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Season guide

Saturday Night Live: Season 6

13 episodes Premiered Nov 15, 1980 Updated Sep 26, 2026

The sixth season of the late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live aired on NBC during the 1980–1981 television season. This particular installment of the long-running program is alternatively referred to as Saturday Night Live '80. The season commenced on November 15, 1980, and concluded on April 11, 1981. Spanning a total of 13 episodes, this season represents a specific period in

Previously on Saturday Night Live

Season 6 Lore Primer

Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.

  • ⚡ Saturday Night Live is a late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show.
  • ⚡ The program was originally created by Lorne Michaels.
  • ⚡ The show is recognized as one of the most prestigious programs of its kind.
  • ⚡ The series has historically served as a launching point for famous actors and comedians including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray.
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Season overview

The sixth season of the late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live aired on NBC during the 1980–1981 television season. This particular installment of the long-running program is alternatively referred to as Saturday Night Live '80. The season commenced on November 15, 1980, and concluded on April 11, 1981. Spanning a total of 13 episodes, this season represents a specific period in the history of the show, which was originally created by Lorne Michaels. As a program categorized under comedy and news, the series has historically served as a platform that has launched the careers of numerous famous actors and comedians, including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray. The production maintains its status as one of the most prestigious shows of its kind, characterized by its live broadcast format. While the provided sources detail the chronological boundaries and the episode count for this specific season, they do not provide specific narrative arcs or plot developments for the individual sketches or episodes contained within this 1980–1981 timeframe. The season remains a documented part of the broader history of the Saturday Night Live franchise as cataloged by television databases.

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Season 6 Episodes

Episode Guide

🛡️ SPOILER SHIELD

Season 6 Progress Shield

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Binge Efficiency Engine

Season 6: Filler vs. Essential Canon

Filter episodes by narrative weight. Focus on essential mytharc and skip standalone side quests.

31%
69%
Mytharc (4): Crucial lore & season climaxes
Core (9): Character development & subplots
Side Quest (0): Standalone / filler
S6·E1 Mytharc

Elliott Gould/Kid Creole and the Coconuts

Nov 15, 1980 · 67 min

Sketches include: Elliot Gould Discusses SNL's Glory Days, A Public Service Announcement: Highway Education, Jimmy Carter's Libido, Billy-Gram, What's It All About, Gail Matthius's

S6·E2 Mytharc

Malcolm McDowell/Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Nov 22, 1980 · 67 min

Live from New York, it's...Gilbert Gottfried! Sketches include: Sitting Up Straight In The Electric Chair, Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom: In Search of the Negro Republican, Tobacc

S6·E3 Core

Ellen Burstyn/Aretha Franklin

Dec 6, 1980 · 67 min

Sketches include ""A Message From David Rockefeller,"" ""Ed MacMahon School of Laughing,"" ""What It Is All About,"" ""The Rocket Report,"" ""Paulie Herman,"" ""Our Front Door,"" "

S6·E4 Core

Jamie Lee Curtis/James Brown

Dec 13, 1980 · 67 min

Live from New York, it's...Charles Rocket, Gail Matthius, and Denny Dillon! Sketches include: A Message From The Mean Majority, Clovin Hind Jeans Ad 1, The Attack Of The Terrible

S6·E6 Core

Ray Sharkey/Jack Bruce and Friends

Jan 10, 1981 · 67 min

Live from New York, it's…Eddie Murphy! Sketches include ""The Real Jimmy 'The Weasel' Fratiano,"" ""Work Time Beer,"" ""WASP Couple Interpretation,"" ""Citizens For A Better Ame

S6·E7 Core

Karen Black/Cheap Trick, Stanley Clarke Trio

Jan 17, 1981 · 67 min

Live from New York, it's...Ann Risely Sketches include: White House Move Out, The Legendary Composers, Foundation For The Tragically Hip, The Livelys, Reagan's Vice President, The

S6·E9 Core

Sally Kellerman/Jimmy Cliff

Feb 7, 1981 · 67 min

Sketches Include: "Rocket Report", "Italian Stand-Up", "Name That Sin", "Was I Ever Red", "Iranian Joke Book", "Parent & Child", "Lean Acres", "Iranian Student Council", "Pillow Pe

S6·E10 Core

Deborah Harry/Funky 4 + 1 More

Feb 14, 1981 · 67 min

Sketches include "Is Frank Sinatra a Hoodlum?", "Don't Look In The Refrigerator", "Where's Cooder?", "Paulie in the Card Shop", "Sweethearts" (film), "Newsbreak", and "The Waxmans

S6·E11 Core

Charlene Tilton/Todd Rundgren, Prince

Feb 21, 1981 · 67 min

Sketches include ""Rocko vs. Weindulah,"" ""I'll Get Charlie Rocket If It's The Last Thing I Do,"" ""Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,"" ""The Pork Queen,"" Charles Rocket and Charle

S6·E12 Mytharc

Bill Murray/Delbert McClinton

Mar 7, 1981 · 67 min

Sketches include ""It Just Doesn't Matter,"" ""Script In Development,"" ""Altered Walter,"" ""Nick On The Mississippi,"" and ""No Sex With Mary."" McClinton performs ""Shotgun Rid

S6·E13 Mytharc

Chevy Chase/Jr. Walker and the All Stars

Apr 11, 1981 · 67 min

Live from New York, it's…Chevy Chase! Sketches include ""Mr. Bill and Chevy,"" ""I Married a Monkey,"" ""Jello,"" ""Same,"" and ""SNL is Improving."" The All-Stars perform How S

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