Malcolm McDowell delivers his goodnight in a southern drawl.

Don Pardo announces that two weeks from tonight, Ellen Burstyn will host with musical guest Aretha Franklin, and next week, "Roadshow" with John Candy and Tom Waits will appear in the SNL timeslot. Apparently this was a pilot for a new show. There's a review available here.

[Addendum: this is the final show for writers Sean Kelly and Nancy Dowd. The backstage shakeups begin...]

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Bad. This episode is widely considered one of SNL's all-time worst shows, and is easily the nadir of the season. Dreck like Commie Hunting Season, Execution, Jack The Stripper and a mostly laugh-free Weekend Update served to weigh down the show, as if it they weren't merely poorly written made from some dense, joy-sucking substance that obscures the show's few highlights. It's bad enough when a show has mediocre-to-awful material to begin with, but tonight actually seems to have a depressing aura throughout. It's unfortunate this show was so bad, because had they had a stronger second outing, the critics and fans might not have been so quick to write the new SNL off. As it was, tonight's show only made the rest of the season more of an uphill battle.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

The Rocket Report

Tobacco Grower's Association

Gothic Romance Novel Shop

EPISODE LOWLIGHTS:

Commie Hunting Season

Jack The Stripper -Execution

Weekend Update aside from Lennons and Piscopo

Serf City

Monologue

100 Years War

MVP:

Denny Dillon

CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN:

cast

Denny Dillon : 6 appearances [Execution, Adopted Amy Carter, Weekend Update, Leather Weather Report, Jack The Stripper, The Wine Cellar]

: 6 appearances [Execution, Adopted Amy Carter, Weekend Update, Leather Weather Report, Jack The Stripper, The Wine Cellar] Gilbert Gottfried : 5 appearances [Execution, Tobacco Grower's Association, Weekend Update, Commie Hunting Season, Jack The Stripper]

: 5 appearances [Execution, Tobacco Grower's Association, Weekend Update, Commie Hunting Season, Jack The Stripper] Gail Matthius : 2 appearances [Serf City, Adopted Amy Carter]

: 2 appearances [Serf City, Adopted Amy Carter] Joe Piscopo : 5 appearances [Execution, Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Weekend Update, Commie Hunting Season, Jack The Stripper]

: 5 appearances [Execution, Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Weekend Update, Commie Hunting Season, Jack The Stripper] Ann Risley : 2 appearances [Serf City, Gothic Romance Novel Shop]

: 2 appearances [Serf City, Gothic Romance Novel Shop] Charles Rocket: 9 appearances [Execution, Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Serf City, Adopted Amy Carter, Weekend Update, Leather Weather Report, Commie Hunting Season, The Rocket Report, Jack The Stripper]

crew and extras:

Yvonne Hudson : 1 appearance [Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom]

: 1 appearance [Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom] Mitchell Kriegman : 1 appearance [Someone Is Hiding In My Apartment]

: 1 appearance [Someone Is Hiding In My Apartment] Matthew Laurance : 1 appearance [Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom]

: 1 appearance [Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom] Neil Levy : 1 appearance [Serf City]

: 1 appearance [Serf City] Andy Murphy : 2 appearances [Execution, Commie Hunting Season]

: 2 appearances [Execution, Commie Hunting Season] Eddie Murphy: 1 appearance [Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom]

guests:

Malcolm McDowell : 7 appearances [Monologue, Serf City, American Milk Association, Weekend Update, Gothic Romance Novel Shop, Commie Hunting Season, Jack The Stripper], 1 voiceover [The 100 Years War]

: 7 appearances [Monologue, Serf City, American Milk Association, Weekend Update, Gothic Romance Novel Shop, Commie Hunting Season, Jack The Stripper], 1 voiceover [The 100 Years War] Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band: 2 appearances ["Hot Head", "Ashtray Heart"]

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

This episode was not rebroadcast on NBC.

Additional screen captures not seen above are available here