Saturday Night Live season 6
The sixth season of Saturday Night Live began on the 15th of November 1980 with a complete replacement of the original cast. Jean Doumanian took over as executive producer after Lorne Michaels departed following five successful seasons. Michaels had been told by NBC executives that the show would go on hiatus while he took a year off before returning. Instead, Doumanian hired an entirely new group of performers to replace the Not Ready for Prime Time Players. She brought in Denny Dillon, Gilbert Gottfried, Gail Matthius, Joe Piscopo, Ann Risley and Charles Rocket as repertory players. Yvonne Hudson joined as a featured player and became SNL's first black female cast member. Matthew Laurance and Patrick Weathers also joined the featured player ranks. The production passed on several well-known comedians including Jim Carrey, Mercedes Ruehl, Sandra Bernhard, John Goodman and Paul Reubens during auditions. Andy Kaufman offered to contribute a weekly segment but was turned down. Doumanian specifically sought a non-white cast member to fill Garrett Morris' previous role. In mid-September thirty black actors and comedians auditioned over two days at Rockefeller Center. Talent coordinator Neil Levy suggested Eddie Murphy from Roosevelt, Long Island despite Doumanian initially leaning toward Charlie Barnett. Murphy began as a featured player starting with the fourth episode after much convincing from staff members.
On the 21st of February 1981 the show aired a parody titled Who Shot C.R.? featuring cast member Charles Rocket. During the final sketch Rocket appeared in a wheelchair after being shot in a running gag about his grievances. Host Charlene Tilton asked him onstage for his thoughts while still in character. Rocket replied Oh man it's the first time I've been shot in my life. He then added I'd like to know who the fuck did it. The cast and audience laughed and applauded but control room director Dave Wilson threw his script papers in the air. Wilson declared Well that's the end of live television before walking out of the room. NBC president of entertainment Brandon Tartikoff fired Doumanian immediately following this incident. Dick Ebersol was hired to improve the show quality. The show went on a brief hiatus as Ebersol retooled the cast. He fired most of Doumanian's hires including Gilbert Gottfried Ann Risley and Charles Rocket. Robin Duke Tim Kazurinsky and Tony Rosato replaced them. Ebersol also eliminated the rest of the 1980 cast except for Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo. Bill Murray hosted the episode two weeks after the Rocket incident with Robert Guillaume and Ian Dury scheduled for the next episode.
Eddie Murphy joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player starting with the fourth episode in September 1980. At nineteen years old he had begged producer Neil Levy to give him a shot despite initial rejection. Murphy became the sole repertory player to survive Dick Ebersol's complete retooling of the cast. He was upgraded to repertory status on the 7th of February 1981 after appearing in five episodes as a featured player. While other performers like Denny Dillon Gail Matthius and Charles Rocket were fired during the overhaul Murphy remained. Joe Piscopo also survived the transition alongside Murphy. Ebersol originally wanted to bring John Candy and Catherine O'Hara from SCTV but Candy turned down the offer. O'Hara initially accepted the job before quitting after a production meeting where Michael O'Donoghue berated the cast. Murphy's survival proved crucial when the season ended abruptly due to the writers strike. His presence provided continuity through the chaotic transition period that followed Doumanian's departure. The show went on hiatus while Ebersol extensively retooled both cast and crew members over several months.
Contemporary media responses to Jean Doumanian's Saturday Night Live were overwhelmingly negative. The Associated Press described the new version as essentially crude sophomoric and self-consciously cool. They noted it was occasionally funny but mostly just raunchy without substance. The New York Times stated the season looked almost exactly as previous years but only the shell remained. Reviewers claimed the missing ingredient was an innovative vision that made the old show special. Newsdays Marvin Kitman called the new edition terrible and wrote Call it Saturday Night Dead on Arrival. Tom Shales headline read FROM YUK TO YECCCH with the first sentence Vile from New York, It's Saturday Night. He described the show as snide sordid embarrassment lacking any compensating satirical edge. The Washington Star said the show strained and groaned while humor was almost completely lost despite desperate attempts. Hill and Weingrad summarized other reviews calling the style offensive and not funny. David Hofstede included this season in his book What Were They Thinking? as one of 25 runners-up for dumbest television events. Doumanian herself put a tape of the show on her videocassette machine to begin sketch-by-sketch critiques. She told writer Billy Brown Watch this And I hope you hate it because you wrote it.
Ebersol's first produced episode aired the 11th of April 1981 featuring Chevy Chase on Weekend Update. Al Franken appeared asking viewers to put SNL to sleep during the broadcast. Ebersol had promised Franken and Tom Davis they could host the following week if they wrote material before the strike began. During the writers' strike looming over production Franken and Davis mailed their material to themselves to prove compliance. Ebersol called off the rest of the season after seeing copies of the written content. He promised the duo they could host the season premiere that fall but never returned their calls. Franken would not return to SNL until four years later as a featured cast member. Other episodes cancelled due to the strike were scheduled for April the 25th of May the 9th of May 16 and the 23rd of May 1981. Dan Aykroyd Steve Martin Brooke Shields and Buck Henry were all scheduled hosts who never got their chance during that year. Aykroyd wouldn't get a chance to host until the 28th season finale in 2003 while Martin didn't return until 1986. The strike forced an abrupt end to what was originally planned as a full season running through mid-May.
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Common questions
Who replaced Lorne Michaels as executive producer of Saturday Night Live season 6?
Jean Doumanian took over as executive producer after Lorne Michaels departed following five successful seasons. She hired an entirely new group of performers to replace the original cast members known as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players.
When did Eddie Murphy join Saturday Night Live season 6 and what was his initial role?
Eddie Murphy joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player starting with the fourth episode in September 1980. He began at nineteen years old after begging producer Neil Levy to give him a chance despite initial rejection.
What incident caused Jean Doumanian to be fired from Saturday Night Live season 6?
Charles Rocket appeared in a wheelchair during a parody sketch titled Who Shot C.R.? on the 21st of February 1981 and used profanity while in character. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff fired Doumanian immediately following this incident because control room director Dave Wilson walked out of the room.
Which cast members survived Dick Ebersol's retooling of Saturday Night Live season 6?
Eddie Murphy became the sole repertory player to survive Dick Ebersol's complete retooling of the cast. Joe Piscopo also survived the transition alongside Murphy while most other hires including Gilbert Gottfried Ann Risley and Charles Rocket were fired.
Why did the writers strike end Saturday Night Live season 6 before mid-May 1981?
The show went on hiatus when Al Franken and Tom Davis mailed their written material to themselves to prove compliance with strike rules. Ebersol called off the rest of the season after seeing copies of the content he had promised them could host the premiere that fall.