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.

Season 2, Episode 19;Host:Elliott Gould, with The McGarrigle Sisters and Roslyn Kind

Aired April 16, 1977.

Cold opening:NBC’s Olympics deal.
Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev (John Belushi) negotiates with NBC executive Herb Goodman (Elliott Gould)  to finalize NBC’s rights to the 1980 Olympic games, which will be held in Moscow.  Brezhnev keeps making more demands of Goodman and threatens to nuke the United States if they’re not met.  

For his last demand, Brezhnev says he wants to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.  When Goodman agrees, the deal appears to be done.  Then Brezhnev’s translator (Gilda Radner) says the Soviet leader has one more thing to say.  Brezhnev then announces “Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

Monologue:”The Castration Walk”
Written by Michael O’Donoghue and Tom Malone.
Host Elliott Gould talks about how he’s performed musical numbers in his two previous SNL monologues.  This time, Gould says he’ll perform a forgotten song from 1927 called “The Castration Walk.”  

John Belushi and Bill Murray join Gould in the performance of the song.

“The Coneheads At Home”
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Tom Davis.
The Coneheads ask a phone technician (Gould) to install 35 phone lines in their house.  

While he works upstairs, the Coneheads receive a surprise visit from Merkon (Garrett Morris), the Messenger of their High Master.  Merkon informs them that their failure to conquer Earth means that the Coneheads are to remain on the planet for another 125 years.

Kate and Anna McGarrigle:”Kiss & Say Goodbye.”
Kate McGarrigle and  her sister Anna perform “Kiss & Say Goodbye.”  This song was written by Kate and served as the opening track on the sisters’ self-titled debut album, which was released in January 1976.  

Talk show:”You’ve Come A Long Way, Buddy.”
“You’ve Come A Long Way, Buddy” is the show created “for men, by men.” Guests include Ted Myers (Aykroyd), who runs an art gallery that only exhibits art created by men, and Sam Montgomery (Belushi), who created a rape hotline...for rapists to call for help after they commit rape.

“Weekend Update”
Anchor Jane Curtin covers the events of the day, which include:

Pres. Carter’s mother Lillian was jailed for spanking her son for his retraction of a $50 federal tax rebate.

Connecticut Governor Ella Grasso met this week with actress Shirley MacLaine to discuss the Equal Rights Amendment. 

Correspondent Bill Murray reports on New York’s Citizens’ Committee’s protest against porn.

Murray says the "huge, throbbing, pulsating crowd" of protesters "sprang erect from nowhere and forced its way" through Midtown Manhattan.

Plus, following Howdy Doody’s recent suicide, reporter Laraine Newman interviews his widow Debbie Doody and asks how she’s dealing with the recent loss of her husband.  

Newman gets tied up in Debbie’s strings!

And Update’s Meteorologist John Belushi explains weather to shut-ins, since they never go outside. 

Belushi’s commentary devolves into a rant about Belushi’s hatred of curry and insurance companies.

“Nick Summers”
Lounge singer Nick Summers (Murray) entertains (and annoys) guests staying at the Breezy Point Lodge.  

Nick takes a break from singing to introduce the audience to the lodge’s fishing and snowmobile guide Jimmy Joe Red Sky (Aykroyd).  

During his set, Nick performs the following songs:

“I Write The Songs” was written by Bruce Johnston and made famous by Barry Manilow, whose recording of the song appeared on his 1976 album Tryin' to Get the Feeling.  Mannilow's version of "I Write The Songs" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

“Sing” was written by Joe Raposo and introduced on Sesame Street in 1971.  The Carpenters' cover of the song was the leadoff track on their 1973 album Now & Then,  It was released as a single and peaked at #3.

PSA:"United Face Bank"
Movie star Joan Crawford (Curtin) pleads for donations on behalf of  the United Face Bank, which provides “face transplants” for people born without a face.  

Crawford then introduces Eldo Johnson, who became a football star when he received a face from an eleven-year-old white girl who was killed in a rockfall.  

Film by Gary Weis:"Sports Violence"
Gary Weis creates a montage of brawls that take place during various sporting events.  The footage is accompanied by Ray Charles’ recording of “America The Beautiful,” the patriotic hymn which was written by Katherine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward.  Charles’ recording appeared on his 1972 album A Message From The People.  

Kate & Anna McGarrigle:“Heart Like A Wheel”
The McGarrigles sing “Heart Like A Wheel,” another track from their debut album.  This song was written by Kate McGarrigle and received its first release when Linda Rondstatd recorded as the title of her album of the same name.  

“ATM Security”
When a man (Murray) owes $200 to another man (Morris), he visits an ATM to get cash.  However, he’s shocked when the machine first asks him to complete a “security test” before he can access his account.

“Natural Causes Restaurant”
Restaurateurs Jason (Aykroyd) and Sunset (Newman) run a restaurant where all the food is made from animals who died of “natural causes.” Menu items include frog legs from a high school biology lab and a seagull that drowned in an oil slick.

Roslyn Kind: “I’m Not Anyone”
Roslyn Kind performs “I’m Not Anyone,” which was written by Paul Anka and first recorded by Sammy Davis Jr. in 1973.  

Home Movie:”Clown Affair”
When a man comes home and finds his wife getting intimate with a clown doll, a fight ensues between the man and the doll!

Commercial:"Pilson’s Feedbag Dinners"
Repeat from Season 2, Episode 9.

Goodnights:
Gould says they have one minute to fill, so Dan Aykroyd says he needs Fat Boy gas tanks for his Harley Davidson motorcycle.  Aykroyd he will "pay you good money" for the tanks.  

Belushi (wearing novelty fake eyes) says hi to his idols, Gayle Sayers and Dick Butkus, who both played for the Chicago Bears.  He hopes Sayers’ knee “gets better.”  

Belushi, Newman and Radner say goodnight to The Tonight Show's Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon and Doc Severensen.  Belushi then tells Gould he’s “the best host we’ve ever had."  Gould shakes John's hand and the credits roll.  

Notes about this episode:

Before the performance of “The Castration Walk,” Elliott Gould says the song was written by “Tommy Malone and Moe Silverfarb.”  Tom Malone, saxophone player for the SNL band wrote the song with Michael O’Donoghue.  

In the Brezhnev cold opening, Gould plays an NBC executive named Herb Goodman.  He previously portrayed Goodman in Season 1's Star Trek sketch.  The character was named after two real-life NBC executives, network president Herbert Schlosser and chairman of the board Julian Goodman.

In between the McGarrigle Sisters second song and the ATM Security sketch, this title card appears onscreen:

This is a reference to Weekend, an irreverent light news magazine show hosted by Lloyd Dobbins that aired on NBC once a month in SNL's timeslot.  Weekend would feature humorous bumper title cards like this one:

Gould was married to Barbra Streisand from 1963 to 1971, they had one son, Jason.  Roslyn Kind is Barbra Streisand’s half-sister.  That’s why Gould refers to Kind as “my son Jason’s aunt” when he introduces her.  

Classic moment:

The debut of Nick The Lounge Singer, Bill Murray’s signature character.  Murray would go on to play Nick in eight more sketches during his tenure on SNL, plus two more times when he returned to host.  

What Stands out:

“Natural Causes Restaurant”-This hilarious sketch features the return of Aykroyd and Newman’s stoner couple Jason and Sunset.  They were previously seen in the thirteenth episode of Season 1.

What doesn’t work:

Following the brilliant restaurant sketch, the show ends with Roslyn Kind’s song, followed by the home movie and a rerun of a pre-filmed commercial parody.  Closing a live show with two filmed segments (one being a repeat) that don't feature anyone in the cast is a weak way to end an otherwise strong show.  

J.A. Morris’ rating:

This is another solid episode, but it’s not quite as good as Gould’s previous outings. The weak ending keeps me from giving it my highest rating:

.5

3 and a half stars.