Saturday Night Live - Season 2
Description: Saturday Night Live aired its second season during the 1976–1977 television season on NBC. The second season started on September 18, 1976, and ended on May 21, 1977.
This season saw the first of many SNL cast changes. Chevy Chase, who was pursuing a movie career in California, left the show after the October 30th episode hosted by Buck Henry with musical guest, The Band. Jane Curtin became the first female cast member to become a Weekend Update anchor following Chase's departure. On the January 15, 1977 episode, Bill Murray joined the cast to fill the void left by Chase's departure.
This season also saw another change in the show: its name. Following the cancellation of ABC's Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell, NBC changed the name of the show from NBC's Saturday Night to its current title, Saturday Night Live in the episode hosted by Jack Burns in 1977.
It was the last time that the Muppet sketches would appear on the show. In a 1977 interview with Playboy, O'Donoghue who was head writer/performer, referred to the Muppets as "those fucking Muppets, those little hairy facecloths" and were "made from the refuse after they cleaned up after Woodstock". He also refused to write for them, saying "I don’t write for felt". O'Donoghue also had a lynched Big Bird hanging in the writer's office.
Episodes
Lily Tomlin/James Taylor
Aired: Sep 18, 1976
Live from New York, It's...Chevy Chase Sketches include-- Big shot Lily Tomlin ...
Norman Lear/Boz Scaggs
Aired: Sep 25, 1976
Live from New York, It's...Chevy Chase (On telephone) Sketches include-- Gilda ...
Eric Idle/Joe Cocker and Stuff
Aired: Oct 2, 1976
Live from New York, it's..Chevy Chase (on telephone)! Sketches include-- Hospit...
Karen Black/John Prine
Aired: Oct 16, 1976
Live from New York, it's...Chevy Chase! Sketches include-- Chevy returns, "Bab...
Steve Martin/Kinky Friedman
Aired: Oct 23, 1976
Sketches include "Yankees Lose," "Jeopardy 1999," "Speak Out For Milk", "The Bea...
Buck Henry/The Band
Aired: Oct 30, 1976
Sketches include-- Trick or Treating Land Shark, "Not For Ladies Only", Samurai ...
Dick Cavett/Ry Cooder
Aired: Nov 13, 1976
Live from New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Chroma Trak Girl, Pu...
Paul Simon/Paul Simon, George Harrison
Aired: Nov 20, 1976
Live from New York, It's...George Harrison Sketches include-- Paul Simon meets ...
Jodie Foster/Brian Wilson
Aired: Nov 27, 1976
Live from New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Gilda wont be in muc...
Candice Bergen/Frank Zappa
Aired: Dec 11, 1976
Live from New York, it's... Gilda Radner! Sketches include: "Patty Hearst At Ho...
Ralph Nader/George Benson
Aired: Jan 15, 1977
Live from New York, It's...Ralph Nader Sketches include-- Ralph Nader wants to ...
Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry
Aired: Jan 22, 1977
Live from New York, it's...Ruth Gordon! Sketches include-- Belushi's too sick t...
Fran Tarkenton/Leo Sayer
Aired: Jan 29, 1977
Live from New York, it's...Fran Tarkenton! Sketches include "Locker Room Pep Ta...
Steve Martin/The Kinks
Aired: Feb 26, 1977
Live from New York, It's... Steve Martin! Sketches include "Steve Martin's Ego ...
Sissy Spacek/Richard Baskin
Aired: Mar 12, 1977
Live From New York, It's...Sissy Spacek! Sketches include-- "Dave Wilson's Dead...
Broderick Crawford/Dr. John, The Meters
Aired: Mar 19, 1977
Live From New York, it's... Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, & Linda R...
Jack Burns/Santana
Aired: Mar 26, 1977
Live From New York, It's...John Belushi Sketches include-- Belushi Refuses to S...
Julian Bond/Brick
Aired: Apr 9, 1977
Live From New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Emily Litella's New ...
Elliott Gould/McGarrigle Sisters
Aired: Apr 16, 1977
Live From New York, It's...John Belushi! Sketches include-- Brezhnev Wants to A...
Eric Idle/Neil Innes
Aired: Apr 23, 1977
Live From New York, It's...Bill Murray Sketches include-- Potato Torture, The A...
Shelley Duvall/Joan Armatrading
Aired: May 14, 1977
Live From New York, It's...John Belushi Sketches include-- Bee Sketch Is Pre-Em...
Buck Henry/Kenny Vance, Jennifer Warnes
Aired: May 21, 1977
Live From New York, It's...Gilda Radner Sketches include-- Carter's Energy Savi...