The BEST episodes of Saturday Night Live season 5
Every episode of Saturday Night Live season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Saturday Night Live season 5!
Each week, a famous guest host appears in sketches and parodies alongside a roster of up-and-coming comedians. A popular musical guest, short films, and Weekend Update - a recurring satirical newscast - form the backbone of one of the most influential and culturally significant TV shows in history.
#1 - Bill Russell/Chicago
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/3/1979
Sketches include ""Kennedy in '80,"" ""Banshee,"" ""The Black Shadow,"" ""The Landers Files,"" ""Mr. Bill at Home,"" ""Nick in the Arctic,"" ""Eleanor Roosevelt,"" ""Sports Hot Line,"" and ""Big n' Tall That's All."" Chicago performs their 1970 hit ""I'm a Man"" and their then-current single ""Street Player.""
#2 - Steve Martin/Blondie
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/13/1979
Sketches include "The Pope's Doorman", "Craig's Travellers' Checks", "Free Spanish Lesson", "Juvenile Delinquent Vandal", "Rise", "Carole King", "The David Susskind Show", "Bolshoi Ballet", "The All-New Mr. Bill Show", "What the Hell is That"?
#3 - Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney
Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/17/1980
Sketches include: ""Father Guido Sarducci, Live from London,"" ""Real Incredible People,"" ""Stretch Marks Record Offer,"" ""Reagan's Dinner,"" and ""The Hominids."" 3-D performed ""All-Night Television.""
#4 - Eric Idle/Bob Dylan
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/20/1979
Sketches include ""Eric's Sick,"" ""Hotel-Motel Art Fair,"" ""Mr. Howard's Shoe Store,"" ""Prince Charles Tells You How To Pick Up Girls!,"" ""Hardcore II,"" ""Heavy Sarcasm,"" and ""Ask Elvis."" Bob Dylan performs ""Gotta Serve Somebody,"" ""I Believe In You,"" and ""When You Gonna Wake Up.""
#5 - Rodney Dangerfield/J. Geils Band
Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/8/1980
Sketches include-- Dressing Room opening, Dr. Shockley's House of Sperm, Niggerands, Manhasset, The Subsitute Judge, Celebrity Corner: Bill Murray talks with Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow.
#6 - Strother Martin/The Specials
Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/19/1980
The host for the episode is Strother Martin, and the musical guest is The Specials. The skits for this episode are as follows: Rosalyn Carter talks about sections of the 1980 census intended for illegal aliens, including questions about how they got into the US, where they would hide if the INS came to their homes, and how much they would be willing to do housework for. During his opening monologue, Strother Martin reveals that he was asked to host the show because Lorne Michaels mistook him for Tennessee Williams, and so far he's been keeping up the act. At Camp Beau Soleil, the campers are forced to learn French by the brutal camp counselor, Le Capitain, but a camper named Luke is determined to escape. Additional skits include a variety show will, the Conductor's Club, Any Town, and Food. The Specials perform "Gangsters" and "Too Much, Too Young".
#7 - Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn
Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/10/1980
Sketches include ""Mysteries of the Universe,"" ""The Dating Zone,"" ""Writing Home,"" and ""Mr. Bill."" The Amazing Rhythm Aces (featuring Bill Murray) perform ""Third-Rate Romance.""
#8 - Buck Henry/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/10/1979
Sketches include ""Rush Home to the Bathroom,"" ""Find the Popes in the Pizza Contest drawing,"" ""Nerds #12,"" ""Harley's Bristol Cream"" and ""Banshee"" commercial parodies, and one of Aviva Slesin's ""First Love"" films.
#9 - Ted Knight/Desmond Child and Rouge
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/22/1979
Sketches include ""A Christmas Gift from The Shah,"" the ""Nerds Nativity,"" and ""Java Junkie.""
#10 - Paul Simon/James Taylor
Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/15/1980
Sketches include ""Anniversary Seance,"" ""Todd's Campaign,"" ""The Biggest Leprechaun,"" ""The Flogging Musicians,"" ""Talk or Die,"" and ""The David Susskind Show."" Paul Simon and James Taylor perform ""Cathy's Clown / Take Me to the Mardi Gras"" and David Sanborn performs ""Anything You Want.""
#11 - Martin Sheen/David Bowie
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/15/1979
Sketches include ""Quick Sex Change Operation,"" ""Le Shoe,"" ""Afraid of the Dark,"" ""Striking Teachers,"" ""Apocolypse Now,"" ""First Love, Part 2,"" ""Foreveready,"" ""Criminals,"" ""Minota AM-3 Camera,"" ""Revisions of Freudian History,"" ""Martin Sheen Hairspray""
#12 - Teri Garr/The B-52's
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/26/1980
Sketches include ""Paul McCartney in Japan: Day 11,"" ""Craig's,"" ""Somewhere Near Mason City, Iowa,"" ""Debs Behind Bars,"" ""Anchovy Council of America,"" ""Bad Playhouse,"" ""Baby Casting Director,"" and ""The Mr. Bill Show."" The B-52's perform ""Rock Lobster"" and ""Dance This Mess Around.""
#13 - Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss/The Grateful Dead
Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/5/1980
Sketches include ""Women Empowerment"" and ""Hotel Room/Smell You.""
#14 - Chevy Chase/Marianne Faithfull
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 2/9/1980
Live from New York, it's…Chevy Chase! Sketches include ""Henry Kissinger and Gerald Ford,"" ""Pre-Chewed Charlies,"" The Bel Airabs, ""You Can't Win,"" Speaking of Fashion, ""Linden Palmer, Hollywood's Forgotten Director,"" and ""Honduras.""
#15 - Howard Hesseman/Randy Newman
Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/8/1979
Sketches include the ""Steve Marvin Radio Show"" and the debut of ""The Al Franken Decade.""
#16 - Kirk Douglas/Sam and Dave
Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/23/1980
Sketches include ""Kirk's Greatest Kirks,"" ""What If?,"" ""Arlene Meets Kirk Douglas,"" ""Greg's Bar Mitzvah,"" ""Prime Time Saturday,"" and ""Mask of Fear""
#17 - Burt Reynolds/Anne Murray
Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/12/1980
Sketches include ""Burt's Not Angry,"" ""Vomitorium,"" ""The Burt Book,"" ""Be a Pepper,"" and ""Baba Wawa at Large."" Anne Murray performs ""Lucky Me.""
#18 - Buck Henry/Andrew Gold
Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/24/1980
Live from New York, it's…Harry Shearer! Sketches include ""Election '80: Almost Halfway Over,"" ""The SNL Stars of the Future"" monologue, ""Lord and Lady Douchebag,"" ""Uncle Roy,"" and ""Nick at Trader Nick's.""
#19 - Elliott Gould/Gary Numan
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/16/1980
Sketches include ""Kramer vs. Godzilla,"" ""The Incredible Man,"" Andy Aaron's film ""Get Rid of That Building,"" and ""All-Time Radio.""
#20 - Bea Arthur/The Roches
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/17/1979
Sketches include ""Sex Change,"" ""The Backers' Audition,"" and ""First, He Cries.""