Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a late-night sketch comedy series which permiered 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 later, but with a different sensibility.

The Muppets were regular performers in the first season of NBC's Saturday Night Live (1975-76). The characters, specifically created for the show, appeared in the Land of Gorch segments. 15 sketches were produced featuring Muppeteers Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Alice Tweedie, Fran Brill and Richard Hunt as part of the cast.

The series of sketches lasted from SNL's very beginning in October of 1975 to April of 1976 (and became a recurring joke in the next 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.

Appearances

 * For the recurring season 1 sketches featuring "Jim Henson's Muppets", see Land of Gorch.


 * 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 in the "Goodnights" where De Niro thanked them for being there. The Muppeteers were Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz and David Rudman

Muppet Mentions & Spoofs

 * In one of the Bees sketches, spoofing 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 Noraway. 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 "This December 25th holiday involves decorating a tree and opening presents" with a monolog 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 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”?
 * Kip: No, but I can tell you how to get to “Insult Boulevard.” [points in Cindy’s direction] It’s right over there. [laughs]
 * Wayne: Good one.


 * In a 2000 "Weekend Update" sketch, Joacob Silj (Will Farrell) explains how his life is effected by his voice immodulation disorder (the inablity to control the pitch or volume of ones 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. Or looking into a woman's eyes and gently murmuring to her, "I want to touch you, I want to touch you."
 * Tina Fey: OK Jacob, we get it. It's a problem.


 * 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 Fallow joked about 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, Timberlake attempted to fufil a life-long dream - singwith Kermit the Frog. A mock Kermit the Frog puppet appears from behind a brick wall and the two begin to sing "The Rainbow Connection". But the act morphs into an all-out brawl when Timberlake accidently steps on the puppeteer, Bill (played by Will Forte). (Transcript)


 * 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 any time 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, two which Amy commented "Tight abs".


 * In a 2004 sketch, parodizing "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 "Saturday TV Fun House" segment from the April 15, 2006 episode, mocked Disney's direct-to-video sequels of their classics 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).

Connections
A number of Saturday Night Live cast members and writers have also appeared in Muppet/Henson productions.
 * Chevy Chase played a newscaster in Follow That Bird
 * Billy Crystal guest starred on Muppets Tonight and appeared on Sesame Street
 * Jane Curtin appeared in the celebrity version of "Put Down the Duckie" on Sesame Street
 * Joan Cusack played Rachel Bitterman in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
 * Robert Downey, Jr. played Mr. Willowby in Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
 * Gilbert Gottfried guest starred on Muppets Tonight and performed a voice for Bear in the Big Blue House
 * Mitchell Kriegman created Bear in the Big Blue House and wrote Elmo in Grouchland and Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
 * Julia Louis-Dreyfus appeared on Sesame Street's All-Star 25th Birthday and performed a voice on Dinosaurs
 * Michael McKean performed voices on Dinosaurs
 * Kevin Nealon played Mr. Baker in Good Boy!
 * Laraine Newman performed the voice of Mommy Dodo in Follow That Bird
 * Conan O'Brien appeared on Sesame Street, She Drives Me Crazy music video'', and had Kermit on his talk show.
 * Gilda Radner guest starred on The Muppet Show
 * Chris Rock appeared on Elmopalooza
 * Robert Smigel performed Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
 * Rob Schneider played Martin the Producer in Muppets From Space
 * Molly Shannon made a cameo appearance in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and played Mrs. Baker in Good Boy!
 * Martin Short guest starred on Muppets Tonight, appeared on Sesame Street and played Frik in Merlin
 * Sarah Silverman appeared on The Late Late Show with Kermit the Frog
 * Ben Stiller appeared on Sesame Street