The cast and Michael Davis stand at home base. Over the closing theme, Mel Brandt announces that next week's guests are Susan Saint James and Rickie Lee Jones (Jones backed out and was replaced by The Kinks before the show went to air).

FINAL THOUGHTS:

A strong, if uneven, start to the new season. The strongest material in this episode is considerably better than the previous season's best work, and one sketch in particular ("Prose and Cons") is now widely recognized as a classic Eddie Murphy piece. The experimental format-breaking stuff was hit or miss: I did like the Strangers In The Night/Funeral Parlor 2-part sketch, but Warhol's TV didn't do much for me at all, and the Yoko film felt a little out-of-place. SNL Newsbreak was also a weak spot in the show; unfortunately, the Ebersol years were not known for particularly strong news segments. Despite a few weak spots, this is clearly a more competent, confident show than any from the season before.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

Guest Performance: Michael Davis

Prose and Cons

Strangers In The Night

The Little Richard Simmons Show

Strangers In The Funeral Parlor

EPISODE LOWLIGHTS

Andy Warhol's TV

most of SNL Newsbreak

Naughty Nuns on the Beach

MVP

(tie) Eddie Murphy / Michael Davis

CAST / GUEST APPEARANCE BREAKDOWN

cast

Robin Duke : 3 appearances [Naughty Nuns on the Beach, Strangers In The Night, Strangers In The Funeral Parlor]

: 3 appearances [Naughty Nuns on the Beach, Strangers In The Night, Strangers In The Funeral Parlor] Christine Ebersole : 2 appearances [Strangers In The Funeral Parlor, Home Movies intro]

: 2 appearances [Strangers In The Funeral Parlor, Home Movies intro] Mary Gross : 3 appearances [Naughty Nuns on the Beach, SNL Newsbreak, Strangers in the Funeral Parlor]

: 3 appearances [Naughty Nuns on the Beach, SNL Newsbreak, Strangers in the Funeral Parlor] Tim Kazurinsky : 2 appearances [Strangers In The Night, Strangers In The Funeral Parlor]

: 2 appearances [Strangers In The Night, Strangers In The Funeral Parlor] Eddie Murphy : 3 appearances [The Little Richard Simmons Show, Prose and Cons, SNL Newsbreak]

: 3 appearances [The Little Richard Simmons Show, Prose and Cons, SNL Newsbreak] Joe Piscopo : 3 appearances [A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney, SNL Newsbreak, Strangers In The Funeral Parlor]

: 3 appearances [A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney, SNL Newsbreak, Strangers In The Funeral Parlor] Tony Rosato: 1 appearance [Strangers In The Funeral Parlor]

featured players

Brian Doyle-Murray: 1 appearance [SNL Newsbreak]

crew and extras

Yvonne Hudson : 1 appearance [The Little Richard Simmons Show]

: 1 appearance [The Little Richard Simmons Show] Andy Murphy: 1 appearance [Strangers In The Funeral Parlor]

guests

Rod Stewart : 2 appearances {"She Won't Dance With Me/Hot Legs", "Young Turks"]

: 2 appearances {"She Won't Dance With Me/Hot Legs", "Young Turks"] Tina Turner : 1 appearance {"Hot Legs"]

: 1 appearance {"Hot Legs"] Michael Davis : 1 appearance {Guest Performance]

: 1 appearance {Guest Performance] Andy Warhol: 1 appearance [Andy Warhol's TV]

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

December 26, 1981

July 10, 1982

Known alterations:

Nuns on Vacation and The Clams removed

Sugar Breakfast (from 10/31/81) added

Additional screen captures from this episode are available here.