Ray Sharkey exclaims "We had a ball!" -Don Pardo announces that next week's guests are Karen Black and Cheap Trick, before bemoaning that NBC won't give him a show of his own because they think of him as an announcer.

FINAL SUMMARY:

An "off night" for the show, with a deader-than-normal audience in places. At the same time, this is an important episode in the show's history because this is where Eddie Murphy says his first LFNY, kills with a Weekend Update bit, and does his solo stand-up on the show. The show also uses more outside material for film acquisitions, with the departure of in-house filmmaker Mitchell Kriegman. Backstage there were a few more shakeups over Christmas break, with new head writers Jeremy Stevens and Tom Moore replacing the departed Mason Williams, and Del Close now doing improv coaching with the cast. The changes would pay off next week, but this show seemed like they were slow in getting up and running again after Christmas break (something that still continues on the show to this day). The weakness of the show is not a reflection on Ray Sharkey, though, who carried much of the show on his back and did a commendable job tonight.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Insult Contest

Stop-A-Nut

Taped Confession

EPISODE LOWLIGHTS:

Commercial For Nothing

Tommy Torture

The Waiter-Maker

Monologue

anchor segments of Weekend Update

Surrogate Mothers

Intepreter

The Man In The Black Hat

MVP:

Eddie Murphy

CAST & GUEST RUNDOWN

cast

Denny Dillon : 4 appearances [Tommy Torture, Black Market, Surrogate Mothers, The Waiter-Maker]

: 4 appearances [Tommy Torture, Black Market, Surrogate Mothers, The Waiter-Maker] Gilbert Gottfried : 4 appearances [Citizens For A Better America, Weekend Update, Taped Confession, The Waiter-Maker]

: 4 appearances [Citizens For A Better America, Weekend Update, Taped Confession, The Waiter-Maker] Gail Matthius : 4 appearances [Tommy Torture, Weekend Update, Surrogate Mothers, The Waiter-Maker]

: 4 appearances [Tommy Torture, Weekend Update, Surrogate Mothers, The Waiter-Maker] Joe Piscopo : 4 appearances [Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Weekend Update, Black Market Baby, Commercial For Nothing]; 2 voice-overs [To Tell The Truth, Work Time]

: 4 appearances [Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Weekend Update, Black Market Baby, Commercial For Nothing]; 2 voice-overs [To Tell The Truth, Work Time] Ann Risley : 4 appearances [Interpreter, Black Market Baby, Surrogate Mothers, The Waiter-Maker]

: 4 appearances [Interpreter, Black Market Baby, Surrogate Mothers, The Waiter-Maker] Charles Rocket: 7 appearances [To Tell The Truth, Interpreter, Tommy Torture, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Weekend Update, Stop-A-Nut, The Waiter-Maker]

featured players

Yvonne Hudson : 3 appearances: [Interpreter, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Surrogate Mothers]

: 3 appearances: [Interpreter, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Surrogate Mothers] Matthew Laurance : 3 appearances [To Tell The Truth, Tommy Torture, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th]

: 3 appearances [To Tell The Truth, Tommy Torture, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th] Eddie Murphy: 6 appearances [To Tell The Truth, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Weekend Update, Black Market Baby, Stop-A-Nut, The Waiter-Maker]

crew and extras

Tom Malone : 1 appearance [Tommy Torture]

: 1 appearance [Tommy Torture] Andy Murphy : 1 appearance [Taped Confession]

: 1 appearance [Taped Confession] Chris Palmaro : 1 appearance [Tommy Torture]

: 1 appearance [Tommy Torture] Elliott Randall : 1 appearance [Tommy Torture]

: 1 appearance [Tommy Torture] Kenny Vance : 1 appearance [Tommy Torture]

: 1 appearance [Tommy Torture] Buddy Williams: 1 appearance [Tommy Toture]

guests

Ray Sharkey : 8 appearances [Monologue, Interpreter, Tommy Torture, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Taped Confession, Black Market Baby, Stop-A-Nut, The Waiter Maker]

: 8 appearances [Monologue, Interpreter, Tommy Torture, Bobbie's Bar/January 11th, Taped Confession, Black Market Baby, Stop-A-Nut, The Waiter Maker] Jack Bruce & Friends: 2 appearances ["Dancing On Air", "Livin' Without Ja"].

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

Not rebroadcast on NBC.

This was also skipped over by the Comedy Network when they aired 90-minute versions of 1980-81 in the fall of 1998.

Additional screen captures not seen above are available here.