Saturday Night Live — Season 3
The third season of Saturday Night Live, airing across the 1977-1978 television year on NBC, proved to be another memorable chapter in the show’s history. Kicking off September 24th, 1977, and wrapping up May 20th, 1978, this season – now available on DVD since its release in 2008 – saw the return of the entire original cast. It also marked a significant shift with the introduction of the "featured player" role, and welcomed writers Tom Davis and Al Franken to the stage as official cast members. A truly unique event defined this season: the “Anyone Can Host” contest. In an unprecedented move, SNL invited everyday people to vie for the chance to host, ultimately selecting Miskel Spillman, an 80-year-old grandmother who remains the only non-celebrity ever to helm a show. Her hosting stint took an unexpected turn when musical guest Elvis Costello, dissatisfied with the planned performance of "Less Than Zero," spontaneously switched to his then-unreleased track “Radio Radio,” a pointed critique of mainstream media. The move reportedly frustrated creator Lorne Michaels, leading to a temporary ban on Costello's future appearances. The season also saw Chevy Chase return as host – a first for an ex-cast member – but his appearance wasn’t without drama. A physical altercation between Chase and Bill Murray backstage was diffused by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Following the incident, Chase publicly accused Murray of attempting to steal his spotlight and making inappropriate comments about his wife. While Chase would return to host SNL on several occasions, his presence often created tension within the cast and crew.
From the heart of New York City, here is Dan Aykroyd. His performances feature segments such as the "Bert Lance National Express Card," "Kromega III," excerpts from "Wild & Crazy Guys," "Mike McMack, Defense Lawyer," the "Trinity 3000 Co…
From New York City, this is… Bill Murray. Segments feature: “Lee Harry Oswald,” “Swill,” “Bad Opera,” “The ‘Anyone Can Host’ Contest,” “Bianca Jagger Talks with Close Personal Friends,” “The Acid Generation – Where Are They Now?,” “Blin…
From New York City, here is Laraine Newman. Her segments include: "Playboy Bunny," "Angora Bouquet," "Planet Of The Men Vs. Planet Of The Women," "The 'Anyone Can Host' Contest," "The X-Police," "Circular Bed Sex Research," "Listening To…
From the vibrant stage of New York, a performance by John Belushi: The program features sketches including "Grodin Misses Dress Rehearsal," an advertisement for "Weekend Update," the otherworldly antics of "The Coneheads," a protracted a…
From the heart of New York City, here is John Belushi. The program features sketches including "Don Corleone," "A Message From the President of the United States," "Mamorex," "Howdy Doody's Widow," "Tomorrow," "The Young Caucasians," a R…
From New York City, here are the finalists in the "Anyone Can Host" contest. Their sketches include: "The 'Anyone Can Host' Contest Finalists," "Little Chocolate Donuts," "Samurai Psychiatrist," "Stunt Babies," "Motel Sanitation Items," "To…
From the heart of New York City, presented here are Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Mary Kay Place, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and Jane Curtin. The program features sketches including: "Peppiest Show Ever," "He…
From the heart of New York City, here is John Belushi... His performances encompass such memorable scenes as "America's Oldest Living Doper," the "Meat Wagon Toy Ambulance," a foray into "Dating the Self-Conscious & Extremely Obnoxious,"…
From New York City, here is Dan Aykroyd. His performances include segments such as "State of the Union Address," "Swill," "Searching For Bigfoot," "Wild & Crazy Guys," "Body Floss," "The Coneheads On 'Family Feud'," the "Close Personal F…
From New York City, it's... Paul Shaffer. Segments include: "Mr. Mike & Tina Turner Review," "Olympia Cafe," "The X-Police," "Nick Winters," "Nerds Album," "Frogs Look at Film," "Giant Lobster Attack Warning," "Rhonda Weiss," "Attack of …
From the heart of New York City, here is... Chevy Chase. The program features sketches including: "A Former President Speaks to the Nation," "The Moth Masher," "Post-Sex Discussion," "King," "Customs Trainee," "Bad Day Soundtrack Film," …
From the heart of New York City, a performance by Gilda Radner. Her memorable sketches include "Gilda Answers Audience Questions," the vibrant "Samurai Night Fever," the iconic "Great Moments in Sports," the peculiar "The Mohawk Master," th…
From the heart of New York City, here is Gilda Radner. Her memorable sketches include "Modern Crimes," "Kromega III," "Tomorrow," "Miracle in Chicago," "Stage Door Guard," "Looks at Books," "Don't Look Back in Anger," and the "Looking fo…
From the heart of New York City, here is Garrett Morris. His performances feature sketches such as "Garrett Morris sings 'Danny Boy'," "Royal Deluxe II," "Olympia Cafe," "Sybil III," "Bad One-Man Theater," "Nutrifix," "Myopia," "Shower M…
From the vibrant stage of New York comes John Belushi... His performances encompass memorable sketches like "Kevin Scott," cinematic parodies of "Movie Trailers," a whimsical reimagining of "My Fair Lady," the darkly humorous "Mr. Death,…
From New York City, here is Dan Aykroyd. The program features sketches including: "Oscar Awards," "Little Chocolate Donuts," "Tax Deductions," "H&L Brock," "Great Escape," "Nerds Piano Lesson," "The Case of the Scarlet Membrane," "Good T…
From New York City, here is Laraine Newman. Her performances feature sketches such as "A Message From the President of the United States," "Angora Bouquet," "Judy Miller," "E. Buzz Miller's Exercise World," "La Dolce Gilda," "Abraham Lin…
## Live From New York, It's... Paul Shaffer Nominated for an Emmy Award. His repertoire includes segments from shows such as "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert," "Hey You!," "Wild & Crazy Guys," "Theodoric of York," "Dancing In The Dark," …
From New York City, this is Bill Murray. Highlights include segments titled--"Paraquat," "Cone Encounters of the Third Kind," "Sex Test," "Nick 'Springs'," "Annoying Lovers' Traits," "The David Susskind Show," and "Father Guido Sarducci…
From New York City, here is Dan Aykroyd. The repertoire includes sketches such as "Nixon Kicks His Book Around," "Nerds Go To The Prom," "Samurai TV Repairman," "Sodom Chamber of Commerce," "Olympia Cafe," "Mr. Mike's Least Loved Music,"…
