Aired December 11, 1976.
Cold opening:"Patty Hearst comes home for Christmas"
Patty Hearst (Gilda Radner) is out on bail pending an appeal of her conviction for armed bank robbery during her time in the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). She and her family are enjoying a game of Scrabble until Patty's sister Anne (Laraine Newman) gets tired of Patty using the words "Pig," "Cop" and "SLA."
Their mother Catherine (Jane Curtin) suggests they watch TV instead. However, every show is a cop show that features a plot inspired by Patty Hearst's kidnapping and subsequent crimes. They keep flipping channels until they find themselves on the television! Patty recognizes the show as NBC's Saturday Night. She says "this is my favorite part" and then announces "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Monologue:"Candice Bergen is missing."
When Don Pardo introduces this week's host Candice Bergen, she is nowhere to be found. Jane Curtin goes looking for Bergen and discovers the host has locked herself in her dressing room. Bergen refuses to come out and says she was only appearing on the show in order to be close to John Belushi and he's broken up with her. Producer Lorne Michaels gets Belushi, who eventually gets Bergen to come out and talk.
Their conversation turns into a reenactment of the closing scene from Casablanca, with Belushi imitating Humphrey Bogart.
"Jimmy Carter's promises"
President-elect Jimmy Carter (Dan Aykroyd) tells Americans that he won't be able to keep all the promises he made during the Presidential campaign.
Commercial:"Santi-Wrap"
If you plan to sit on Santa's lap this holiday season, make sure you put Santi-Wrap sanitary tissue on his lap first.
Frank Zappa:"I'm The Slime"
Musical guest Frank Zappa performs "I'm The Slime." This song appeared on his album Over-Nite Sensation, which was released on September 7, 1973.
When Zappa sings "I'm the slime oozin' out from your TV set," slime oozes out of the studio's TV monitor!
When Zappa sings "I'm the slime oozin' out from your TV set," slime oozes out of the studio's TV monitor!
Zappa enlists SNL announcer Don Pardo to read a "spoken" portion of the song, while Zappa displays the words on a blackboard.
Talk Show:"Consumer Probe"
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Anne Beatts.
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Anne Beatts.
Bergen interviews sleazy toy merchant Irwin Mainway (Aykroyd) about the dangerous toys his company is selling this Christmas. Some of Mainway's dangerous toys include Bag O' Glass...
Commercial:"K-Put Price Is Rite Stamp Gun"
Repeat from Season 1, Episode 5.
PSA:"Right To Extreme Stupidity League"
Fern (Bergen) and her "stupid" friend Lisa deliver a public service announcement for the Right To Extreme Stupidity League.
During this sketch, Bergen, who is playing Fern, gets confused and calls Radner Fern. This causes Bergen to break character and laugh uncontrollably.
"Weekend Update":
Anchor Jane Curtin reports on the news of the day, which include:
In order to help him pay off his campaign debt, President-elect Carter has taken a part-time job delivering dry cleaning.
Anchor Jane Curtin reports on the news of the day, which include:
In order to help him pay off his campaign debt, President-elect Carter has taken a part-time job delivering dry cleaning.
First Lady Betty Ford wins the first annual Barbara Walters lookalike contest.
Correspondent Ray Basalt (Aykroyd) presents the December Radioactive Fallout Report.
And editorial commentator Emily Litella (Radner) declares her opposition to the United Nations collecting money for "unisex."
Commercial:"FX-70 Cheese Slicer"
This parody of Polaroid camera commercials features a "camera" that prints slices of processed cheese.
Frank Zappa:"The Purple Lagoon"
Zappa conducts his band and the SNL house band in a performance of "The Purple Lagoon." This instrumental later appeared on Zappa in New York, which was released on March 3, 1978.
In the middle "The Purple Lagoon," Samurai Futaba (Belushi) shows up and performs his unique form of scat singing.
"Killer Trees":
Christmas is endangered by a series of murders committed by Christmas Trees! Before the trees kill, they can be heard singing "O' Tannenbaum" before stabbing their victims with their branches.
Detective Steve Beshekas (Belushi) and his partner (Aykroyd) investigate these homicides and try to bring the Killer Trees to justice.
Detective Steve Beshekas (Belushi) and his partner (Aykroyd) investigate these homicides and try to bring the Killer Trees to justice.
Film by Gary Weis:"Diana Nyad"
Gary Weis profiles long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, who gained fame in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan Island in 7 hours and 57 minutes.
PSA:"Adopt Belushi For Christmas":
Bergen pleads for a family to let John Belushi spend the holiday season with them, since he will otherwise be spending Christmas alone.
"Let's Kill Gary Gilmore For Christmas"
Written by Michael O'Donoghue, Marilyn Suzanne Miller and Howard Shore.
Bergen introduces this segment and tells how convicted murderer Gary Gilmore has requested he be shot by a firing squad. The Not Ready For Prime Time Players then perform a new Christmas song about Gilmore's impending execution.
Frank Zappa:"Peaches En Regalia"
Zappa's third and final performance of the evening features "Peaches En Regalia." This instrumental first appeared on Zappa's album Hot Rats, which was released on October 10, 1969.
Goodnights:
Instead of the normal goodnights from the homebase stage, Bergen appears live from Rockefeller Center's ice rink. She's frustrated because she's told to fill time.
The camera then pans out to reveal the cast and writers ice skating in Victorian costumes and Bergen joins them for a skate while SNL's closing theme is played live by the band.
As the show ends, the camera pans to 30 Rock's Christmas Tree.
Notes about this episode:
This is the third time Candice Bergen hosted Saturday Night and the second year in a row she hosted its Christmas episode. However, she would not host the show again until 1987. Bergen also hosted for the fifth time in 1990 and became the first woman to join SNL's mythical "Five Timers Club."
Gary Gilmore was executed by firing squad on January 17, 1977, a little more than a month after the cast sang about him.
John Belushi plays a detective named Steve Beshekas. This is the second episode in a row that Belushi has played a character named after his old friend of the same name.
John Belushi plays a detective named Steve Beshekas. This is the second episode in a row that Belushi has played a character named after his old friend of the same name.
Classic Moments:
"Consumer Probe"-Irwin Mainway was a great character and Dan Aykroyd is hilariously sleazy in his portrayal of this scumbag businessman. Mainway appeared in four other sketches and Aykroyd also appeared as Mainway when he made guest appearances on SNL in 1995 and 1998.
Right To Extreme Stupidity League:
This sketch shows up in clip shows and documentaries because it's a (surprisingly) rare example of a sketch going completely off the rails. It's saved by Gilda Radner's talents, she stays on script while Candice Bergen loses it.
This sketch shows up in clip shows and documentaries because it's a (surprisingly) rare example of a sketch going completely off the rails. It's saved by Gilda Radner's talents, she stays on script while Candice Bergen loses it.
What stands out:
"Let's Kill Gary Gilmore For Christmas"-In the first season's Christmas episode, Garrett Morris led the cast and Bergen in a nice performance of "Winter Wonderland." The "Gary Gilmore" song shows that by Season 2, the cast and creative team felt empowered to take more risks. Most holiday episodes of variety shows of the 70s didn't feature songs about death row inmates!
"Let's Kill Gary Gilmore For Christmas"-In the first season's Christmas episode, Garrett Morris led the cast and Bergen in a nice performance of "Winter Wonderland." The "Gary Gilmore" song shows that by Season 2, the cast and creative team felt empowered to take more risks. Most holiday episodes of variety shows of the 70s didn't feature songs about death row inmates!
Frank Zappa-Speaking of things you don't see on Christmas episodes (or on TV at all, for that matter), all three of Zappa's performances were excellent. The inclusion of Don Pardo and Belushi's Samurai make Zappa's performances even more memorable.
J.A. Morris' rating:
This is a great Christmas episode, Saturday Night closes out 1976 with a bang and this gets my highest rating.
4 stars!
