Saturday Night Live season 14

Saturday Night Live
Season 14
The title card for the fourteenth season of Saturday Night Live.
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseOctober 8, 1988 (1988-10-08) –
May 20, 1989 (1989-05-20)
Season chronology
← Previous
season 13
Next →
season 15
List of episodes

The fourteenth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 8, 1988 and May 20, 1989.

A new show logo was used starting with this season. It was made up of the words SATURDAY + NIGHT + LIVE styled in a circle.[1] It was used until the end of the show's 20th season in 1995.

This season notably saw the death of a second original cast member, Gilda Radner, who died on the day of the season finale from ovarian cancer. In memory of Radner, Steve Martin showed a clip from the "Dancing in the Dark" sketch from the 1978 episode hosted by Martin in lieu of his planned monologue.[2]

This season introduced the "Wayne's World" skits.

Cast

[edit]

Mike Myers made his debut as a cast member midseason.[3] The first Wayne's World sketch aired on February 18, 1989.[4] Ben Stiller had a very brief stint as a featured player. His short film The Hustler of Money had impressed producers and was aired in season 12.[5] Stiller ended up leaving after only four episodes because he wanted to focus more on making short films, as opposed to performing solely sketch comedy.[5]

Cast roster

[edit]

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Writers

[edit]
Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § Season 14

Episodes

[edit]
Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		HostMusical guest(s)Original air date
2471Tom HanksKeith RichardsOctober 8, 1988 (1988-10-08)

2482Matthew BroderickThe SugarcubesOctober 15, 1988 (1988-10-15)

2493John LarroquetteRandy Newman & Mark KnopflerOctober 22, 1988 (1988-10-22)

  • Randy Newman and Mark Knopfler perform "It's Money That Matters" and "Dixie Flyer".[6]
  • Dana Carvey appeared as Dennis Miller on Weekend Update.
  • Al Franken's first episode returning as a cast member after departing in season 11, where he returned to the writer's room for the next few seasons.
2504Matthew ModineEdie Brickell and New BohemiansNovember 5, 1988 (1988-11-05)

2515Demi MooreJohnny Clegg & SavukaNovember 12, 1988 (1988-11-12)

  • Johnny Clegg & Savuka perform "I Call Your Name" and "Take My Heart Away".[6]
  • Kirsten Dunst appeared in the cold opening as one of George Bush's (Dana Carvey) grandchildren.
2526John LithgowTracy ChapmanNovember 19, 1988 (1988-11-19)

2537Danny DeVitoThe BanglesDecember 3, 1988 (1988-12-03)

2548Kevin KlineBobby McFerrinDecember 10, 1988 (1988-12-10)

  • Bobby McFerrin performs "Drive" and "The Star-Spangled Banner".[6]
  • This episode was dedicated to Roy Orbison, the musical guest of the 1986-1987 season finale, who died on December 6. At the end of the episode, Kline introduces Roy's performance of Crying from that show as a tribute.
2559Melanie GriffithLittle FeatDecember 17, 1988 (1988-12-17)

25610John MalkovichAnita BakerJanuary 21, 1989 (1989-01-21)

25711Tony DanzaJohn HiattJanuary 28, 1989 (1989-01-28)

25812Ted DansonLuther VandrossFebruary 11, 1989 (1989-02-11)

25913Leslie NielsenCowboy JunkiesFebruary 18, 1989 (1989-02-18)

26014Glenn CloseGipsy KingsFebruary 25, 1989 (1989-02-25)

26115Mary Tyler MooreElvis CostelloMarch 25, 1989 (1989-03-25)

  • Elvis Costello performs "Veronica" and "Let Him Dangle".[6] (This marked Costello's return to SNL following his infamous performance of Radio, Radio 11 years earlier which resulted in Costello being banned from appearing on the show again. As of 2017, Costello is one of three people who have had a ban from SNL lifted.)
  • Ben Stiller's first episode as a cast member.
26216Mel GibsonLiving ColourApril 1, 1989 (1989-04-01)

26317Dolly PartonDolly PartonApril 15, 1989 (1989-04-15)

26418Geena DavisJohn MellencampApril 22, 1989 (1989-04-22)

26519Wayne GretzkyFine Young CannibalsMay 13, 1989 (1989-05-13)

  • Fine Young Cannibals perform "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing".[6]
  • Gretzky's wife Janet Jones appears in the "Wayne's World" sketch.
  • This episode was released as part of the three-episode "Best of Saturday Night Live: Special Edition" VHS (1992).
26620Steve MartinTom Petty & the HeartbreakersMay 20, 1989 (1989-05-20)

  • Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform "Runnin' Down a Dream" and "Free Fallin'".[6]
  • In the opening monologue, Steve Martin visibly struggled to hold back tears as he paid tribute to Gilda Radner, who had died of cancer in the afternoon on the day of the broadcast. Martin and Radner's "Dancing in the Dark" sketch, originally shown in episode 64 in 1978, was also offered in tribute.[2] The show's bandleader G.E. Smith, who was also Radner's ex-husband, wore a black armband throughout the live show.
  • Timothy Busfield appears in the "New Coneheads" sketch.
  • Paulina Porizkova appears in the "Get to Know Me" sketch.
  • The first Toonces sketch appears in this episode.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "40 years of inspired graphic design in SNL's title sequence". The A.V. Club. May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Shales & Miller 2002, p. 352.
  3. ^ Shales & Miller 2002, p. 348.
  4. ^ Shales & Miller 2002, p. 349.
  5. ^ a b Simpson, Connor (February 16, 2022). "Revisiting Ben Stiller's Brief Stint as an SNL Cast Member". primetimer.com. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 124–127. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  7. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 202–203. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  8. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 237. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  9. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 264. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  10. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 226–229. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  11. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 230–232. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  12. ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 234–236. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.

Works cited

[edit]
  • Shales, Tom; Miller, James Andrew (2002). Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0316781466.
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