Final thoughts:

Another fairly uneven show. On the upside, the runner was consistently entertaining and led up to one of the defining moments of this season, and Damon Wayans finally gets his moment to shine. On the other hand, the show started off slowly, and one of the most painfully bad sketches of the entire year turns up in the back half of the show. I’m also mixed on the hosts: neither Anjelica Huston nor Billy Martin were particularly great, though at least Martin’s runner let him poke fun at himself and gave him something to do; it felt like the writers had more trouble coming up with stuff for Huston to do. George Clinton’s performances did give tonight more of a party atmosphere, though, even if they were marred somewhat by dodgy mixing and Clinton not being in the best shape vocally by the time of the air show.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

Fire

Guest Performance

Book Minute

Backstage

SHOW LOWLIGHTS:

Movie Theatre

The People’s Second Choice Awards

Hands Across America

Bocce Ball My Way

MVP:

(tie) Jon Lovitz/Nora Dunn

CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN:

cast

Joan Cusack : 6 appearances [Hands Across America, Moments of Doubt, Glamorous Drinking, Lesbian Pick-Ups, My Friend, Fire]

Robert Downey Jr. : 5 appearances [Hands Across America, Actors on Film, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Movie Theatre, Fire]

Nora Dunn : 4 appearances [Hands Across America, Actors on Film, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Fire]

Anthony Michael Hall : 3 appearances [Monologue, Backstage, Fire]

Jon Lovitz : 5 appearances [Monologue, Glamorous Drinking, Backstage, My Friend, Fire]

Dennis Miller : 2 appearances [Weekend Update, Fire]

Randy Quaid : 6 appearances [Hands Across America, The People’s Second Choice Awards, Moments of Doubt, Glamorous Drinking, Movie Theatre, Fire]

Terry Sweeney : 3 appearances [Hands Across America, Movie Theatre, Fire]

Danitra Vance: 6 appearances [Hands Across America, Glamorous Drinking, Book Minute, Movie Theatre, My Friend, Fire]

featured players

A. Whitney Brown : 2 appearances [Weekend Update, Movie Theatre, Fire]

Al Franken : 2 appearances [Weekend Update, Fire]

Don Novello (credited as “Father Guido Sarducci”) : 1 appearance [Bocce Ball My Way], 1 voice-over [Weekend Update]

Damon Wayans: 2 appearances [Guest Performance, Fire]

unbilled crew, extras and bit players

Carol Leifer : 1 appearance [Lesbian Pick-Ups]

Mark McKinney : 1 voice-over [Book Minute]

Evie Murray : 2 appearances [Lesbian Pick-Ups, Movie Theatre]

Don Pardo: 4 voice-overs [The People’s Second Choice Awards, Glamorous Drinking, Actors on Film, Bocce Ball My Way]

guests

Anjelica Huston : 7 appearances [Monologue, Moments of Doubt, Glamorous Drinking, Mafia Greeting Cards, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Movie Theatre, Fire]

Billy Martin : 6 appearances [Hands Across America, Monologue, Glamorous Drinking, Backstage, My Friend, Fire]

George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic 3 appearances [“Let’s Take It To The Stage/Up For The Downstroke/I Call My Baby Pussycat”, “Do Fries Go With That Shake/Standing On The Verge of Getting It On”, Fire]

Thomas Dolby: 1 appearance [“Let’s Take It To The Stage”]

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

September 20, 1986

Known alterations:

Audience sweetening: None to mild: Hands Across America, Monologue, The Peoples’ Second Choice Awards, Glamorous Drinking, Actors on Film, Bocce Ball My Way, Backstage, My Friend Moderate: Weekend Update, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Guest Performance, Movie Theatre

Edits: Hands Across America, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Guest Performance, Goodnights

Dress Substitutions: Mafia Greeting Cards, Book Minute, “Do Fries Go With That Shake/Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On”, Fire, Goodnights (home base sequence)

Additional screen captures from this episode are available here.