Saturday Night Live: Season 8
Saturday Night Live aired its eighth season during the 1982–1983 season on NBC. The 8th season started on September 25, 1982 and ended on May 14, 1983. This was the third season to air since Lorne Michaels had left his first tenure as executive producer. Many changes happened before the start of the season. Brian Doyle-Murray, Christine Ebersole and Tony Rosato were dropped from the show to make room for new cast me
Season 8 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Saturday Night Live Season 7.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Season overview
Saturday Night Live aired its eighth season during the 1982–1983 season on NBC. The 8th season started on September 25, 1982 and ended on May 14, 1983. This was the third season to air since Lorne Michaels had left his first tenure as executive producer.
Many changes happened before the start of the season. Brian Doyle-Murray, Christine Ebersole and Tony Rosato were dropped from the show to make room for new cast members. Hired in their places were Brad Hall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Gary Kroeger.
Dick Ebersol brought back the show's cold openings that ended with "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" and the monologues by the host. Ebersol also changed Weekend Update's name for the second time, to Saturday Night News. Since Doyle-Murray and Ebersole had both been dropped, a new anchor was needed for the segment. Hall got the gig and became the new anchor.
Notable moments of this season included Drew Barrymore hosting the show—the youngest ever person to host the show. During the episode hosted by Barrymore, the audience at home was given the chance to vote on whether or not Andy Kaufman should be banned from the show. The vote was conducted by a 1-900 number. At the end of the show Kaufman was banned from ever performing on SNL again.
Episode Guide
Season 8 Progress Shield
Chevy Chase/Queen
Sep 25, 1982 · 67 min
Sketches are ""Chevy Live from Burbank,"" ""Tyrone Green Art Gallery,"" ""Joe Piscopo In Love,"" ""John Hinckley for President,"" ""Mystery Theatre,"" ""Popeil Galactic Prophylacti
Louis Gossett Jr./George Thorogood and the Destroyers
Oct 2, 1982 · 67 min
Sketches include Mister Robinson's Neighborhood #4.
Ron Howard/The Clash
Oct 9, 1982 · 67 min
Sketches include "Opie's Back", "Whiners Want a Baby" and "Focus On Film". The Clash performs "Rock The Casbah".
Robert Blake/Kenny Loggins
Nov 13, 1982 · 67 min
Sketches include ""The Merv Griffin Show,"" ""Shuttle Mission,"" ""PBS Promo,"" ""Talent Show,"" ""Little House on the Prairie,"" ""Masterful Theatre,"" ""Eddie Murphy,"" ""No More
Drew Barrymore/Squeeze
Nov 20, 1982 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Dressing Room Opening,"" ""Gertie Kills E.T.,"" ""The Whiners,"" ""Mr. Blunt,"" ""Tim Kazurinsky Babysits Drew,"" ""My Friend Zeus,"" ""Robin Duke's Biological C
Eddie Murphy/Lionel Richie
Dec 11, 1982 · 67 min
Sketches include ""A Message From Eddie,"" ""Merry Christmas, Dammit!,"" and ""April May June's Holiday Message.""
Lily Tomlin
Jan 22, 1983 · 67 min
Sketches include ""Lily Confronts Eddie,"" ""Geraldine,"" ""Irish-American Radio Hour,"" and ""Coffees of the World.""
Howard Hesseman/Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Feb 19, 1983 · 67 min
Sketches are ""Howard Works on his Monologue,"" ""Sleepy Boy 2000,"" ""Elvis Presley, Back and Black,"" ""The A-Team,"" and ""Dion and Margie's Dreams."" Tom Petty and the Heartbr
Robert Guillaume/Duran Duran
Mar 19, 1983 · 67 min
Tim Kazurinsky was attacked by the monkey during the dress rehearsal of ""I Married A Monkey."" Tim was able to escape, but the monkey (actually a male) ripped off the dress he wa
Stevie Wonder
Apr 16, 1983 · 67 min
Sketches include ""VD,"" ""Kannon AE-1,"" ""Stevie Wonder Impersonator,"" ""Hitler: The Secret Diaries,"" ""The Story of Stevie Wonder,"" ""Stevie at Dion's Salon,"" ""Cotton Land,
Ed Koch/Dexys Midnight Runners
May 14, 1983 · 67 min
Sketches include ""What's the most disgusting thing you've seen in New York?"" ""Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood,"" ""Crowded Ledge,"" ""The Enquirer,"" ""Late Night with David Letterm