Season 9

19 EPISODES • 1983

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."

Season 8

Episodes

1: Brandon Tartikoff/John Cougar

Oct 8, 1983

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.""

2: Danny DeVito & Rhea Perlman/Eddy Grant

Oct 15, 1983

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.""

3: John Candy/Men at Work

Oct 22, 1983

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.""

4: Betty Thomas/Stray Cats

Nov 5, 1983

5: Teri Garr/Mick Fleetwood's Zoo

Nov 12, 1983

Sketches include ""Cheerleader Practice,"" ""Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,"" ""History: The Real Story,"" ""School Assembly,"" and ""Caffiene Achievers."" The Zoo (featuring Lindsey Buckingham) performs ""Tonight.""

6: Jerry Lewis/Loverboy

Nov 19, 1983

7: The Smothers Brothers/Big Country

Dec 3, 1983

8: Flip Wilson/Stevie Nicks

Dec 10, 1983

9: Father Guido Sarducci/Huey Lewis and the News

Jan 14, 1984

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.""

10: Michael Palin, Mary Palin/The Motels

Jan 21, 1984

Sketches include ""Donahue,"" ""Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood,"" and ""Powerful Living Snaps."" The Motels perform ""Suddenly Last Summer.""

11: Don Rickles/Billy Idol

Jan 28, 1984

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.""

12: Robin Williams/Adam Ant

Feb 11, 1984

Sketches include ""Olympic Coverage,"" ""Rock & Roll ...and then some,"" ""Gandhi & The Bandit,"" ""Firing Line,"" and ""MTV News."" Adam Ant performs ""Strip.""

13: Jamie Lee Curtis/The Fixx

Feb 18, 1984

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.""

14: Edwin Newman/Kool & the Gang

Feb 25, 1984

Sketches include ""SNL Hairdressers,"" ""Edwin Newman and James Brown,"" and ""Prose and Cons."" Kool & the Gang perform ""Celebrate.""

15: Billy Crystal/Al Jarreau

Mar 17, 1984

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.""

16: Michael Douglas/Deniece Williams

Apr 7, 1984

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.""

17: George McGovern/Madness

Apr 14, 1984

Sketches include ""60 Minutes,"" ""Menage a Trois,"" ""Book Talk,"" and ""My Brother, The Loser.""

18: Barry Bostwick/Spinal Tap

May 5, 1984

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.""

19: Billy Crystal, Ed Koch, Edwin Newman, Father Guido Sarducci, Betty Thomas/The Cars

May 12, 1984

Sketches include ""Frank & Sammy,"" ""Sarducci & Nelson,"" ""Nose Guard,"" ""Hello, Trudy!,"" ""Needleman the Dentist,"" and ""Stooges Self-Defense."" The Cars perform ""Drive.""

Season 10

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