Aired September 25, 1976.
Cold opening:"Chevy's in the hospital"
Chevy Chase suffered an injury while falling during the dress-rehearsal of the previous show's Ford-Carter debate sketch, so he's in the hospital and unavailable to take his usual opening fall. Gilda Radner has been called upon to open the show and she's not sure what to do.
Chevy calls her on the phone and asks her to "walk" the phone receiver to end of the desk and "trip" it. Gilda does this and she sends the receiver falling to the floor. The camera zooms in on the phone receiver and we hear Chevy's voice announce "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Monologue:
This week's host is Norman Lear, producer of hit TV series like All In The Family, The Jeffersons, Maude and many other successful shows.
During his monologue, the sound goes out and this message is displayed onscreen:
Lear says that the press has inaccurately reported that arguments have taken place on the sets of his shows, so Lear shows a short recording of him talking with the actors. When he turns his back, the actors display their true feelings about Lear.
Paid Political Announcement from Jimmy Carter:
Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter (Dan Aykroyd) promises the voters that if elected, he will try to be a "lusty, zesty kind of president" and "follow the lusty example of LBJ, JFK, and FDR."
Boz Scaggs:"Lowdown"
Musical guest Boz Scaggs performs "Lowdown," which was written by Scaggs and his keyboard player David Paich. "Lowdown" appeared on Scaggs' June 1976 album Silk Degrees and it reached #3 on the Billboard Pop Chart.
SNL band member "Blue" Lou Marinni provides a nice flute accompaniment to Scaggs.
Norman Lear's new TV series:"The Snake-Handling O'Sheas":
Lear introduces his latest TV series. The Snake-Handling O'Sheas features a family that disagrees with each other about everything...except for their snake-handling religious ceremonies, which they all love!
Next week's host:
Gilda Radner announces that next week Saturday Night will be hosted by Eric Idle of Monty Python, who is standing behind Gilda reading a newspaper.
"Weekend Update":
Substituting for regular anchor Chevy Chase is Jane Curtin, who reports on the day's headlines, which include:
In an interview with Playboy magazine, President Gerald Ford reveals that "in his heart, he committed celibacy."
In an interview with Playboy magazine, President Gerald Ford reveals that "in his heart, he committed celibacy."
Plus, correspondent Laraine Newman reports live from a quiet Time Square on New York's celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Norman Lear:"Something's missing"
The host says he's felt something's missing from the show with Chevy Chase being absent. Lear then performs a fall and hopes Chevy gets well soon. 
This leads directly into the next segment...
"Chevy's Girls":
Written by Marilyn Suzanne Miller.
A girl group called Chevy's Girls (Curtin, Newman and Radner) performs a song that expresses their love for Chevy Chase and his weekly opening falls.
The chorus of the song is:
“Chevy! Chevy, I love when you fall down!
Each Saturday Night on my T.V.
Oh, but Chevy, every time you take that fall,
I wish you that you falling, falling for me."
Metric Leisure Week:Written by Tom Schiller.
Joseph Franklin (Aykroyd) of the U.S. Council of Standards and Measures tells viewers about how the new "metric leisure week" will consist of only three days and that days will last 100 hours.
Film by Gary Weis:
Weis presents a film of slapstick physical comedy (such as pies in the face and spitting milk) set to the tune of "The Yankee Doodle Boy."
"The Yankee Doodle Boy" was written by George M. Cohan and was introduced in the 1904 Broadway musical Little Johnny Jones.
Divorce lawyer:
A divorce lawyer named Mr. Zeker (Belushi) coaches his client Mrs. Kaufman (Radner) about how she should testify against her abusive husband in court.
Boz Scaggs:"What Can I Say"
Scaggs sings the lead track of his album Silk Degrees. "What Can I Say" reached #42 on the Billboard chart. Like "Lowdown," this song was co-written by Scaggs and David Paich.
"Rhodesia Peace Talks":
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Belushi) and his deputy Charles W. Robinson (Lear) try to the Rhodesian Bush War by getting the opposing sides to join hands with them and sing the following songs:
"Getting To Know You," which was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein for their 1951 musical The King And I.
The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," which was released as a single July 7, 1967 and reached #1 in fourteen countries.
"Reach Out of the Darkenss," written by Jim Post and released as a single by Friend & Lover in October 1967. It reached #10 on the U.S. chart.
"Give Peace A Chance," written by John Lennon and recorded by Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. It was released as a single on July 4, 1969 and reached #14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
"Norman Lear tells a joke":
Lear brings his daughter Kate onstage to help him tell a joke.
Home Movie:"Spanish Peanuts"
This weeks home movie features dancing peanuts.
Goodnights:
Lear and the cast say good night and yell "get well Chevy" as the credits roll.
Notes about this episode:
The "interruption in sound" during Norman Lear's opening monologue is a reference to the first Presidential Debate of 1976, which took place two nights before this episode aired. During that debate, the audio went out for 26 minutes, while candidates Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter stood silently at their podiums. If you're interested in watching that debate, here's the video, the sound goes out at the 1 hour and 19 minute mark, while Carter is answering a question:
During the "Paid Political Announcement," Dan Aykroyd-as-Jimmy Carter comments about being be "a lusty, zesty kind of president" are a reference to a 1976 interview Carter gave to Playboy magazine which featured this quote from Carter:
"I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do and God forgives me for it."
This interview had a major impact on the 1976 Presidential polls. Incumbent Pres. Gerald Ford was polling way behind Carter at the time, the interview gave new life to Ford and the election was a dead heat until the end. [1]
Carter ended up winning with 50.1% of the popular vote to Ford's 48% and won the Electoral College 297 to 240.
The "Weekend Update" joke about Ford committing celibacy in his heart is also a reference to Carter's Playboy interview.
The "Chevy's Girls" song was written in reaction to the press attention Chevy Chase was given during at this time, while the other members of the ensemble felt overlooked and unappreciated. It was specifically inspired by a Photoplay magazine that was published shortly before this episode. The cover, seen below, promotes an interview with "Chevy Chase And His Girls":
Dan Aykroyd was bitten by a snake during the dress-rehearsal performance of "The Snake Handling O'Sheas" sketch. [2]
The "Weekend Update" joke about Ford committing celibacy in his heart is also a reference to Carter's Playboy interview.
The "Chevy's Girls" song was written in reaction to the press attention Chevy Chase was given during at this time, while the other members of the ensemble felt overlooked and unappreciated. It was specifically inspired by a Photoplay magazine that was published shortly before this episode. The cover, seen below, promotes an interview with "Chevy Chase And His Girls":
Dan Aykroyd was bitten by a snake during the dress-rehearsal performance of "The Snake Handling O'Sheas" sketch. [2]
The Kissinger/Rhodesia sketch is based on peace talks that took place in 1976 that attempted to stop the Rhodesian Bush War and end the white minority rule of Rhodesia.
Classic moment:
Jane Curtin's debut as anchor of "Weekend Update." Chevy Chase would return to the role when he recovered, but Curtin would takeover "Update" for good in November 1976 and would remain part of SNL's "news team" until she left the show in 1980.
What stands out:
"Chevy's Girls"-This song is hilarious and it also expresses the frustration that SNL's women (and others on the show) felt about being overshadowed by Chevy Chase.
"The Snake Handling O'Sheas"-A great parody of Norman Lear's politically-charged sitcoms.
Norman Lear's fall-It's not easy to take a fall without getting hurt and Lear shows guts falling down the week after Chevy Chase's injury. It's also a nice tribute to Chase.
J.A. Morris' rating:
This is a good, solid episode, though not a great one. Norman Lear does a nice job as host and the Not Ready For Prime Time players show that they're more than capable of putting on a good show while Chevy Chase is out with an injury.
3 stars
Footnotes:
[1]Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election, by M. Heather Carver and William T. Horner, p.126-127.
[2]Saturday Night, by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingard, p.96-97.
Classic moment:
Jane Curtin's debut as anchor of "Weekend Update." Chevy Chase would return to the role when he recovered, but Curtin would takeover "Update" for good in November 1976 and would remain part of SNL's "news team" until she left the show in 1980.
What stands out:
"Chevy's Girls"-This song is hilarious and it also expresses the frustration that SNL's women (and others on the show) felt about being overshadowed by Chevy Chase.
"The Snake Handling O'Sheas"-A great parody of Norman Lear's politically-charged sitcoms.
Norman Lear's fall-It's not easy to take a fall without getting hurt and Lear shows guts falling down the week after Chevy Chase's injury. It's also a nice tribute to Chase.
J.A. Morris' rating:
This is a good, solid episode, though not a great one. Norman Lear does a nice job as host and the Not Ready For Prime Time players show that they're more than capable of putting on a good show while Chevy Chase is out with an injury.
3 stars
Footnotes:
[1]Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election, by M. Heather Carver and William T. Horner, p.126-127.
[2]Saturday Night, by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingard, p.96-97.
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