Saturday Night Live — Season 9

Saturday Night Live aired its ninth season during the 1983–1984 television season on NBC. The ninth season started on October 8, 1983 and ended on May 12, 1984. Before the start of the season the entire cast returned for another season. The only change was the hiring of Jim Belushi. The notable moment of season was when Eddie Murphy left the show mid-season. After 48 Hours, Murphy's star began to eclipse that of Joe Piscopo's. From the start of season 7, Dick Ebersol made it clear that his strategy was to showcase Murphy and Piscopo as much as possible while all the other cast members would play mainly supporting roles and were treated with very little patience by the producers. When Murphy's 48 Hours co-star Nick Nolte dropped out of hosting at the last minute, Ebersol offered Murphy the chance to host — a move that Piscopo would perceive as a major slight. Piscopo would later claim Ebersol used Murphy's success to divide the two erstwhile friends and play them against one another. Others countered that Piscopo was simply being a prima donna; said one writer, "Eddie Murphy's fame went to Joe Piscopo's head."

Episodes

E01 Brandon Tartikoff/John Cougar
★ 10.0
Oct 8, 1983 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""In Brandon's Office,"" ""NBC Junket,"" ""Gumby's Rehearsal,"" ""Larry's Corner,"" and ""Whiner Show Ideas."" John Cougar Mellancamp performs ""Tumblin' Down"" and ""Pink Houses.""
E02 Danny DeVito & Rhea Perlman/Eddy Grant
★ 10.0
Oct 15, 1983 · 1h 7m
Sketches are ""Calvin Klein Cream Pies,"" ""Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,"" ""Crazy Edelman,"" ""Book Beat,"" ""What Would Frank Do?"" ""Amos n' Andy,"" and ""Spanish Class."" Eddy Grant performs ""I Don't Wanna Dance,"" ""Electric Avenue,"" and ""Living on the Front Line.""
E03 John Candy/Men at Work
★ 10.0
Oct 22, 1983 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""Jim and Mr. Mambo,"" ""Doc Edmund,"" ""Village of the Damned Little Rascals,"" ""Eddie Murphy in the Suburbs,"" ""Dr. Tongue's Offer,"" ""Candace's Fantasy Shack,"" and ""Prison for the Winter."" Men at Work perform ""Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Jive.""
E04 Betty Thomas/Stray Cats
Nov 5, 1983 · 1h 7m
E05 Teri Garr/Mick Fleetwood's Zoo
★ 10.0
Nov 12, 1983 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""Cheerleader Practice,"" ""Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,"" ""History: The Real Story,"" ""School Assembly,"" and ""Caffiene Achievers."" The Zoo (featuring Lindsey Buckingham) performs ""Tonight.""
E06 Jerry Lewis/Loverboy
Nov 19, 1983 · 1h 7m
E07 The Smothers Brothers/Big Country
Dec 3, 1983 · 1h 7m
E08 Flip Wilson/Stevie Nicks
Dec 10, 1983 · 1h 7m
E09 Father Guido Sarducci/Huey Lewis and the News
Jan 14, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches are ""National Phone-In Democratic Primary,"" ""Tasteless Choice,"" ""The Ghost of Buckwheat,"" ""Countdown '84: The Candidates,"" ""Nice Boys Don't Get Girls Pregnant,"" and ""Phone-In Results."" The News perform ""Heart & Soul"" and ""I Want a New Drug.""
E10 Michael Palin, Mary Palin/The Motels
Jan 21, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""Donahue,"" ""Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood,"" and ""Powerful Living Snaps."" The Motels perform ""Suddenly Last Summer.""
E11 Don Rickles/Billy Idol
Jan 28, 1984 · 1h 7m
Live From New York, it's... Joe Piscopo! Sketches include ""TV President,"" ""Kannon AE-1,"" ""I Married A Monkey,"" ""The Hamlisch Maneuver,"" ""Fascinating People And Their Friends,"" ""Witness Protection,"" ""Romeo and Juilet,"" ""El Dorko and Becky,"" and ""This Is Your Afterlife."" Billy Idol performed ""White Wedding"" and ""Rebel Yell.""
E12 Robin Williams/Adam Ant
★ 7.0
Feb 11, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""Olympic Coverage,"" ""Rock & Roll ...and then some,"" ""Gandhi & The Bandit,"" ""Firing Line,"" and ""MTV News."" Adam Ant performs ""Strip.""
E13 Jamie Lee Curtis/The Fixx
Feb 18, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""Rappin' Jimmy B.,"" ""Semi-Competant Video Store Clerk,"" ""The Julia Show,"" ""Jimmy and Jamie Lee Rehearse,"" ""People Transit,"" and ""Texxon."" The Fixx performs ""One Thing Leads to Another.""
E14 Edwin Newman/Kool & the Gang
Feb 25, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""SNL Hairdressers,"" ""Edwin Newman and James Brown,"" and ""Prose and Cons."" Kool & the Gang perform ""Celebrate.""
E15 Billy Crystal/Al Jarreau
Mar 17, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""St. Patrick's Day Party,"" ""Hung Like Me,"" ""Unexplained Questions of the Universe."" ""Family in the Attic,"" ""Bad Career Moves,"" ""Ronald Reagen and Sammy Davis, Jr.,"" ""God's Place,"" ""The Womb,"" and ""SNL's First Episode."" Al Jarreau sang ""Mornin'"" and ""Trouble In Paradise.""
E16 Michael Douglas/Deniece Williams
Apr 7, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""Lost Script,"" ""MTV News,"" ""Four Minutes to Live"" (film), ""TV's Foul-Ups, Bleeps, Blunders, Bloopers, Practical Jokes, And Political Debates,"" ""Sugar or Plain"" (film), and ""Footless."" Deniece Williams performs ""Let's Hear It for the Boy.""
E17 George McGovern/Madness
Apr 14, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""60 Minutes,"" ""Menage a Trois,"" ""Book Talk,"" and ""My Brother, The Loser.""
E18 Barry Bostwick/Spinal Tap
May 5, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches are ""Simulated Cat Fight,"" ""Foldgers Crystals,"" ""Lie Detector Test,"" ""Spinal Tap Interview,"" ""Guest Performance: A. Whitney Brown,"" ""2 on the Town,"" and ""Texxon."" Spinal Tap perform ""Christmas with the Devil"" and ""Big Bottom.""
E19 Billy Crystal, Ed Koch, Edwin Newman, Father Guido Sarducci, Betty Thomas/The Cars
May 12, 1984 · 1h 7m
Sketches include ""Frank & Sammy,"" ""Sarducci & Nelson,"" ""Nose Guard,"" ""Hello, Trudy!,"" ""Needleman the Dentist,"" and ""Stooges Self-Defense."" The Cars perform ""Drive.""