Oprah Winfrey thanks the audience for watching and brings Joe Jackson forward; Winfrey and Terry Sweeney sandwich Danitra Vance in a hug, while Jon Lovitz plays with the crown on Dennis Miller’s head.

Tonight’s show features a credit for Winfrey’s cousin Dr. Jo Baldwin as “Consultant to Miss Winfrey”.

Final thoughts: The weakest show in a while, thanks in part to an awful and lengthy sketch starring Anthony Michael Hall, some forgettable sketches, a few pieces that felt like they were expected to play better than they did (The Pat Stevens Show, The Wart Hog), and a fairly questionable cold opening. Oprah Winfrey was comfortable in front of a live audience, and this has a bit of a curiosity factor going for it due to the glimpse of her before she became as powerful and recognizable as she would be (her introductions to Joe Jackson’s songs are definitely her trademark style), but it felt like the writers really didn’t know how to write for a black woman host. However, Danitra Vance had the best night of her tenure on the show, getting to show a bit more of her range and performing one of the best pieces of the season (“I Play The Maids”). It makes me wonder what Damon Wayans might have contributed to the show had he not been fired a month beforehand.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

I Play The Maids

The Cute Shop

SHOW LOWLIGHTS:

Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant

Backstage

The Pat Stevens Show

MVP:

Danitra Vance

CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN:

cast

Joan Cusack : 2 appearances [Cabrini Green, The Cute Shop]

Robert Downey Jr. : 5 appearances [John Cougar Mellencamp’s Looking At America, Weekend Update, The Wart Hog, Actors on Film, One Shoe Emma]

Nora Dunn : 4 appearances [The Pat Stevens Show, Cabrini Green, Actors on Film, Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant]

Anthony Michael Hall : 2 appearances [Weekend Update, Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant]

Jon Lovitz : 4 appearances [Monologue, The Wart Hog, Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant, One Shoe Emma]

Dennis Miller : 2 appearances [Weekend Update, One Shoe Emma]

Randy Quaid : 3 appearances [The Wart Hog, Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant, One Shoe Emma]

Terry Sweeney : 2 appearances [The Wart Hog, Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant]

Danitra Vance: 4 appearances [Backstage, Cabrini Green, I Play The Maids, One Shoe Emma]

featured players

A. Whitney Brown : 2 appearances [Weekend Update, The Wart Hog]

Don Novello: 1 appearance [The Wart Hog]

unbilled crew, extras and bit players

Tom Davis : 1 voice-over [John Cougar Mellencamp’s Looking At America]

Mark McKinney : 1 voice-over [The Pat Stevens Show]

Lorne Michaels : 1 appearance [Backstage]

Evie Murray : 1 appearance [The Cute Shop]

Nils Nichols : 2 appearances [The Wart Hog, The Cute Shop]

John Swartzwelder : 1 appearance [The Wart Hog]

Bob Van Ry : 1 appearance [I Play The Maids]

Akira Yoshimura: 1 appearance [Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant]

guests

Oprah Winfrey : 7 appearances [Backstage, Monologue, The Pat Stevens Show, Cabrini Green, Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant, The Cute Shop, One Shoe Emma]

Joe Jackson: 2 appearances [“Right and Wrong”, “Soul Kiss”]

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

Not repeated on NBC (not counting a 1999 NBC All Night airing)

Additional screen captures from this episode are available here.