Saturday Night Live – Season 2
Saturday Night Live aired its second season during the 1976–1977 television season on NBC. 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, 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 became the first female cast member to become a Weekend Update anchor following Chase's departure. On the January 15, 1977 episode, Bill Murray joined the cast to fill the void left by Chase's departure. This season also saw another change in the show: its name. Following the cancellation of ABC's Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell, 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. It was the last time that the Muppet sketches would appear on the show. In a 1977 interview with Playboy, O'Donoghue who was head writer/performer, referred to the Muppets as "those fucking Muppets, those little hairy facecloths" and were "made from the refuse after they cleaned up after Woodstock". He also refused to write for them, saying "I don’t write for felt". O'Donoghue also had a lynched Big Bird hanging in the writer's office.
Episodes
Lily Tomlin/James Taylor
Live from New York, It's...Chevy Chase Sketches include-- Big shot Lily Tomlin will do the show without rehearsing, "Debate 76", Legionnaire's Disease Outbreak, The Phone Company, "Women In Literature", Tess DiSenzo, The Antler Dance, Judith Beasley.
Norman Lear/Boz Scaggs
Live from New York, It's...Chevy Chase (On telephone) Sketches include-- Gilda plans to do the fall, Jimmy Carter speaks on sexual performance in the White House, Chevy's Girls, Trial sitcom--"The Snakehandling O'Sheas", Joseph Franklin--The Metric Clock, Abusive Divorce Lawyer, Rhodesian Peace Talks.
Eric Idle/Joe Cocker and Stuff
Live from New York, it's..Chevy Chase (on telephone)! Sketches include-- Hospitalized Chevy confronts impostor, Designer Babies, KLOG Deejay, The Killer Bees, Cufflinks of the Gods, Drag is Not Funny, Dragnet, Drag Racing Today, Jacques Cousteau, Joe Cocker and his doppleganger(Belushi), "Ken Norton is more talented than Muhummad Ali".
Karen Black/John Prine
Live from New York, it's...Chevy Chase! Sketches include-- Chevy returns, "Baba Wawa at Large," Debate '76, A*M*I*S*H, Cancer-free Cupcakes, "Love Russian Style," The Lunch Counter Reunion, Mr. Bill, Ode to American Coinage.
Steve Martin/Kinky Friedman
Sketches include "Yankees Lose," "Jeopardy 1999," "Speak Out For Milk", "The Beatnik Club," "Ted Baxter Kills Mary Richards," "Looks at Books," and "Mysteries in Medicine." Kinky Friedman performed "Dear Abby."
Buck Henry/The Band
Sketches include-- Trick or Treating Land Shark, "Not For Ladies Only", Samurai Stockbroker, Garrett Morris's Family History, Debate 76, Super Bass-O-Matic 77, "The OintMENt", Mr. Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Tales, Houdini's Ghost.
Dick Cavett/Ry Cooder
Live from New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Chroma Trak Girl, Puppy Uppers and Doggie Downers, Nixon's Watergate Frame-up, Crossroads, Grandparent Bees, Mr.Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Tales--"The Blind Chicken", Mobile Shrink, "How Things Work", Marines--Looking For A Few Good Men.
Paul Simon/Paul Simon, George Harrison
Live from New York, It's...George Harrison Sketches include-- Paul Simon meets pauper Chevy Chase on sidewalk while Lorne talks with George Harrison, Quarry, "Baba Wawa at Large", The Twilight Zone, Billy Paul, "Tomorrow with Tom Synder".
Jodie Foster/Brian Wilson
Live from New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Gilda wont be in much of tonight's show, Wendy, Bee Peter Pan and Tinkerbee, Rovco's Puberty Helper, Metal Man, Steve Bashekis, Im Not Black, The Crush on the Biology Teacher, Don Pardo--The First Fifty Years, Laraine Newman's talents, Mr.Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Tales--""he Little Train That Died".
Candice Bergen/Frank Zappa
Live from New York, it's... Gilda Radner! Sketches include: "Patty Hearst At Home," "Jimmy Carter Can't Keep His Promises," "Santi-Wrap," Consumer Probe, Fern and Friend in PSA for The Right to Extreme Stupidity League, FX-70 Cheese Slicer, The Killer Trees trailer, "Adopt John Belushi For Christmas," "Radioactive Fallout Report," and "Let's Kill Gary Gilmore For Christmas."
Ralph Nader/George Benson
Live from New York, It's...Ralph Nader Sketches include-- Ralph Nader wants to cut loose, Badmouthing Grandfather, Dress Rehearsal for Execution, The Confederate Takeover, "Baba Wawa At Large"" The Coneheads, "Youth Ask Questions", Andy Kaufman as Elvis, Testing Party Dolls.
Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry
Live from New York, it's...Ruth Gordon! Sketches include-- Belushi's too sick to do the show, Barbara Streisand, Emily Litella and Her Sister, Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, Little Old Ladies of The Night, Asking the Babysitter About Sex, E. Buzz Miller, Crazy Frank Commercial parody, and Mr. Mike's Least-Loved Bedtime Tales.
Fran Tarkenton/Leo Sayer
Live from New York, it's...Fran Tarkenton! Sketches include "Locker Room Pep Talk," "Swiss Army Gun," "Amy Carter in School," "Chambers' Missing Arm," "Black Perspective," "Home Restaurant," "Community Appeal," "Fran's One-Night Stand," "Grand Stand," "French Liquid," and "Rhonda's Credit Card Counseling."
Steve Martin/The Kinks
Live from New York, It's... Steve Martin! Sketches include "Steve Martin's Ego Trip," "Coneheads' Tax Audit," "Celebrity Weightlifting," "Dr. Breadloaf's Quickloss Diet Book," "Pulling the Plug," "Broadway Baby," "Hollywood Bingo," "From the Big Orange to the Big Apple" (film), "Roots II," and "Plenty in Common."
Sissy Spacek/Richard Baskin
Live From New York, It's...Sissy Spacek! Sketches include-- "Dave Wilson's Dead," "Burger Master," "Ask President Carter", ""Belushi's Olympic Dream," "Gidget's Disease," "Bad Playhouse," and "White Trash Couple.
Broderick Crawford/Dr. John, The Meters
Live From New York, it's... Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, & Linda Ronstadt! Sketches include "Goodbye Saccharine," "Samurai Hit-Man," "Broderick's Old Neighborhood" (film), "Mel's Hide Heaven", "Bill Murray, The New Guy," "Lucy Ricardo's Nuke Job," "Highway Patrol," "Baba Wawa At Large," and "Nixon and Hoover."
Jack Burns/Santana
Live From New York, It's...John Belushi Sketches include-- Belushi Refuses to Say Live From New York, The Coneheads, Marine Wedding, "The Untouchables", "The Story of The Squatters", "Ask Big Daddy", Washed Up Comedy Writer, Suicidal Buisnessman, Old-Fashioned Pharmacist.
Julian Bond/Brick
Live From New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Emily Litella's New Love, Lowell Brock, Black Perspective, "Dr.X, Family Counselor", Right On Afro Lustre, Great Moments In Motown, Creeley's Soup, Bad Cinema, George Wallace, Julian and Andrew Young Talk With President Carter.
Elliott Gould/McGarrigle Sisters
Live From New York, It's...John Belushi! Sketches include-- Brezhnev Wants to Appear on Carson, The Castration Walk, Nick The Lounge Singer, You've Come a Long Way, Buddy, United Face Bank, Jason and Sunshine, Pilson Feedbag Dinners.
Eric Idle/Neil Innes
Live From New York, It's...Bill Murray Sketches include-- Potato Torture, The American Dope Growers Union, "The Nixon Interviews", Flight Attendant Sherry, "Plain Talk", "Heavy Wit Championship", Bill Murray's Bad Childhood Memories, "Telethon for Britian", "The Battle of Britain". Gary Weis film: Body Language.
Shelley Duvall/Joan Armatrading
Live From New York, It's...John Belushi Sketches include-- Bee Sketch Is Pre-Empted by Norton-Bobick Fight, Video Vixens, Badly Disguised Bank Robber, Viva Las Vegas II, "Baba Wawa At Large", Feuding Couple, "Bad Ballet", "Night of The Moonies", Audience Member Chevy.
Buck Henry/Kenny Vance, Jennifer Warnes
Live From New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Carter's Energy Saving Message, Buck Performs A Live Sex Act, Samurai B.M.O.C, The Shower Mike, The Coneheads Return to Remulak, Rhonda Weiss's Bridal Shower, Charles Lindbergh Meets the Land Shark.