, Sargent, Schiller, Shearer, and Shuster would return in ''later'' seasons)


==Episodes==
==Episodes==
{{main|List of Saturday Night Live episodes}}
{| class="wikitable"
<onlyinclude>{{#invoke:Episode table|main
|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
|background=#ffca4a
!Episode<br>Number !! Date !! Host(s) !! Musical Guest(s)!! Remarks
|overall=
|-
|season=
|87
|aux1=
|[[October 13]], [[1979]]
|aux1T=Host(s)
|[[Steve Martin]]
|aux2=33
|[[Blondie (band)|Blondie]]
|aux2T=Musical guest(s)
|
|airdate=
*Blondie performed "Dreaming" and "The Hardest Part."
|episodes=
*Until at least 1994, this episode was the highest-rated according to the Nielsen ratings.
*[[Harry Shearer]]'s first episode as a cast member
*[[Jim Downey]] and [[Paul Shaffer]] appeared uncredited, and though both actors would appear in every episode in Season 5, they did not appear in the opening credit montage until the Bea Arthur/Roches broadcast.
|&nbsp;
|-
|88
|[[October 20]], [[1979]]
|[[Eric Idle]]
|[[Bob Dylan]]
|
*Eric Idle performed with a fever (which explains why he was in a stretcher during the monologue). Buck Henry was brought in just in case Idle was too sick to perform.
*Bob Dylan performed "Gotta Serve Somebody," "I Believe in You," and "When You Gonna Wake Up."
|&nbsp;
|-
|89
|[[November 3]], [[1979]]
|[[Bill Russell (basketball)|Bill Russell]]
|[[Chicago (band)|Chicago]]
|
*Bill Russell was the first basketball player to host SNL.
*Chicago performed "Street Player" and a cover of [[The Spencer Davis Group]]'s "I'm a Man."
|&nbsp;
|-
|90
|[[November 10]], [[1979]]
|[[Buck Henry]]
|[[Tom Petty]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|91
|[[November 17]], [[1979]]
|[[Bea Arthur]]
|[[The Roches]]
|
*[[Peter Aykroyd]]'s first episode as a cast member
|-
|92
|[[December 8]], [[1979]]
|[[Howard Hesseman]]
|[[Randy Newman]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|93
|[[December 15]], [[1979]]
|[[Martin Sheen]]
|[[David Bowie]]
|
*[[Klaus Nomi]] and [[Joey Arias]] made appearances; they sang backup for Bowie.
*[[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Alan Zweibel]] and [[Tom Schiller]]'s first episode as cast members
|&nbsp;
|-
|94
|[[December 22]], [[1979]]
|[[Ted Knight]]†
|[[Desmond Child]] & [[Rouge]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|95
|[[January 26]], [[1980]]
|[[Teri Garr]]
|[[The B-52's]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|96
|[[February 9]], [[1980]]
|[[Chevy Chase]]
|[[Marianne Faithfull]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|97
|[[February 16]], [[1980]]
|[[Elliott Gould]]
|[[Gary Numan]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|98
|[[February 23]], [[1980]]
|[[Kirk Douglas]]
|[[Sam & Dave]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|99
|[[March 8]], [[1980]]
|[[Rodney Dangerfield]]†
|[[The J. Geils Band]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|100
|[[March 15]], [[1980]]
|&nbsp;
|[[James Taylor]]<BR />[[Paul Simon]]<BR />[[David Sanborn]]
|
* The show went hostless to celebrate their 100th episode. [[John Belushi]] and [[Michael O'Donoghue]] made return appearances in the cold opening. [[Bill Murray]] turned the monologue into a musical tribute to New York City.
* During the sketch "The Minstrels of Newcastle", [[Paul Shaffer]] inadvertently said "fuckin'" on the air.
* Paul Simon and James Taylor performed a duet version of "Take Me to the Mardi Gras".
|-
|101
|[[April 5]], [[1980]]
|[[Richard Benjamin]]<BR />[[Paula Prentiss]]
|[[The Grateful Dead]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|102
|[[April 12]], [[1980]]
|[[Burt Reynolds]]
|[[Anne Murray]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|103
|[[April 19]], [[1980]]
|[[Strother Martin]]†
|[[The Specials]]
|
*Martin died the following August, causing a repeat to have aired [[August 9]], [[1980]] to be pulled.
|-
|104
|[[May 10]], [[1980]]
|[[Bob Newhart]]
|[[Amazing Rhythm Aces]] with [[Bill Murray]]<BR />[[Bruce Cockburn]]
|&nbsp;
|-
|105
|[[May 17]], [[1980]]
|[[Steve Martin]]
|[[3-D (band)|3-D]]<BR />[[Paul McCartney]]<BR />[[Linda McCartney]]
|
*Featured the world premiere of McCartney's then-current single "Comin' Up," a rare instance of a music video airing on SNL.
*3-D (the in-house musical guest that evening) performed "All-Night Television."
|&nbsp;
|-
|106
|[[May 24]], [[1980]]
|[[Buck Henry]]
|[[Andrew Gold]]<BR />[[Andrae Crouch]]<BR />[[Voices of Unity]]
|
*This is the final program produced by [[Lorne Michaels]] until his return in the [[Saturday Night Live season 11|11th season]].
*[[Jane Curtin]], [[Laraine Newman]], [[Gilda Radner]], [[Bill Murray]], [[Garrett Morris]], [[Peter Aykroyd]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Jim Downey]], [[Tom Schiller]], [[Paul Shaffer]] and [[Alan Zweibel]]'s final episode as cast members. This was also the very last time Radner would ever appear on SNL.
*Final appearance of [[Harry Shearer]] as a cast member until the [[Saturday Night Live season 10|10th season]].
*Final appearance of [[Al Franken]] as a cast member until the 11th season.
*Final appearance of [[Brian Doyle-Murray]] as a cast member until the [[Saturday Night Live season 7|7th season]].
*Final appearance of [[Don Novello]] as a cast member until the 11th season.
|}


{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
{{start box}}
|EpisodeNumber=87
{{succession box | title=[[Saturday Night Live]]<br> Season 5 | before=[[Saturday Night Live (Season 4)|Season 4]] | after=[[Saturday Night Live (Season 6)|Season 6]] |years=}}
|EpisodeNumber2=1
{{end box}}
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1979|10|13}}
|RTitle=[[Steve Martin]]
|Aux1=[[Blondie (band)|Blondie]]
|ShortSummary=
*Blondie performs "[[Dreaming (Blondie song)|Dreaming]]" and "[[The Hardest Part (Blondie song)|The Hardest Part]]".<ref name="SNL">{{cite book|title=Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|year=1994|pages=[https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/124 124–127]|isbn=0-395-70895-8|url=https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/124}}</ref>
*The All-New [[Mr. Bill]] Show.
*[[Buck Henry]] has a cameo.
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=88
|EpisodeNumber2=2
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1979|10|20}}
|RTitle=[[Eric Idle]]
|Aux1=[[Bob Dylan]]
|ShortSummary=
*Eric Idle's fourth and final time hosting.
*Dylan performs "[[Gotta Serve Somebody]]", "[[I Believe in You (Bob Dylan song)|I Believe in You]]" and "When You Gonna Wake Up".<ref name="SNL" />
*[[Buck Henry]] has a cameo in the cold open.
*[[Andy Kaufman]] challenges the women in the studio audience to a wrestling match.
*[[Harry Shearer]]'s first episode as cast member. He is not announced as a featured player. Rather, Don Pardo announces "and a little of Harry Shearer."
*Credited Featured Player: Harry Shearer.
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=89
|EpisodeNumber2=3
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1979|11|3}}
|RTitle=[[Bill Russell (basketball)|Bill Russell]]
|Aux1=[[Chicago (band)|Chicago]]
|ShortSummary=
*Chicago performs "[[I'm a Man (The Spencer Davis Group song)|I'm a Man]]" and "[[Street Player]]".<ref name="SNL" />
*Mr. Bill Stays Home.
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=90
|EpisodeNumber2=4
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1979|11|10}}
|RTitle=[[Buck Henry]]
|Aux1=[[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]]
|ShortSummary=
*Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers performs "[[Refugee (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song)|Refugee]]" and "[[Don't Do Me Like That]]".<ref name="SNL" />
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=91
|EpisodeNumber2=5
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1979|11|17}}
|RTitle=[[Bea Arthur]]
|Aux1=[[The Roches]]
|ShortSummary=
*The Roches performs "Bobby's Song" (from their second album, "[[Nurds]]") and "[[The Hallelujah Chorus]]" (from their third album, "[[Keep On Doing]]").<ref name="SNL" />
*Andy Kaufman guest stars.
*Mr. Bill Builds A House.
*[[Paul Shaffer]]'s first episode as cast member.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], Paul Shaffer and [[Harry Shearer]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=92
|EpisodeNumber2=6
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1979|12|8}}
|RTitle=[[Howard Hesseman]]
|Aux1=[[Randy Newman]]
|ShortSummary=
*Randy Newman performs "It's Money That I Love",<ref name="SNL" /> "The Story of a Rock and Roll Band",<ref name="SNL" /> and "Pants".
*[[Don Novello]]'s first episode as a cast member.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Don Novello]], [[Paul Shaffer]] and [[Harry Shearer]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=93
|EpisodeNumber2=7
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1979|12|15}}
|RTitle=[[Martin Sheen]]
|Aux1=[[David Bowie]]
|ShortSummary=
*Bowie performs "[[The Man Who Sold the World (song)|The Man Who Sold the World]]", "[[TVC 15]]" and "[[Boys Keep Swinging]]".<ref name="SNL" />
*[[Klaus Nomi]] and [[Joey Arias]] make guest appearances as backup singers.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Al Franken]], [[Don Novello]], [[Paul Shaffer]] and [[Harry Shearer]].
*On the [[Saturday Night Live season 41|January 16, 2016 episode]] (hosted by [[Adam Driver]]) ''SNL'' paid tribute to David Bowie, who had died six days earlier, by playing a clip of his performance of "[[The Man Who Sold the World (song)|The Man Who Sold the World]]" (introduced by [[Fred Armisen]]) and posting the full performance on its website (and briefly on [[YouTube]]).
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=94
|EpisodeNumber2=8
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1979|12|22}}
|RTitle=[[Ted Knight]]
|Aux1=[[Desmond Child|Desmond Child & Rouge]]
|ShortSummary=
*Desmond Child & Rouge performs "Goodbye Baby"<ref name="SNL" /> and "Tumble In The Night".
*[[G.E. Smith]] plays guitar for Desmond Child.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Al Franken]], and [[Harry Shearer]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=95
|EpisodeNumber2=9
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|1|26}}
|RTitle=[[Teri Garr]]
|Aux1=[[The B-52's]]
|ShortSummary=
*The B-52's performs "[[Rock Lobster]]" and "[[Dance This Mess Around]]."<ref name="SNL" />
*Mr. Bill Gets Help.
*Presidential candidate [[John B. Anderson]] appears in a sketch.
*[[Peter Aykroyd]], [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]], and [[Brian Doyle-Murray]]'s first episode as cast members.
*Credited Featured Players: Peter Aykroyd, [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray, [[Al Franken]], [[Don Novello]] and [[Harry Shearer]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=96
|EpisodeNumber2=10
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|2|9}}
|RTitle=[[Chevy Chase]]
|Aux1=[[Marianne Faithfull]]<br />[[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]]
|ShortSummary=
*Marianne Faithfull performs "Broken English" and "Guilt".<ref name="SNL" />
*Chevy Chase and Tom Scott perform "[[Sixteen Tons]]".
*Credited Featured Players: [[Peter Aykroyd]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Al Franken]], [[Don Novello]] and [[Paul Shaffer]].
*[[Burt Convy]] appears in the "You Can't Win" sketch.
*[[Harry Shearer]]'s first episode as a member of the main repertory cast rather than as a featured performer.
*New opening montage, featuring all cast members in rolling still images in a bar setting.
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=97
|EpisodeNumber2=11
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|2|16}}
|RTitle=[[Elliott Gould]]
|Aux1=[[Gary Numan]]
|ShortSummary=
*Gary Numan performs "[[Cars (song)|Cars]]" and "Praying to the Aliens".<ref name="SNL" />
*A running gag where Father Guido Sarducci attempts to interview former President [[Richard Nixon]], and stakes out his New York apartment building.
*JAP character Rhonda Weiss ([[Gilda Radner]]) performs a takeoff on [[Jordache]]: [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/79/79kjewess.phtml "She's the Jewess in Jewess jeans"]
*Contains "The Incredible Man" sketch.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Peter Aykroyd]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Al Franken]] and [[Don Novello]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=98
|EpisodeNumber2=12
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|2|23}}
|RTitle=[[Kirk Douglas]]
|Aux1=[[Sam & Dave]]
|ShortSummary=
*Sam & Dave perform "You Don't Know Like I Know" and "[[Soul Man (song)|Soul Man]]".<ref name="SNL" />
*Credited Featured Players: [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]] and [[Al Franken]]
*This episode re-aired on February 8, 2020 as a tribute to Kirk Douglas who had died 3 days prior.
*It was announced during the previous episode’s goodnights that the original musical guest for this episode was [[James Brown]], but he cancelled for reasons unknown.
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=99
|EpisodeNumber2=13
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|3|8}}
|RTitle=[[Rodney Dangerfield]]
|Aux1=[[The J. Geils Band]]
|ShortSummary=
*The J. Geils Band performs "[[Love Stinks (song)|Love Stinks]]" and "[[Sanctuary (The J. Geils Band album)|Sanctuary]]".<ref name="SNL" />
*''[[Leave It to Beaver]]'' cast members [[Tony Dow]] and [[Jerry Mathers]] appear during Weekend Update.
*Actor [[Rob Morrow]] appears as an extra in a sketch. He would later host the show during [[Saturday Night Live season 17|Season 17]].
*Credited Featured Players: [[Peter Aykroyd]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Don Novello]] and [[Paul Shaffer]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=100
|EpisodeNumber2=14
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|3|15}}
|RTitle= (none)
|Aux1=[[Paul Simon]]<br />[[James Taylor]]<br />[[David Sanborn]]
|ShortSummary=*No announced guest host. There was no monologue. Instead, Bill Murray performs a song about New York.
*Paul Simon and James Taylor perform "[[Cathy's Clown]]", "[[Sunny Skies (song)|Sunny Skies]]" and "Take Me to the Mardi Gras".<ref name="SNL" />
*Sen. [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]] from New York and [[Ralph Nader]] appear on the show as themselves. Moynihan introduces a sketch about leprechauns and appears in a sketch about sophisticated winos that ends up being an ad for wines from New York State. Nader appears in a segment on "Weekend Update".
*[[Michael Palin]] appears in a sketch called "Talk or Die" that includes Jane Curtin playing [[Rula Lenska]].
*David Sanborn performs "Anything You Want".<ref name="SNL" />
*During a sketch about a medieval band rehearsing for a performance (which features [[John Belushi]] towards the end), [[Paul Shaffer]] said the word "fuck" live on the air.<ref>{{cite book|title=Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|year=1994|pages=[https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/26 26–27, 264]|isbn=0-395-70895-8|url=https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/26}}
</ref>
*Credited Featured Players: [[Peter Aykroyd]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]] and [[Paul Shaffer]].
*The show's 100th episode, featuring several cameos (including [[John Belushi]] and [[Michael O'Donoghue]]).
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=101
|EpisodeNumber2=15
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|4|5}}
|RTitle=[[Richard Benjamin]]<br />[[Paula Prentiss]]
|Aux1=[[Grateful Dead]]
|ShortSummary=
*Grateful Dead performs "[[Alabama Getaway]]" and "Saint of Circumstance,".<ref name="SNL" /> both from the album ''[[Go to Heaven|Go To Heaven]]''
*Mr. Bill Strikes Back
*Credited Featured Players: [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]] and [[Al Franken]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=102
|EpisodeNumber2=16
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|4|12}}
|RTitle=[[Burt Reynolds]]
|Aux1=[[Anne Murray]]
|ShortSummary=
*Anne Murray performs "[[Lucky Me (Anne Murray song)|Lucky Me]]" and "[[I'll Always Love You (album)|Why Don't You Stick Around]]".<ref name="SNL" />
*Credited Featured Players: [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Al Franken]], [[Don Novello]] and [[Paul Shaffer]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=103
|EpisodeNumber2=17
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|4|19}}
|RTitle=[[Strother Martin]]
|Aux1=[[The Specials]]
|ShortSummary=*Strother Martin's final television appearance before his death in August, 1980{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}
*The Specials performs "Gangsters" and "[[Too Much Too Young (EP)|Too Much, Too Young]]".<ref name="SNL" />
*[[Tom Schiller]] and [[Alan Zweibel]]'s only episode as cast members.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], Tom Schiller, [[Paul Shaffer]] and Alan Zweibel.
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=104
|EpisodeNumber2=18
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|5|10}}
|RTitle=[[Bob Newhart]]
|Aux1=[[Amazing Rhythm Aces|The Amazing Rhythm Aces]]<br />[[Bruce Cockburn]]
|ShortSummary=
*The Amazing Rhythm Aces performs "Who Will the Next Fool Be"<ref name="SNL" /> and "[[Third Rate Romance]]".<ref name="SNL" /> (Joined by Murray on the [[Maracas]])
*Cockburn performs "[[Wondering Where the Lions Are]]".<ref name="SNL" />
*In a ''Weekend Update'' commentary, "[[A Limo For A Lame-O]]", [[Al Franken]] laments that he does not have limo service like [[NBC]] president [[Fred Silverman]], despite the network's poor ratings and shaky finances under Silverman's leadership. This ruined Franken's slim chance of succeeding [[Lorne Michaels]] as the show's executive producer<ref>Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, ''Saturday Night'', Beech Tree Books, 1986, p. 376</ref>
*Mr. Bill Gets 20 Years In Sing Sing.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Al Franken]] and [[Paul Shaffer]].
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=105
|EpisodeNumber2=19
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|5|17}}
|RTitle=[[Steve Martin]]
|Aux1=3-D<br />[[Paul McCartney]] and [[Linda McCartney]]
|ShortSummary=
*3-D performs "All-Night Television".<ref name="SNL" />
*Paul McCartney premieres the music video for his single "[[Coming Up (song)|Coming Up]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/saturday-night-live/steve-martin-paul-and-linda-mccartney/episode/69435/summary.html?tag=episode_header;next|title=Saturday Night Live: Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney Episode Summary|publisher=TV.com|access-date=13 August 2011|archive-date=5 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605121106/http://www.tv.com/shows/saturday-night-live/steve-martin-paul-and-linda-mccartney-69435/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Credited Featured Player: Don Novello
*Don Novello's final episode as a cast member (until [[Saturday Night Live season 11|season 11]]).
*Steve Martin's final episode as host (until [[Saturday Night Live season 12|season 12]]).
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}

{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Saturday Night Live season 5
|EpisodeNumber=106
|EpisodeNumber2=20
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1980|5|24}}
|RTitle=[[Buck Henry]]
|Aux1=[[Andrew Gold]]<br />[[Andrae Crouch|Andrae Crouch & the Voices of Unity]]
|ShortSummary=*Buck Henry's tenth and final time as host.
*Andrew Gold performs "Kiss This One Goodbye".<ref name="SNL" />
*Andrae Crouch & the Voices of Unity performs "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus".<ref name="SNL" />
*Contains the "Lord and Lady Douchebag" sketch,<ref>{{cite book|title=Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|year=1994|pages=[https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/109 109]|isbn=0-395-70895-8|url=https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/109}}</ref> in which the word "douchebag" was said 12<ref>{{cite book|title=Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|year=1994|pages=[https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/264 264]|isbn=0-395-70895-8|url=https://archive.org/details/saturdaynightliv00cade/page/264}}</ref> times.
*Future cast member [[Yvonne Hudson]] appeared in the Nick the Lounge Singer sketch.
*Credited Featured Players: [[Peter Aykroyd]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]], [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], [[Al Franken]] and [[Paul Shaffer]].
*[[Jane Curtin]], [[Garrett Morris]], [[Bill Murray]], [[Laraine Newman]], and [[Gilda Radner]]'s final episode as cast members.
*Peter Aykroyd, [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], Jim Downey, and Paul Shaffer's final episode as featured performers.

*Brian Doyle-Murray's final episode (until [[Saturday Night Live season 7|season 7]]).
*Harry Shearer's final episode (until [[Saturday Night Live season 10|season 10]]).
*[[Al Franken]]'s final episode (until [[Saturday Night Live season 11|season 11]]).

*[[Lorne Michaels]]' final episode as executive producer (until [[Saturday Night Live season 11|season 11]]).
|LineColor=ffca4a
}}
}}</onlyinclude>

==Home media==
''SNL''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s fifth season was released on [[DVD]] on December 1, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saturday Night Live: Season 5, 1979-1980|url=https://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Night-Live-Season-1979-1980/dp/B002MXG570|website=Amazon|date=December 2009 |access-date=March 5, 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}


[[Category:Saturday Night Live seasons|05]]
[[Category:1979 in television]]
[[Category:1980 in television]]
{{Saturday Night Live}}
{{Saturday Night Live}}

[[Category:Saturday Night Live seasons|05]]
[[Category:Saturday Night Live in the 1970s]]
[[Category:Saturday Night Live in the 1980s]]
[[Category:1979 American television seasons]]
[[Category:1980 American television seasons]]

Latest revision as of 20:00, 21 December 2024

Saturday Night Live
Season 5
The title card for the fifth season of Saturday Night Live.
Starring
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseOctober 13, 1979 (1979-10-13) –
May 24, 1980 (1980-05-24)
Season chronology
← Previous
season 4
Next →
season 6
List of episodes

The fifth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 13, 1979, and May 24, 1980.

Cast

[edit]

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi left the show at the end of season 4, leaving a void in the cast that most fans thought would be the beginning of the end of the late-night sketch comedy show. Belushi left to make movies while Aykroyd had intended to stay for the fifth season, only to change his mind to concentrate on filming The Blues Brothers only weeks leading up to the season premiere. Aykroyd's sudden departure caused a rift between him and Lorne Michaels which wouldn't be healed for many years.

To keep the show going, Michaels upgraded many of the show's writers to featured cast member status: Peter Aykroyd (Dan's brother), Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray (Bill's brother), Don Novello (also credited as Father Guido Sarducci), 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 season was the first to have two members of the same family as cast members (Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray).

This would be the final season for everyone in the cast. Tom Davis and Jim Downey would return to the show in future seasons as writers. Al Franken, Brian Doyle-Murray, Don Novello, and Harry Shearer would rejoin the cast in future seasons (Al Franken would also return as a writer).

Repertory players

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Featured cast members announced and shown during the "Opening Introductions" varied from week to week, as noted below in each episode's description.

Writers

[edit]
Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § Season 5

As previously mentioned, Michaels upgraded many of the show's writers to cast member status, including Aykroyd, Downey, Doyle-Murray, Novello, Schiller and Zweibel.

This season's writers were Peter Aykroyd, Anne Beatts, Tom Davis, Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray, Al Franken, Tom Gammill, Lorne Michaels, Matt Neuman, Don Novello, Sarah Paley, Max Pross, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Harry Shearer, Rosie Shuster, and Alan Zweibel. The head writer was Herb Sargent. Doyle-Murray would be the only one to return as a writer in the following season. (Although Downey, Franken, Davis, Michaels, Novello, Sargent, Schiller, Shearer, and Shuster would return in later seasons)

Episodes

[edit]
Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Host(s)Musical guest(s)Original air date
871Steve MartinBlondieOctober 13, 1979 (1979-10-13)

882Eric IdleBob DylanOctober 20, 1979 (1979-10-20)

  • Eric Idle's fourth and final time hosting.
  • Dylan performs "Gotta Serve Somebody", "I Believe in You" and "When You Gonna Wake Up".[1]
  • Buck Henry has a cameo in the cold open.
  • Andy Kaufman challenges the women in the studio audience to a wrestling match.
  • Harry Shearer's first episode as cast member. He is not announced as a featured player. Rather, Don Pardo announces "and a little of Harry Shearer."
  • Credited Featured Player: Harry Shearer.
893Bill RussellChicagoNovember 3, 1979 (1979-11-03)

904Buck HenryTom Petty and the HeartbreakersNovember 10, 1979 (1979-11-10)

915Bea ArthurThe RochesNovember 17, 1979 (1979-11-17)

926Howard HessemanRandy NewmanDecember 8, 1979 (1979-12-08)

937Martin SheenDavid BowieDecember 15, 1979 (1979-12-15)

948Ted KnightDesmond Child & RougeDecember 22, 1979 (1979-12-22)

959Teri GarrThe B-52'sJanuary 26, 1980 (1980-01-26)

9610Chevy ChaseMarianne Faithfull
Tom Scott		February 9, 1980 (1980-02-09)

9711Elliott GouldGary NumanFebruary 16, 1980 (1980-02-16)

9812Kirk DouglasSam & DaveFebruary 23, 1980 (1980-02-23)

  • Sam & Dave perform "You Don't Know Like I Know" and "Soul Man".[1]
  • Credited Featured Players: Tom Davis, Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray and Al Franken
  • This episode re-aired on February 8, 2020 as a tribute to Kirk Douglas who had died 3 days prior.
  • It was announced during the previous episode’s goodnights that the original musical guest for this episode was James Brown, but he cancelled for reasons unknown.
9913Rodney DangerfieldThe J. Geils BandMarch 8, 1980 (1980-03-08)

10014(none)Paul Simon
James Taylor
David Sanborn		March 15, 1980 (1980-03-15)

  • No announced guest host. There was no monologue. Instead, Bill Murray performs a song about New York.
  • Paul Simon and James Taylor perform "Cathy's Clown", "Sunny Skies" and "Take Me to the Mardi Gras".[1]
  • Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan from New York and Ralph Nader appear on the show as themselves. Moynihan introduces a sketch about leprechauns and appears in a sketch about sophisticated winos that ends up being an ad for wines from New York State. Nader appears in a segment on "Weekend Update".
  • Michael Palin appears in a sketch called "Talk or Die" that includes Jane Curtin playing Rula Lenska.
  • David Sanborn performs "Anything You Want".[1]
  • During a sketch about a medieval band rehearsing for a performance (which features John Belushi towards the end), Paul Shaffer said the word "fuck" live on the air.[2]
  • Credited Featured Players: Peter Aykroyd, Tom Davis, Brian Doyle-Murray and Paul Shaffer.
  • The show's 100th episode, featuring several cameos (including John Belushi and Michael O'Donoghue).
10115Richard Benjamin
Paula Prentiss		Grateful DeadApril 5, 1980 (1980-04-05)

10216Burt ReynoldsAnne MurrayApril 12, 1980 (1980-04-12)

10317Strother MartinThe SpecialsApril 19, 1980 (1980-04-19)

10418Bob NewhartThe Amazing Rhythm Aces
Bruce Cockburn		May 10, 1980 (1980-05-10)

10519Steve Martin3-D
Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney		May 17, 1980 (1980-05-17)

  • 3-D performs "All-Night Television".[1]
  • Paul McCartney premieres the music video for his single "Coming Up".[4]
  • Credited Featured Player: Don Novello
  • Don Novello's final episode as a cast member (until season 11).
  • Steve Martin's final episode as host (until season 12).
10620Buck HenryAndrew Gold
Andrae Crouch & the Voices of Unity		May 24, 1980 (1980-05-24)

Home media

[edit]

SNL's fifth season was released on DVD on December 1, 2009.[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 124–127. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  2. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 26–27, 264. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  3. ^ Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, Saturday Night, Beech Tree Books, 1986, p. 376
  4. ^ "Saturday Night Live: Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney Episode Summary". TV.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  5. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 109. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  6. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 264. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  7. ^ "Saturday Night Live: Season 5, 1979-1980". Amazon. December 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
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