The release of the first season of Saturday Night Live on DVD is something I never thought we would see. After all, they could milk endless “Best of” collections out of the show without ponying up the bucks to pay for the rights to the various musical acts who have appeared on the program. But the first season is indeed coming, and it’s something that probably should be in every DVD library. SNL season one is history in the making, not just in terms of the comedy, but the music – there are so many fantastic and strange guests in the first year that I would buy this set for that alone.
And of course it helps put everything in perspective. You rarely see whole episodes from the early years, which means you rarely see the dud skits, which means there’s this perception of every episode being stuffed full of comic gold. Thirty plus years on, the duds can be just as interesting as the often seen great skits.
You can buy the first season tomorrow – or you can try to win one from us. To have a chance, you have to answer all of the following trivia questions correctly. The people who get the answers right will then be entered in a final drawing for the set. This is only open to US residents this time. Mail budget’s tight!
Send me your name, mailing address and the correct answers to the following questions by 12/11!
1) What was Saturday Night Live originally called?
a) Live from Studio 8H
b) Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!
c) NBC’s Saturday Night
d) New York Live
2) Which of the following cast members did not perform on the first season of SNL?
a) Garrett Morris
b) Bill Murray
c) Laraine Newman
d) Gilda Radner
3) Which of the following people did not guest host two episodes on the first season of SNL?
a) George Carlin
b) Candice Bergen
c) Elliot Gould
d) Buck Henry
4) Who was the first female head writer at SNL?
a) Tina Fey
b) Gilda Radner
c) Molly Shannon
d) Amy Poehler
5) The only episode of SNL not filmed live in New York was shot in…?
a) Chicago
b) Los Angeles
c) New Orleans
d) Trick question. Every episode has been shot in New York.
6) What is the name of the first song ever performed by a musical guest on SNL?
a) “Feelin’ Alright”
b) “Mrs. Robinson”
c) “When the Party’s Over”
d) “Nothing From Nothing”
7) Which famous comedian’s scheduled appearance on the premiere episode was cut after dress rehearsal?
a) Billy Crystal
b) Martin Short
c) Randy Quaid
d) Laraine Newman
8) Which guest host on the first season of SNL prompted NBC to broadcast the episode on a 7-second delay to allow for censoring potential expletives?
a) Kris Kristofferson
b) George Carlin
c) Richard Pryor
d) Peter Boyle
9) Which recurring sketch involving adult Muppets created by Jim Henson was dropped after the first season of SNL?
a) “TV Funhouse”
b) “The Land of Gorch”
c) "Toonces: The Cat Who Could Drive a Car"
d) “Tippy Turtle”
10) Who is the only sitting American President to make the famous declaration, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”?
a) Gerald Ford
b) Richard Nixon
c) Jimmy Carter
d) Ronald Reagan
11) In what episode from the first season did Lorne Michaels make his first on-screen appearance?
a) 2
b) 9
c) 14
d) Lorne Michaels has never appeared on the show.
12) What famous proposition did Lorne Michaels himself make in episode 18 of the first season?
a) He offered Chevy Chase and Bill Murray $1,000 to participate in a boxing match on the air.
b) He offered The Beatles $3,000 to reunite and perform on the show.
c) He offered Cher $5,000 to perform a lapdance for him while singing “I Got You Babe” on the air.
d) He offered Garrett Morris and John Belushi $500 each to mud-wrestle.