Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a late-night sketch comedy series which premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, and introduced a number of new comics and distinctive, recurring characters -- much like Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In years earlier, but with an edgier, late-night sensibility.

The Muppets were regular performers in the first season of Saturday Night Live (1975-76). The characters, which were specifically created for the show, appeared in the Land of Gorch segments. Fifteen sketches were produced, featuring performances by Muppeteers Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Alice Tweedie, Fran Brill, and Richard Hunt.

The series of sketches lasted from SNL's first episode to April of 1976 (and became a recurring joke in the show's second season). The book Live From New York by TV critic Tom Shales details the backstage conflict between the writers of the show, who resisted integrating the Muppets into the show during the first year, and the Muppet performers.

Guest Appearances

 * The Muppets returned after 28 years for an episode hosted by Robert De Niro on December 18, 2004. Kermit the Frog sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with De Niro during the opening monologue. Later in the show, Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzie and Animal sang the annual SNL Christmas song, "Christmas is Number One," with Horatio Sanz. All four Muppets (and their performers) were also present at the close of the show, when De Niro thanked them for being there. The Muppeteers were Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz and David Rudman.

Muppet Mentions & Spoofs

 * In a Bees sketch that spoofed Peter Pan, one of the Bees says that they are "Like the Muppets, only with longer contracts."


 * During the time when the Muppets were still appearing regularly on SNL, Chevy Chase stood in one night when they weren't available. Using the Gorch set, Chase used his bare hands to perform a sketch about a lonely wife and her milkman.


 * In a 1983 "Weekend Update" segment, it is reported that a number of films have been banned from Norway. One of them is The Muppet Movie "because during the entire film, Miss Piggy performs with a man's hand up her dress."


 * In a 1990 sketch, "America's Most Wanted: Former Child Stars," grown-up child star Rodney Allen Rippy (Tim Meadows) says "I'm in an audition tomorrow - I'll be the voice of a Muppet Baby!"


 * In a 1996 Celebrity Jeopardy parody sketch, Phil Donahue (Darrell Hammond) responded to the question "This December 25th holiday involves decorating a tree and opening presents" with a monologue on Christmas commercialism stating "Little Bobby and little Susie have hung their stockings with care. Mom and Dad are out looking for Tickle-Me-Elmo 'til five a.m., and all of a sudden, Bobby looks up and he says, 'Hey! Who is this Jesus?' Meanwhile, Kris Kringle is drinking Coke! The reindeer are playing Nintendo! The elves are wearing Nike..."


 * In a 1996 edition of "Weekend Update," Norm MacDonald reported that "the number one selling doll this Christmas is Tickle Me Elmo. And the least popular selling doll? You guessed it - Tickle Me Frank Stallone."


 * In a 1998 Celebrity Jeopardy parody sketch, contestant Adam Sandler (played by Jimmy Fallon) sings a version of Sandler's Hanukkah Song, listing Jewish celebrities, singing "Robert DeNiro, Bela Lugosi, Snuffleupagus, and Parker Posey".


 * In a 1999 sketch, the Bloder Brothers, Wayne and Kip (Chris Parnell and Jimmy Fallon), hit on Cindy (Julianna Margulies) while her friend Clair (Ana Gasteyer) helps fight the creeps off:
 * Cindy: Oh, don’t worry, Clair. I don’t think these Muppets here could hurt me.
 * Kip: Well, I, for one, just changed my name to Elmo. Tickle me... [laughs]
 * Wayne: Uh, can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?


 * In a 2000 "Weekend Update" sketch, Joacob Silj (Will Ferrell) explains to anchor Tina Fey how his life is affected by his voice immodulation disorder (the inablity to control the pitch or volume of one's voice):
 * Joacob Silj: Imagine being at a high school dance, singing along with everyone else "and a little bit softer now, and a little bit softer now, and a little bit softer now." Or how about sitting in the privacy of your church confessional and whispering to your priest, "I've had impure thoughts about that hippy puppet in the Muppet Show Band."
 * Tina Fey: Janice?
 * Joacob Silj: Janice, yes.


 * In a 2000 Celebrity Jeopardy parody sketch, the last category on the board is "Famous Muppet Frogs." Alex Trebek (Will Ferrell) says, "I should add that the answer to every question in that category is Kermit." Robin Williams (Jimmy Fallon) replies "Yes it's like Kermit and John Wayne goin', 'It's not easy being green, pilgrim.' It's like Schwarzenegger, 'Ya, I'm Kermit the frog, ya that's me, Schwarzenegger Kermit.'


 * In a 2001 "Weekend Update" segment, Jimmy Fallon reported that "This week on Sesame Street, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan gave Elmo a lesson in conflict resolution. Elmo said he liked the nice man, but still won't let inspectors inside his chemical weapons plant."


 * In a 2002 "Weekend Update" segment, Jimmy Fallon joked about a real news story stating "A man in Indiana was arrested for stealing a chicken, taking it to a motel, and having sex with it until it died. Police have issued a warrant for this man" - wherein a picture of Gonzo was displayed.


 * In a 2002 sketch, A.J (Dean Edwards), Free (Maya Rudolph), Baby K (Jeff Richards), and Lady Three (Queen Latifah) reference Chicken Dance Elmo.
 * AJ: Yo Baby K, you mackin', you must have all the chicken heads comin' after you.
 * Free: Yehh, yehhh!
 * Baby K: What do you mean? Chicken Elmo?
 * Lady Three: Ooh yeh yeh! He likes that Chicken Dance Elmo. That's a nature rider, I mean he got his pick of the Chicken Dance Elmos in any town.


 * In the 2002 edition of "Christmas is Number One", Tracy Morgan appeared dressed in a giant Chicken Dance Elmo costume.


 * In a 2002 Christmas sketch, a young boy asks a department store Santa (Robert De Niro) for a Chicken Dance Elmo, to which the snide Santa replied "Chicken Dance Elmo - that's great. You know what's even better? What's a better gift? An environment of emotional maturity."


 * When Justin Timberlake hosted the show in 2003, he attempted to fufill a life-long dream - singing with Kermit the Frog. A mock Kermit the Frog puppet appeared behind a brick wall and the two began to sing "The Rainbow Connection." But the act morphed into an all-out brawl when Timberlake accidently stepped on Bill, the puppeteer (played by Will Forte). (Transcript)


 * In a 2004 sketch parodying "Hardball with Chris Matthews," Matthews (Darrell Hammond) commented on Mary Beth Cahill's (Amy Poehler) wide-eyed appearance, stating "I haven't seen eyes like that since Jim Henson glued 'em to a sock."


 * In a 2005 "Weekend Update" segment, Amy Pohler reported that "This season's Sesame Street will begin running stories about healthy eating habits with Cookie Monster learning that there are anytime foods like vegetables and sometimes foods like cookies. Executives are also considering changing the characters name to Pilates Monster." A graphic of Cookie Monster doing Pilates was shown, to which Amy commented "Tight abs."


 * The January 14, 2006 episode featured the sketch "SmorgasbØrd," a fake Swedish cooking show starring Scarlett Johansson and Seth Meyers. The program featured a cut-away commerial in the middle featuring Andy Samberg as the Swedish Chef in an ad for "Swedish Chef Ringtones" (a take-off on the Crazy Frog/Axel F ringtone). The Chef sang in faux-Swedish while an announcer stated "You asked for it. You wanted it. Now here it is, Swedish Chef ringtones. The Swedish Chef - when it comes to Scandinavia, he's what's cooking!"


 * In an October 2006 cartoon by Robert Smigel, President Bush displays a pair of political attack ads the Republicans will use against the Democrats during the upcoming midterm elections. The first ad has Ted Kennedy in a Dracula costume saying he wants to Cut and Run. He then proceeds to French kiss Osama Bin Laden. Barack Obama then appears dressed as Count von Count from Sesame Street counting "One Gay Marriage, etc."


 * A "Saturday TV Fun House" segment from the April 15, 2006 episode mocked Disney's direct-to-video sequels of their classic animated films. In the segment, two kids are taken by Mickey Mouse into the Disney Vault. While there, the children unearth a number of the company's dirty secrets, including a bound and gagged Jim Henson and Kermit. Mickey breaks down: "He wouldn't sell! He wouldn't sell....!" (a reference to a broken deal between the Henson and Disney companies circa 1990).


 * In the January 8, 2007 "Weekend Update" segment, Amy Pohler reported that "new research shows that women think men with square jaws are good short-term partners, while men with softer, rounder faces are perceived as better long term mates. In other words, you date Bert but you marry Ernie." A graphic of the Muppet duo was then displayed.


 * In the January 20, 2007 episode, in a sketch called "Two A-holes at an Adoption Agency," the female "a-hole" (Kristen Wiig) shows a picture of Baby Gonzo and asks if their new baby can look like him.


 * In the October 6, 2007 episode, in a sketch called "Rowlf & the Swedish Chef," Rowlf (host Seth Rogen) and the Chef (Andy Samberg) introduce themselves on the main stage. Rowlf, at the piano, offers to play "Rainbow Connection," but the song gives the Chef a bad recollection of being asked by Celine Dion to perform it.  They are joined on stage by Animal (Bill Hader), Zoot (Fred Armisen) and Janice (Maya Rudolph), for a none-too-subtle performance of "Beyond the Sea."


 * The opening of the March 1, 2008 episode featured a satire of the motion picture Juno and its rather hip dialogue such as "honest to blog." Screenwriter Diablo Cody (played by Andy Samberg) asks Ellen Page (playing herself), "What is your dental damage, Kermit the Blog?"


 * The March 8, 2008 episode featured a skit with cast member Kristen Wiig's character Penelope, who has a habit of one-upping the people around her. Amy Adams' character is a traffic school teacher who finally gets fed up with student Penelope and says, "You know what Penelope, Penelope I have had enough . . . I guess now's a good time to tell everyone I'm friends with Kermit the Frog. What do you think of that? . . . " Penelope responds that "Um, guess I'll say that, um, I'm best friends with all Muppets. Including Scooter, so, I was invited to all of their weddings, so . . . "


 * The January 10, 2009 episode featured a skit with Kristen Wiig's recurring character Penelope, a habitual braggart with a compulsive need to one-up everyone around her. Amid her outlandish claims, Penelope states that she used to be a puppet and was on Fraggle Rock.


 * In the weekend update for February 14, 2009, Angie Tempura (Kristen Wiig) appeares to give her insight on who should or who should not win the Oscars. When she gets to who should not win, she refers to the Oscars as the Oscar the Grouch awards.


 * The Muppet Movie was spoofed on April 4, 2009 in a sketch called "Muppet Bus", with Seth Rogen once again playing Rowlf the Dog. Other cast members appeared as other Muppets -- characters included Fozzie Bear (Jason Sudeikis), Gonzo (Bobby Moynihan), Camilla, Kermit the Frog (Will Forte), Beaker (Kristen Wiig), The Swedish Chef (Andy Samberg), Animal (Bill Hader), Janice (Michaela Watkins), and Zoot (Fred Armisen). In the sketch, the Muppets sing "Movin' Right Along" as they barrel down the highway in the Electric Mayhem Bus. The fun turns dark when Rowlf hits somebody with the bus, and keeps driving. (Animal screams, "Hit and run! Hit and run!") The bus gets pulled over by a cop, which turns out to be a cameo by Nipsey Russell. Zoot shoots the cop, and Rowlf drives away. They sing "The Muppet Show Theme" as they head for Mexico. (See NBC.com for the clip.)


 * The same episode includes Fraggle Rock as the address for a CD mail-away.

Cast & Crew

 * Don Pardo, announcer (1975-present)
 * John Belushi, cast member (1975–1979)
 * Chevy Chase, cast member (1975–1976)
 * Jane Curtin, cast member (1975–1980)
 * Laraine Newman, cast member (1975–1980)
 * Gilda Radner, cast member (1975–1980)
 * Bill Murray, cast member (1976-1980)
 * Mitchell Kriegman, writer (c. 1980)
 * Gilbert Gottfried, cast member (1980–1981)
 * Eddie Murphy, cast member (1980–1984)
 * Julia Louis-Dreyfus, cast member (1982–1985)
 * Billy Crystal, cast member (1984–1985)
 * Martin Short, cast member (1984–1985)
 * Joan Cusack, cast member (1985–1986)
 * Robert Downey, Jr., cast member (1985–1986)
 * Robert Smigel, writer and featured performer (1985–present)
 * Kevin Nealon, cast member (1986–1995)
 * Conan O'Brien, writer (1987-1991)
 * Ben Stiller, featured performer (1988–1989)
 * Mike Myers, cast member (1989-1995)
 * Chris Rock, cast member (1990–1993)
 * Rob Schneider, cast member (1990–1994)
 * Adam Sandler, cast member (1991-1995)
 * Sarah Silverman, featured performer (1993–1994)
 * Michael McKean, cast member (1993–1995)
 * Molly Shannon, cast member (1994–2001)
 * Hugh Fink writer (1995-2002)
 * Stephen Colbert, voice of Ace in "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" (1996–present)
 * Tina Fey, writer and cast member (1997-2006)
 * Jimmy Fallon, cast member (1998-2005)
 * Horatio Sanz, cast member (1998–2006)