Saturday Night Live (Season 2) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Saturday Night Live aired its second season during the 1976–1977 television season on NBC. This season saw the first of what would be many times that SNL has had a change in casting. Chevy Chase, who was pursuing a girl (and a movie career) in California, left the show after the October 30th episode hosted by Buck Henry with musical guest, The Band. Jane Curtin became the first female castmember to be a Weekend Update anchor following Chase's departure. On the January 15, 1977 episode hosted by Ralph Nader, a new castmember named Bill Murray joined to fill in the void left behind by Chevy Chase (even though Murray would later be a fan favorite with the show, his early appearance on SNL was marked by many fans accusing Murray of being a poor replacement). This season also saw another change in the show: its renaming. Following the cancellation of ABC's Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell, NBC changed the name of the show from Saturday Night (formerly NBC's Saturday Night in the first season) to its current title, Saturday Night Live. This season also saw the first time that Steve Martin hosted the show (Martin would later host a record 14 times and be synonymous with Saturday Night Live to the point that people mistook him for one of the regular castmembers) and the first time that a sports star (football player Fran Tarkenton) has hosted. This season also saw the last time that the Muppet sketches (which were unpopular with both fans and writers) that were tailor-made for adults would appear on the show. The second season started on September 18, 1976, and ended on May 21, 1977. Contents [hide] 1 Cast 1.1 Repertory cast members 1.2 Featured cast members 2 Episodes 3 DVD release [edit] Cast [edit] Repertory cast members Dan Aykroyd John Belushi† Chevy Chase (Final Episode: October 30, 1976) Jane Curtin Garrett Morris Bill Murray (First Episode: January 15, 1977) Laraine Newman Gilda Radner† [edit] Featured cast members There were no featured cast members during the second season. † Performer is deceased. [edit] Episodes Episode Number Date Host(s) Musical Guest(s) Remarks 25 September 18, 1976 Lily Tomlin James Taylor This episode marks the final appearance, either on the show or otherwise, of the Muppets used for SNL. During the Ford/Carter debate sketch, Chevy Chase falls on the podium and injures his groin because the podium wasn't padded. Chase appeared in the next two episodes only by phone. 26 September 25, 1976 Norman Lear Boz Scaggs Jane Curtin fills in for Chase as the Weekend Update anchor in this episode and the next one before assuming the role permanently in the Dick Cavett/Ry Cooder episode. 27 October 2, 1976 Eric Idle Joe Cocker & Stuff Belushi "duets" with Cocker on "Feelin' Alright". First US television appearance of The Rutles. Richard Belzer makes a cameo appearance during the cold open impersonating the still-injured Chase. 28 October 16, 1976 Karen Black John Prine 29 October 23, 1976 Steve Martin Kinky Friedman The first of Martin's record 14 hosting stints. 30 October 30, 1976 Buck Henry The Band This is Chevy Chase's final episode as a cast member (it's a common misconception that the Jodie Foster/Brian Wilson episode is Chase's final episode; the misunderstanding likely stems from the fact that Chase would make cameo appearances in the next three episodes). Buck Henry was cut on his forehead by John Belushi's sword during Samurai Stockbroker sketch. Henry, as well as cast members, continued the show with bandaged heads. The Band would perform their last concert, as captured in Martin Scorcese's The Last Waltz, almost one month later. 31 November 13, 1976 Dick Cavett Ry Cooder 32 November 20, 1976 Paul Simon Paul Simon & George Harrison† Featured a rare duet performance by Paul Simon and George Harrison. They performed "Here Comes the Sun" and "Homeward Bound". George Harrison appeared on the show to promote his then-new album "Thirty Three & 1/3". Promo videos for the songs "Crackerbox Palace" and "This Song" were broadcasted during the show. During the cold open, Harrison and Lorne Michaels can be seen discussing Michaels's Beatles offer from the previous season. This episode also featured Paul Simon's infamous sketch, in which he sang "Still Crazy After All These Years" in a turkey costume. Harrison's appearances were pre-taped. 33 November 27, 1976 Jodie Foster Brian Wilson Jodie Foster would be the youngest person to host SNL at age 14 until Drew Barrymore hosted in 1982 at half Foster's age (seven). 34 December 11, 1976 Candice Bergen Frank Zappa† with Don Pardo as "The Slime" First appearance of Irwin Mainway. This episode features one of the most memorable bloopers in the show's history. During the "Right to Extreme Stupidity" sketch,

Bergen slips up and addresses Gilda Radner's character as Fern, which is actually the name of Bergen's character. While Bergen is reduced to spontaneous laughter, Radner responds by inverting the sketch's premise ("We can't all be brainy like Fern here!"). 35 January 15, 1977 Ralph Nader George Benson Bill Murray's first episode as a cast member. First appearance of the Coneheads. 36 January 22, 1977 Ruth Gordon† Chuck Berry The 80-year-old Gordon is the oldest host in SNL history. O.J. Simpson (who would later host during SNL's third season) can be seen in the audience near the end of the episode. 37 January 29, 1977 Fran Tarkenton Leo Sayer Donny Harper Tarkenton is the first athlete to host. Curt Gowdy (NBC Sports) can be seen in an audience shot just after the "French Liquid" fake commercial. 38 February 26, 1977 Steve Martin The Kinks Lily Tomlin appears as "special guest". 39 March 12, 1977 Sissy Spacek Richard Baskin This is the first episode that was nominated (and won) an Emmy. 40 March 19, 1977 Broderick Crawford† Levon Helm Dr. John The Meters The Meters had been bumped from SNL's prime-time Mardi Gras special a month earlier. This episode included Bill Murray's famous direct appeal that "I don't think I'm making it on the show." [1] 41 March 26, 1977 Jack Burns Santana The first episode to carry the title Saturday Night Live, after gaining the rights to the name of Howard Cosell's failed show. Burns would go on to produce the 1980s ABC sketch show Fridays, which is often seen by critics and fans alike as a West Coast version of SNL. 42 April 9, 1977 Julian Bond Tom Waits Brick 43 April 16, 1977 Elliott Gould McGarrigle Sisters Roslyn Kind Chevy Chase briefly appears in the audience during one of the commercial bumpers. 44 April 23, 1977 Eric Idle Alan Price Neil Innes 45 May 14, 1977 Shelley Duvall Joan Armatrading 46 May 21, 1977 Buck Henry Jennifer Warnes Kenny Vance Chevy Chase makes a cameo appearance as the Land Shark in a sketch about Charles Lindbergh. [edit] DVD release All 22 episodes were released on a DVD set on December 4, 2007. Preceded by Season 1 Saturday Night Live Season 2 Succeeded by Season 3 [show]v • d • eSaturday Night Live History 1975–1980 • 1980–1985 • 1985–1990 • 1990–1995 • 1995–2000 • 2000–2005 • 2005–Present Seasons 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 Related lists Hosts and musical guests (Five-Timers) • Compilation albums and videos • Commercials • Cast members • Writers Recurring characters and sketches Alphabetical • Chronological • By Cast Member • List of recurring Musical Sketches • Weekend Update characters • Short-lived recurring characters Sketch lists TV shows • Animal • Musical • SNL Digital Shorts • TV Funhouse episodes Sketches A Nonpartisan Message from Governor Sarah Palin & Senator Hillary Clinton • Decabet • Barry Gibb Talk Show • Bill Swerski's Superfans • The Blues Brothers • Celebrity Jeopardy! • The Chris Farley Show • Coffee Talk • The Coneheads • The Continental • The Cork Soakers • Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey • Delicious Dish • Gap Girls • Goth Talk • Happy Fun Ball • Hollywood Minute • Jeffrey's • Landshark • Larry the Lobster • Lazy Sunday • More cowbell • The Needlers • Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy • Olympia Cafe • Rialto Grande • The Schoeners • Sprockets • Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber • TV Funhouse • Wake Up and Smile • Wayne's World • Weekend Update • Z105 with Joey Mack Films based on sketches The Blues Brothers (1980) • Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1980) • Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures (1986) • Bob Roberts (1992) • Mr. Saturday Night

(1992) • Wayne's World (1992) • Wayne's World 2 (1993) • Coneheads (1993) • It's Pat! (1994) • Stuart Saves His Family (1995) • A Night at the Roxbury (1998) • Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) • Office Space (1999) • Superstar (1999) • The Ladies Man (2000) • Harold (2008) • Key Party (TBD) Characters Adult Students • Bill Brasky • The Bloder Brothers • The Boston Teens • Canteen Boy • Carol • The Church Lady • Debbie Downer • Ed Grimley • Emily Litella • Father Guido Sarducci • Hanukkah Harry • Hans and Franz • Judy Grimes • Lisa Loopner • Lovers • Mango • Mary Katherine Gallagher • Master Thespian • Matt Foley • Merv the Perv • Nick The Lounge Singer • Pat • Roseanne Roseannadanna • Samurai Futaba • The Spartan Cheerleaders • Stuart Smalley • Toonces the Driving Cat • Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer • Velvet Jones • The Whiners Related topics Lorne Michaels • "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" • Dick Ebersol • Don Pardo • Frank Oz • "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead" • Jean Doumanian • Jim Henson • Mel Brandt • Saturday Night Live Band • Strategery • Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_(Season_2)" Category: Saturday Night Live seasons