Saturday Night Live

Season 11

November 9, 1985

18Episodes

8.3

Saturday Night Live aired its 11th season during the 1985-1986 television season on NBC. The season started on November 9, 1985 and ended on May 24, 1986, 18 episodes were produced. Dick Ebersol left the show after the 1984-85 season, when the network refused his request to shut the program down entirely for six months and shift much of the material onto tape, not live broadcast. Once again, NBC briefly considered cancelling the show, but programming head Brandon Tartikoff decided to continue the show and re-hire erstwhile producer Lorne Michaels. In some ways the job Michaels returned to was more challenging than the one he took on in 1975. For starters, Michaels' "golden boy" reputation was somewhat tarnished. His most recent effort, the previous season's The New Show confused critics and was ignored by audiences. Also, the 1984-1985 season had been a critical and ratings hit, generating memorable characters and stand-out performers. However, Michaels would not be the only member of the old guard to return: original writers Al Franken and Tom Davis would return as producers, and Jim Downey would be head writer. Fans and critics welcomed Michaels and many of the original producers and writers back, calling it a return to the show's roots.

Episodes

1. Madonna/Simple Minds

9.0

November 9, 1985

67 min

Sketches include: ""SNL Drug Tests,"" ""A Message From The Almighty,"" ""National Inquirer Theatre,"" ""Pinklisting,"" ""Cabrini Green,"" and ""Nancy Reagan Meets Charles and Di."" Simple Minds performed ""Alive and Kicking.""

Guest Stars:

Brandon Tartikoff, Madonna, Penn Jillette, Teller, Al Franken

Other Seasons

Season 1

24 Episodes

Season 2

22 Episodes

Season 3

20 Episodes

Season 4

20 Episodes

Season 5

20 Episodes

Season 6

13 Episodes

2. Chevy Chase/Sheila E.

8.0

November 16, 1985

67 min

Sketches include ""Smoky Hallway,"" ""Wacky Glue,"" ""Those Unlucky Andersons"", ""Ford and Reagan,"" ""The Pat Stevens Show,"" ""Pathological Liars Anonymous,"" ""Craig Sundburg-Idiot Savant,"" ""Trojans,"" ""The Blue, The Gray and The Yellow,"" ""Vlad the Impaler,"" ""Drums Drums Drums,"" and ""Jose Cuervo's Party School Bowl."" Sheila E. performed ""Hollyrock"" and ""A Love Bizarre.""

Guest Stars:

Sheila E., Chevy Chase, A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Mark McKinney

3. Pee Wee Herman/Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band

8.0

November 23, 1985

67 min

Sketches include ""Twin Towers Tightrope,"" ""Pee Wee Herman's Thanksgiving Special"", ""Marital Problems,"" ""Pee Wee's School Romance,"" ""Find the Mouse in the Coke,"" and ""Hal Fisher's Money Magnet Method.""

Guest Stars:

Paul Reubens, Queen Ida, Don Novello, Al Franken, Phil Hartman

4. John Lithgow/Mr. Mister

December 7, 1985

67 min

Sketches include--- Halley's Comet, Cliche Father, Master Thespian, Nancy Reagan sings ""That Old Black Magic"", The Ad Council, Rajneesh's Rolls-Royces, The Limits Of The Imagination.

Guest Stars:

Sam Kinison, John Lithgow, A. Whitney Brown, Mark McKinney, John Swartzwelder

6. Teri Garr/Dream Academy, The Cult

December 21, 1985

67 min

Sketches include ""The Wrapper Rapper,"" ""Critic,"" ""The Price of Eggs,"" ""Hildy,"" ""A Roy Orbison Christmas,"" ""The Big Tree,"" and ""Time Traveling Trivial Pursuit."" The Dream Academy performed their one and only hit, ""Life In A Northern Town.""

Guest Stars:

Teri Garr, Penn Jillette, Teller, Don Novello, Richard Goteri

7. Harry Dean Stanton/The Replacements

January 18, 1986

67 min

Live from New York, it's... Dennis Miller! Sketches include "Herb's Press Conference," "Gulf Coast Furniture Warehouse," "Cleveland Vice," "Death Of A Gunfighter," "What You Said During Labor," "That Black Girl," "Big Ball Of Sports" (film), "The Friendly Drunk," "Jack's Discount Emporium," and "Say No To The Army." The Replacements performed "Bastards of the Young" and "Kiss Me on the Bus."

Guest Stars:

Harry Dean Stanton, Sam Kinison, A. Whitney Brown, Rhonda Coullet, Tom Davis

8. Dudley Moore/Al Green

January 25, 1986

67 min

Sketches include ""Monks and Football,"" ""The Pat Stevens Show,"" ""Master Thespian"", ""The Limits of the Imagination"", ""Name That Tune,"" and ""Die Foriegner Die!"" Al Green performs ""Going Away.""

Guest Stars:

Dudley Moore, Al Green, Mark McKinney, Lanier Laney, Lauren Tom

9. Ron Reagan/The Nelsons

February 8, 1986

67 min

Live From New York, it's...Ronald Reagon, Jr. Sketches include: White House Risky Business, You're Going To Hell: A Message From The Almighty (repeat from the Madonna/Simple Minds episode), The Pat Stevens Show, Dalkon Shield Trout Lure, Back To The Future, Penn And Teller Guest Performance, Limits of the Imagination, Shakespeare In The Slums With Flotilda Williams, and The Woody Allen Fan The Nelsons performs: Walk Away and Do You Know What I Mean

Guest Stars:

A. Whitney Brown, Penn Jillette, Teller, Mark McKinney, Ron Reagan

E10

10. Jerry Hall/Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

February 15, 1986

67 min

Live from New York, it's... Mick Jagger! Sketches include "Tommy Flanagan," "The Limits Of The Imagination," and "Models Against The Wilderness," "Master Thespian," "The Line of Death," "Sam Kinison Stand-Up," "The Pat Stevens Show," and "Dad's Sore Big Toe." Stevie Ray & Jimmie Vaughn perform "Say What" and "Change It."

Guest Stars:

Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sam Kinison, Jerry Hall, Jimmie Vaughan, Mick Jagger

E12

12. Griffin Dunne/Rosanne Cash

March 15, 1986

67 min

""Tommy Flanagan's Pathological Liars Anonymous"", ""Griffin Dunne's One-Handed Drum Solo from Wipeout"", ""Ferdinand Marcos Malacanang Palace Liquidation Sale"", ""You bet your finger"", ""Weekend Update with Dennis Miller"", ""Two Jones' Cable Installers"", ""Penn & Teller"".

Guest Stars:

Rosanne Cash, Griffin Dunne, A. Whitney Brown, Penn Jillette, Teller

E15

15. Tony Danza/Laurie Anderson

April 19, 1986

67 min

Live from New York, it's... Randy Quaid, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Michael Hall! Sketches include "Vietnam Horror Story," "Nancy Reagan's Workout," "Lyndon LaRouche Theatre," "The 30-Second Count," a guest performance by Penn & Teller, "Big Time Professional Golf," "My Unconditional Love," "Master Thespian," and "The Further Adventures Of Biff And Salena." Laurie Anderson performed "Baby Doll" and "Day The Devil."

Guest Stars:

Laurie Anderson, Penn Jillette, Teller, Tony Danza, Tom Davis

E16

16. Catherine Oxenberg & Paul Simon/Ladysmith Black Mambazo

May 10, 1986

67 min

Live from New York, it's... Paul Simon! Sketches include "Geraldo Rivera Opens The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier," "Wall Shackles Prison," "The Late Show with Joan Rivers," "The Limits Of The Imagination," "Dirk Landers, CIA Operative," a guest performance by Penn & Teller, "Producer Tommy Flanagan," "Brim Decaffeinated," "A Mother's Day Message," and "Trojans." Paul Simon performed "You Can Call Me Al," "Homeless" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and "Graceland."

Guest Stars:

Catherine Oxenberg, A. Whitney Brown, Penn Jillette, Paul Simon, Teller

E17

17. Jimmy Breslin & Marvin Hagler/Level 42, E.G. Daily

May 17, 1986

67 min

Sketches are ""Mike 'The Menace' Hall,"" ""Kill Kaddafi?"" ""Tornadoville,"" ""Marvin's Knockout Tips,"" ""Lone Wolf McCord,"" ""The Pat Stevens,"" ""Cabrini Green's Assembly,"" ""Jody Hagler,"" ""Midday with Jennifer Hicks: Bond's Supervillains"", ""Weekend Update with Dennis Miller"", ""Sam Kinison's standup act"". Level 42 performs ""Something About You"" and EG Daily performs ""Say It, Say It"" with Jon Lovitz.

Guest Stars:

Jimmy Breslin, Mark McKinney, Robert Smigel, Marvin Hagler, Sam Kinison

E18

18. Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin/George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic

May 24, 1986

67 min

Live from New York, it's...Randy Quaid Sketches include: Hands Across America, Moments of Doubt, Glamorous Drinking, National Council of Liquor and Spirits, Actors on Film, Hallmark Cards, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Bocce Ball My Way, Tempting Billy, The People's Second Choice Award, Book Minute, LaBelles At The Movies, My Friend, and Backstage SNL: Lorne Kills The Cast (except for Jon Lovitz, Nora Dunn, and Dennis Miller) George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic perform: ""Let's Take It To The Stage"" and ""Do Fries Go With That Shake""

Guest Stars:

George Clinton, Billy Martin, Anjelica Huston, A. Whitney Brown, Lorne Michaels