Intermission #2:Wrapping up Season 2, putting Season 3 into context.

As I mentioned in the first intermission post, there was a lot of turmoil near the end of Season 1 that carried over into the beginning of the second season. In May of 1976, Chevy Chase told Lorne Michaels that he planned to leave the show. Chase returned for the beginning of Season 2 and fulfilled his contractual obligations. His last show as cast member was Episode 6. Bill Murray didn't join until Episode 11, so he wouldn't be seen as Chase's replacement. This meant the cast was shorthanded for several episodes. By the end of the season, Murray found his footing and solidified his place in the cast.

Unlike the transition between its first and second seasons, their would be no major changes in the cast or writer's room.

In between Seasons 2 and 3, the Not Ready For Prime Time Players began to receive more individual recognition. The magazine Crawdaddy, which usually focused on rock and pop music, featured a cover story on John Belushi in its June 1977 issue.

New Times, a bi-weekly news magazine, put Gilda Radner on the cover of their August 19 issue.

The 29th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held on September 11, 1977 about two weeks before the premier of Season 3. Season 1 of Saturday Night received four Emmy nominations and won all four of them. Season 2 got seven total nominations in the following categories: 

Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series.

Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music:
Gilda Radner.

Two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy, Variety/Music Series:
John Belushi and Chevy Chase

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series:
Dave Wilson, for directing Season 2, Episode 8, hosted by Paul Simon.

Two nominations for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series:
For the episode hosted by Sissy Spacek and another episode hosted by Elliott Gould.

The episode hosted by Spacek won the Outstanding Writing Emmy, Saturday Night's only win that night. A far cry from the previous season's sweep, but winning Emmys in its first two seasons proved SNL was no flash in the pan. 

SNL's writers celebrate their 2nd Emmy win on September 11, 1977.

Perhaps more importantly, from the perspective of NBC's network executives, SNL's ratings kept improving. During Season 1, it averaged a 6.4 Nielsen rating. For 1976-77, the number rose to 7.9. During Season 3, Saturday Night averaged a 9.8 Nielsen rating. 

SNL's ratings increased every season. [1]

It was Season 3 when Saturday Night truly became a nationwide cultural phenomenon. Lots of new characters and recurring sketches debuted that season. Each introduced a new catchphrase:

John Belushi's "Weekend Update commentaries:"But NOOOOO!" 

Roseanne Roseannadanna:"It just goes to show you, it's always something."

The Olympia Cafe:" CHEEBURGER, CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER!"

Lisa Loopner:"That's so funny, I forgot to laugh!"

The Festrunk Brothers:"We are, two wild and crazy guys!"

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi also made their first TV appearance as the Blues Brothers during Season 3.

Steve Martin hosted three times during the 3rd season, which cemented him as the definitive host of the original cast era. In fact, Martin hosted so often that I still encounter people who think he was part of the cast. Martin's frequent appearances on SNL were mutually beneficial. His album Let's Get Small sold a million copies and reached #10 on Billboard's Hot 100. Episodes he hosted resulted in about a million extra households tuning in to Saturday Night.[2]

Buck Henry continued to host and became the first member of SNL's mythical "Five Timers Club."  Saturday Night Live also held its first (and so far, only) Anyone Can Host Contest, which allowed viewers to vote for their choice of a non-celebrity to host the 1977 Christmas episode. 

SNL's most frequent host Buck Henry, flanked by Anyone Can Host contestants.

Speaking of hosts, Chevy Chase returned to host during Season 3.

As Saturday Night grew in popularity, the press coverage increased. In December of Season 3, Gilda Radner was the subject of a People magazine cover story. 

The following April, Bill Murray was profiled in Rolling Stone, a publication that had been one of SNL's early champions going back to Season 1. 

Coverage in rock publications like Crawdaddy and Rolling Stone added a "coolness" factor that other movie and TV actors didn't have at the time. This elevated the Not Ready For Prime Time Players to the comedy equivalent of rock stars. 

In March of Season 3, the film American Hot Wax was released. The film's cast included Laraine Newman. 

Laraine Newman as "Teenage Louise" in American Hot Wax.

After being a "cult" show on the verge of cancellation in 1976, Saturday Night Live and its cast became part of the mainstream of American popular culture in '78. 

In addition to being SNL's most popular season (so far), Season 3 would be the final season that the entire cast saw the show as their primary creative outlet. By Season 4, movies and other side projects would take precedence for some of the cast.

Season 3 is also when I discovered Saturday Night Live. When I began this project, SNL's third season was easily my favorite. I enjoyed Season 2 more than I expected, so we'll see if I still feel the same after this look at the third season. 

Check back tomorrow for my annotated review of SNL's 3rd season premier. 

Sources:
TV Ratings Guide:Saturday Night Live Ratings 1975-2017.
Saturday Night, by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, p223.