Season 3, Episode 13;Host:Art Garfunkel, with Stephen Bishop and Andy Kaufman

Aired March 11, 1978.

Network disclaimer:“Jacques Cousteau Gets an Undersea Enema” Don Pardo announces that “Jacques Cousteau Gets an Undersea Enema” will not be seen tonight, so that NBC can present the following special program."

Cold opening:"Modern Crimes" We open with a silent movie titled Modern Crimes. In Switzerland two grave robbers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) are carrying a body wrapped in a rug. When they drop the rug, a body (Gilda Radner) falls out that appears to be the "Little Tramp" character made famous by Charlie Chaplin.

They're spotted by a policeman (Bill Murray), so they pretend the Little Tramp is still alive. When the cop tell them to move on, the Tramp comes to life and says (silently) "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Monologue:"Wonderful World"
In lieu of the usual monologue, host Art Garfunkel sings "Wonderful World," which was originally recorded and written by Sam Cooke. Released a single on April 14, 1960, it peaked at #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart.

Garfunkel's recording of the song appeared on his 1977 album Watermark. It was released as a single in January1978 and reached #17. 

His song is interrupted when a speaker feeds back. Art tries to resume the song, but John Belushi comes onstage and berates NBC for having worn out speakers. John continues to rip the network for how it treats SNL and encourages Garfunkel to walk off in protest. When Art says the speaker is no big deal, Belushi turns his anger at Garfunkel and accuses him of selling out.

John then walks off in disgust and Art finishes "Wonderful World."

Commercial:"Kromega III Watch" Repeat from Season 3, episode 1.

Talk show:"Tomorrow show with Tom Snyder"
Tom Snyder (Aykroyd) interviews a man who claims to be a battered husband. The man is kept shrouded in darkness to hide his identity. 

The interview goes off the rails when Snyder accidently calls the man by his real name and holds up a photo of the battering victim.

Stephen Bishop:"On And On" Stephen Bishop performs "On And On," which was the leadoff track on his 1976 album Careless.

"On And On" was issued as a single in May 1977 and reached #11 on the Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.

"Miracle In Chicago": In a Chicago Irish pub, the late mayor of Chicago, Richard J. Daly (Belushi) comes back from the dead. He offers to help the pub's owner (Aykroyd) get more Irish songs on the pub's jukebox in time for St. Patrick's Day.

"Kiss Concert"
Outside of a Kiss concert, a roadie (Belushi) and a security guard (Garrett Morris) deal with a crowd of people who are trying to get backstage. If they're not on the guest list, they're not allowed to enter. Some of them have outrageous stories about how they know members of Kiss. 

"Weekend Update"
Anchors Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd report on the top news stories of the day.

Elizabeth Taylor was force-fed for charity.

Actor/director Orson Welles has been injured in a skiing accident.

Science Editor Dr. Garrett Morris reports on a new drug that can save people who suffer from phlebitis. 

Movie critic Bill Murray reviews Coming Home. Murray says the film convinced him that the Vietnam War was "a mistake."

Art Garfunkel:"All I Know," "Scarborough Fair"
The host sings "All I Know," written by Jimmy Webb. It first appeared on Garfunkel's 1973 album Angel Clare. "All I Know" reached #9 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. 

Garfunkel follows that up with the traditional English folk song "Scarborough Fair." This song has been covered many artists, but Simon and Garfunkel recorded the most successful version. "Scarborough Fair" was the lead track on Simon & Garfunkel's 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.

It was released as a single in February1968 after it appeared on the soundtrack of The Graduate. The song peaked at #11 in the U.S..

Talk show:"Looks At Books" Jane Curtin interviews Lisa Loopner (Radner) and Todd LaBounta (Murray), co-authors of the book Whatever Happened To The Class of '77. The book covers what has happened to members of their graduating class since the previous June.

Schiller's Reel:"Don't Look Back In Anger" Many years in the future, an aged John Belushi visits The Not-Ready For Primetime Cemetery, where the cast of Saturday Night Live is buried. He recounts how they all died and wonders why he's the last one left alive.

Andy Kaufman:"The Great Gatsby" Andy Kaufman tells the audience that instead of performing stand-up comedy, he will read The Great Gatsby aloud from the beginning.

The crowd quickly gets bored and boos Kaufman. He tells them quiet down because he has "a long way to go."

Commercial:"The Looking For Mr. Goodbar Sleepytime Playset" A girl (Radner) plays with The Looking For Mr. Goodbar Sleepytime Playset. The toy promises that kids "can recreate the grim reality of Judith Rossner’s bleak novel of hopelessness and despair right in her very own bedroom, alone at night!"

Art Garfunkel:"Crying In My Sleep"
Garfunkel performs "Crying In My Sleep," the leadoff track on his Watermark album.

Goodnights: Garfunkel says "that's all the time we have, so thank you, goodnight."

Notes about this episode:

The "Modern Crimes" opening is a reference to the real theft of Charlie Chaplin's body. On March 1, Chaplin's coffin was stolen and held for a $600,000 ransom. The two thieves were arrested and led police to where they had buried the coffin.

During "Kiss Concert," Dan Aykroyd briefly appears wearing a Kiss costume and makeup. It happens so quickly that I couldn't get a very good screencap.

However, I found this rehearsal photo (taken by Lynn Goldsmith) that shows Aykroyd backstage in costume.

What stands out: "Modern Crimes"-This silent film parody is a great way to open the show. Having "Live from New York" mouthed silently by Gilda Radner is a nice touch. "Don't Look Back In Anger"-A great film by Tom Schiller and an excellent performance by John Belushi (who is unrecognizable in old man makeup). Of course Belushi was the first SNL cast member to die, which makes this film even more poignant today.

Andy Kaufman-His reading of The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of Kaufman's "anti-comedy" comedy. What doesn't work: Too much music-Art Garfunkel has a great voice ("Scarborough Fair" is particularly good here), but there are five songs performed on this episode. That feels like at least one too many. And the show closes with a downbeat song, which ends the show on a sad note. With Garfunkel hosting, I don't think this episode needed an additional musical guest in Stephen Bishop. I would have preferred more sketches.

J.A. Morris' rating: This episode features several solid sketches and a great short film, but the number of songs keeps it from getting a higher rating:

3 stars.

Season 3, Episode 7;Host:Mary Kay Place, with Willie Nelson and Andy Kaufman

 

Aired December 10, 1977.

Network Announcement:
Don Pardo announces that "Grizzly Adams Sets Fire To His Head will not be seen this week, so that NBC may present the following special program." 

Cold Opening:"Pep Rally"
This week's host Mary Kay Place says NBC asked her to host because she could "pump some pep" into the show, due to the cast's lack of energy. All of the Not Ready For Prime Time Players are there, except for John Belushi. Place says his absence is another sign that the show needs more pep.

Belushi finally shows up. Jane Curtin agrees with Mary Kay about John's negative attitude. Belushi says they're both fascists, he belittles Place and dismisses the whole premise of her "cheerleader metaphor." The host begins to cry, which makes John apologize and reconsider his opinion about pep. Belushi says "maybe if EVERYBODY had a little more pep, there’d be less suffering in the world!"

The rest of the cast agrees and they hold a pep rally in Studio 8H, with a marching band playing the SNL theme...

...and a big "Saturday Night Live" sign at homebase. 

One by one, the cast jumps through the sign, followed by Mary Kay. After they form a pyramid, the host leads them in this cheer:"Jump to the left, jumpt to the right, live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Monologue:"Mary Kay's diary"
Place says it's been a crazy week and she's kept a diary during the production. She previously kept a diary in 8th grade and proceeds to read diary entries about middle school crushes and other adolescent topics.

Commercial:"Hey, You!"
Not all women are looking for Mr. Right. That's why Olfalo created Hey, You! perfume, so you can attract "that special someone you never expect to see again."

"Hey You!" is the perfume for one-night stands. 

Talk show:"More Insects To Worry About"
Jane Curtin interviews Dr. Haskell Lack (Belushi) about dangerous insects who are about to menace North America. He says the African Lens Beetle hatches eggs while nestled behind contact lenses. The beetles' mating process takes place in peoples' underwear.

"Total Womanhood Workshop"
Maribel Morgan (Place) teaches a workshop in "Total Womanhood." She says Total Womanhood makes every husband adore his wife "if she is willing to give up being a person." 

The workshop ends with a play-acting portion, where Dickie Nell (Gilda Radner) and Gayvette (Laraine Newman) act out a conversation between a husband and wife.

Willie Nelson:"Whiskey River" and "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain"
Willie Nelson sings "Whiskey River," which was written by Johnny Bush and Paul Stroud. Bush's 1972 recording of the song reached #14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Nelson's recording of "Whiskey River" appeared on his 1973 album Shotgun Willie. 

A live version, from Nelson's album Willie and Family Live , was released as a single in 1978 and reached #12 on the Country chart. 

Nelson then sings "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," which was written by Fred Rose and first recorded by Elton Britt in 1946. Nelson's version appeared on his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger and reached #21 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #1 on the Country chart.

"Weekend Update"
Anchors Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd report on the day's top stories, which include:
"Under a federal government prisoner exchange treaty with Mexico, Americans in Mexican prisons are being sent back to prisons in the United States. "

"The first group arrived in California yesterday, in keeping with the goodwill and spirit of the holiday season, the U.S. is sending Mexico an equal number of Santa Clauses, who will be thrown into Mexican prisons in time for Christmas."

A urologist has performed an operation to reattach the severed penis of a college student. "The lucky student reportedly commented that he’s glad to be back in school and able to cram for his midterm exams."

Correspondent Laraine Newman presents a special report on lie detection. She demonstrates examples of facial expressions that indicate a person is lying. 

CBS commentator Eric Sevareid (Bill Murray) has been forced to retire because he reached the network's mandatory retirement age. Severeid delivers a commentary about the pros and cons of mandatory retirement. 

Movie:"Married In A Minute"
Written by Marilyn Suzanne Miller.
In this film, four women (Place, Curtin, Newman, Radner) arrive in New York in 1961, where the available bachelor to bachelorette ratio is 35 to 2. 

Despite those odds, the women immediately receive marriage proposals from rich men and get cast in Broadway plays.

Andy Kaufman:"Foreign Man"
Andy Kaufman, playing his "Foreign Man" character, plays bongos...

...invites a member of the audience onstage...

...and sings the Quebecois children's song "Aoulette" in Foreign Man's native tongue.

Bad Musical:"Leeuwenhoek"
Written by Tom Schiller.
Host Leonard Pinth-Garnell (Aykroyd) presents "Leeuwenhoek," a bad musical about Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (Belushi), father of microbiology. 

Willie Nelson and Mary Kay Place:"Something To Brag About"
The host and musical guest perform a duet of "Something To Brag About," which was written by Bobby Braddock. The song was first recorded by Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery in 1970. 

Mary Kay and Willie's recording of "Something to Brag About" appeared on Place's 1977 album Aimin' To Please. It was released as a single and peaked at #9 on the Country chart.

"The Farber's Hanukkah"
Bobbi and Larry Farber have invited Larry's boss Dick (Murray) and his wife Beverly for dinner during Channukah. Bobbi explains the origins of Chanukkah to her "gentile" guests. 

While Bobbi is talking, we see a dramatization of the Chanukkah story, where Larry plays Judah Maccabee, hero of Channukah. 

"Goodnights"

Place appears on homebase says "I’ve had a GREAT time tonight, and I want to thank Saturday Night Live for having me here. I want to thank Willie Nelson and Andy Kaufman, and, of course, the Not Ready for Prime Time Players! Did y’all have a good time? Thank you for coming!" The cast then appears onstage and hugs Mary Kay as the credits roll.

Notes about this episode:
For those who aren't familiar with Mary Kay Place, she was a major star when this episode aired and has had an impressive career over the last five decades. Three months prior to hosting, Place won an Emmy award for playing Loretta Haggers on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. In 1976, she recorded an album as Loretta Haggers, which reached #6 on Billboard's country chart. Place recorded another album (this time under her real name) in 1977. 

Album cover for Mary Kay Place's Aimin' To Please.

She appeared in high-profile films, including New York, New York, Private Benjamin, The Big Chill and Terms Of Endearment. Place also stepped behind the camera and directed episodes of M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore and Friends. 

During "Weekend Update," Garrett Morris walks on wearing a bellhop uniform and yells "CALL FOR GARRETT MOORR-ISSS!" 

This is a reference to a long-running Phillip Morris cigarette ad that featured spokesman Johnny Roventini (dressed as a bellhop) shouting "CALL FOR PHILLIP MOORR-ISSS!" Here's a Phillip Morris commercial that features Roventini:

Garrett also wears the bellhop uniform in "Married In A Minute, " which immediately followed "Update." 

Classic moment:"Hey You"-One of SNL's best commercial parodies and something that frequently shows up in clip shows. 

What stands out:
Showcases for SNL's women-"Total Womanhood Workshop" and "Married In A Minute" aren't classic sketches, but both are fun and serve as nice showcases for the talents of Curtin, Newman and Radner. The "play-acting" portion of "Total Womanhood" was a highlight of the episode. Newman's portrayal of a man was very funny (her hat and wig made her look at bit like Harpo Marx).

"Farber's Chanukkah"-There weren't many depictions of Chanukkah when this aired, which makes it an important moment in TV history. Radner appears to get legitimately choked up when she says the Chanukkah blessing.

Mary Kay Place's duet with Willie Nelson-I always like it when the musical guest interacts with the host or cast. It makes the musical guests feel more connected to the rest of the show and "Something To Brag About" is a catchy Country song.

What doesn't work:
Mary Kay Place's monologue-I like the idea of a host reading their 8th grade diary, but it went on too long and didn't really go anywhere.

"Weekend Update"-This edition of "Update" felt a bit flat and, like the monologue, went on too long.

J.A. Morris' rating:
This isn't a particularly strong episode. But it's worth watching for the Chanukkah sketch and "Hey You!"

2 and a half stars.