Bill Murray announces that next week's show will be Robert Guillaume with Ian Dury & The Blockheads, and apologizes to the old cast for appearing on the show.

The cast gives him a one-sided group hug. Murray seems more interested in bonding with Murphy, who hugs Patrick Weathers as well. Charles Rocket wears horrific pink pants.

No Don Pardo credit voiceover; judging by the runtime of the Comedy Network version, the show likely ran long and had the goodnights cut off on original broadcast.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The Jean Doumanian era ends on a high note; while Karen Black's show had a few more peaks, Murray brought an energy that seemed to erase the combination of defeat and panic that lingered over the last few shows. Rocket's over the top tendencies are reigned in, Risley appears to find her niche, and everyone seems to be having fun again. The reduction in the number of sketches seems to have also helped tonight. Most importantly, I didn't have a feeling of "this may be our last show"; if the show had continued with the same cast, writers and producer, I wonder if they would have come up with for Guillaume / Dury. The potential for Doumanian's show to fully correct itself never came to be: NBC would fire her the next week. When the show returned the next month, Rocket, Risley and Gottfried were no longer in the cast, and the writing staff was now without Larry Arnstein & David Hurwitz, Ferris Butler, John DeBellis, Brian Doyle-Murray and Leslie Fuller.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

The Writer

Nick Rivers

Monologue

Dressing Room

Bubba's Wash, Fayetta's Dry

EPISODE LOWLIGHTS:

Newsline (Rocket/Piscopo segment)

ChapStick

MVP:

Bill Murray

CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN:

cast:

Denny Dillon : 6 appearances [Dressing Room, The Writer, Altered Walter, ChapStick, Nick Rivers, Bubba's Wash Fayetta's Dry]

: 6 appearances [Dressing Room, The Writer, Altered Walter, ChapStick, Nick Rivers, Bubba's Wash Fayetta's Dry] Gilbert Gottfried : 3 appearances [Dressing Room, ChapStick, No Sex With Mary]

: 3 appearances [Dressing Room, ChapStick, No Sex With Mary] Gail Matthius : 4 appearances [Dressing Room, ChapStick, Nick Rivers, No Sex With Mary]

: 4 appearances [Dressing Room, ChapStick, Nick Rivers, No Sex With Mary] Eddie Murphy : 4 appearances [Dressing Room, Monologue, ChapStick, Nick Rivers]

: 4 appearances [Dressing Room, Monologue, ChapStick, Nick Rivers] Joe Piscopo : 6 appearances [Dressing Room, Formula For The Good Life, Altered Walter, ChapStick, Newsline, No Sex With Mary]

: 6 appearances [Dressing Room, Formula For The Good Life, Altered Walter, ChapStick, Newsline, No Sex With Mary] Ann Risley : 3 appearances [Dressing Room, The Writer, Cat's Name]

: 3 appearances [Dressing Room, The Writer, Cat's Name] Charles Rocket: 4 appearances [Dressing Room, The Writer, Newsline, No Sex With Mary]

featured players [none credited in montage]:

Yvonne Hudson : 1 appearance [Nick Rivers]

: 1 appearance [Nick Rivers] Matthew Laurance : 3 appearances [The Writer, Altered Walter, Cat's Name]

: 3 appearances [The Writer, Altered Walter, Cat's Name] Patrick Weathers: 1 appearance [Nick Rivers]

crew and extras:

Ronnie Cuber : 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"]

: 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"] Lawrence Feldman : 1 appearance [Monologue]

: 1 appearance [Monologue] Neil Levy : 1 appearance [Nick Rivers]

: 1 appearance [Nick Rivers] Tom Malone : 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"]

: 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"] Lou Marini : 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"]

: 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"] Chris Palmaro : 1 appearance [Monologue]

: 1 appearance [Monologue] Leon Pendarvis : 1 appearance [Monologue]

: 1 appearance [Monologue] Karen Roston : 1 appearance [Nick Rivers]

: 1 appearance [Nick Rivers] Alan P. Rubin : 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"]

: 2 appearances [Monologue, "Giving It Up For Your Love"] David Spinozza : 1 appearance [Monologue]

: 1 appearance [Monologue] Buddy Williams: 1 appearance [Monologue]

guests:

Bill Murray : 9 appearances [Dressing Room, Monologue, The Writer, Altered Walter, Newsline: Arts & Leisure, Nick Rivers, Cut Flowers, Cat's Name, Bubba's Wash Fayetta's Dry]

: 9 appearances [Dressing Room, Monologue, The Writer, Altered Walter, Newsline: Arts & Leisure, Nick Rivers, Cut Flowers, Cat's Name, Bubba's Wash Fayetta's Dry] Delbert McClinton : 2 appearances ["Giving It Up For Your Love", "Shotgun Rider"]

: 2 appearances ["Giving It Up For Your Love", "Shotgun Rider"] Bonnie Bramlett : 2 appearances ["Giving It Up For Your Love", "Shotgun Rider"]

: 2 appearances ["Giving It Up For Your Love", "Shotgun Rider"] Mark King: 1 appearance [Newsline: Science Break]

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

Not repeated on NBC.

Additional screen captures from this episode are available here.