Season 20

Saturday Night Live

Season 20

Sep 24, 1994 20 episodes

Saturday Night Live aired its twentieth season during the 1994–95 television season on NBC. The twentieth season began on September 24, 1994 and ended on May 13, 1995. Much like seasons six and eleven, this season was lambasted by critics for its decline in quality. Season twenty suffered from having sketches based on very thin premises, a high number of which focused on or mentioned O. J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial.

Much like the 1980–1981 season and the 1985–1986 season, NBC worried over SNL's decline in quality and initially decided that now would be the best time to pull the plug on the show once and for all. According to the prime time special Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation, Lorne Michaels credits this season as the closest he's ever been to being fired. In the end, the cast member firings and crew turnover resulting from this season represented the biggest involvement into the show's affairs by NBC executives since the 1980–1981 season and the biggest cast overhaul since the 1985–1986 season.

This season saw the deaths of two SNL alumni: Danitra Vance and Michael O'Donoghue. The Sarah Jessica Parker/R.E.M. episode featured a special appearance by Bill Murray, who introduced a clip of "Mr. Mike's Least Favorite Bedtime Stories" in O'Donoghue's memory.

Episodes

Steve Martin/Eric Clapton

Episode 1

Steve Martin/Eric Clapton

Sep 24, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""Clinton Auditions,"" ""The Ron Wood Show,"" ""Baseball Cruise,"" ""Steve Martin's All-Natural Penis Beauty Creme,"" and ""Bad Ad Campaign."" ""Court TV: O.J. Simpson Trial,"" ""Total Bastard Airlines,"" and ""The Better Baby."" Bathroom Monkey Commercial"", ""Weekend Update with Norm MacDonald"", ""Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey"", ""Leland-Meyers Home Headache Test Commercial"".

Marisa Tomei/Bonnie Raitt

Episode 2

Marisa Tomei/Bonnie Raitt

Oct 01, 1994 67 min

Sketches include "Bill Clinton," "Court TV: O.J. Simpson Trial," "Adult Education Class," "Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley," and "Monsters of Monologue '94."

John Travolta/Seal

Episode 3

John Travolta/Seal

Oct 15, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""Bathroom Monkey,"" ""Coffee Talk With Linda Richman,"" ""Dracula's Not Gay,"" ""Quentin Tarantino's Welcome Back Kotter,"" ""Women's Self-Defense,"" ""Larry King Live,"" ""Small Office,"" ""Deaf Drug Dealer""

Dana Carvey/Edie Brickell

Episode 4

Dana Carvey/Edie Brickell

Oct 22, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""George Bush,"" ""Virtual Reality Books,"" ""Johnny Carson,"" ""Ross Perot,"" ""Pepper Boy,"" ""Nobel Prize Awards,"" ""Work Excuses,"" ""Office Space""

Sarah Jessica Parker/R.E.M.

Episode 5

Sarah Jessica Parker/R.E.M.

Nov 12, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""Concession Speech,"" ""Good Morning Brooklyn,"" ""Nice and Naughty Guitarists,"" ""Confucius,"" ""The Casting Couch,"" ""The Munchkins,"" and ""Tribute to Michael O'Donoghue"".

John Turturro/Tom Petty

Episode 6

John Turturro/Tom Petty

Nov 17, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""It's a Wonderful Newt,"" ""Christopher Walken's Celebrity Psychic Friends Network,"" ""Phone Hang-Ups,"" ""Taxi Driver: The Musical,"" ""Stop That,"" ""The Movie Club""

Roseanne/Green Day

Episode 7

Roseanne/Green Day

Dec 03, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""Jesse Helms,"" ""Roseanne Goes to Therapy,"" ""USAir,"" ""Rescue 911,"" ""Civil War Memories,"" and ""Yogurt Store.""

Alec Baldwin/Beastie Boys

Episode 8

Alec Baldwin/Beastie Boys

Dec 10, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""Joycelyn Elders,"" ""Japanese Game Show,"" ""Los Angeles Breast and Penis,"" ""Celebrity Memorial Auction,"" and ""Family Auto Trip.""

George Foreman/Hole

Episode 9

George Foreman/Hole

Dec 17, 1994 67 min

Sketches include ""Bill Clinton,"" ""Time Boxer,"" ""Looking Good,"" ""Matt Foley,"" ""Uncle Joe,"" ""The Incredible Hulk,"" ""Chris Elliot's Bedtime Story,"" ""Jackie Stallone's Psychic Circle""

Jeff Daniels/Luscious Jackson

Episode 10

Jeff Daniels/Luscious Jackson

Jan 14, 1995 67 min

Sketches include ""Newt Gingrich,"" ""Connie Chung and Newt Gingrich's Mom,"" ""Martin Luther King Day,"" ""Mystery Dinner Theatre,"" ""Eterna-Rest,"" ""Film Beat,"" ""Entertainment Tonight""

David Hyde Pierce/Live

Episode 11

David Hyde Pierce/Live

Jan 21, 1995 67 min

Sketches include "O.J. Simpson", "Rock Poetry Class", "Tales of Little Women", "Scottish Soccer Hooligan Weekly", "Robot Spy Onboard", "Nervous Habits", "Jersey Kids Meet the Foreigner", "Perspectives", "Claire Tries Internet Sex", and "Movie News".

Bob Newhart/Des'ree

Episode 12

Bob Newhart/Des'ree

Feb 11, 1995 67 min

Sketches include ""C-SPAN: Colin Ferguson,"" ""Ricki Lake,"" ""Book Buzz,"" ""Baywatch,"" ""Poster Worker Evaluation,"" ""Hi Bob,"" and ""Sports Beat."" Des'ree performed ""You Gotta Be"" and ""Feels So High.""

Deion Sanders/Bon Jovi

Episode 13

Deion Sanders/Bon Jovi

Feb 18, 1995 67 min

Sketches include: ""O.J. Simpson Tour,"" ""The 1995 ESPY Awards,"" ""Rappers With Simple Lyrics,"" ""Perspectives,"" ""Deep Thoughts By Jack Handey,"" and ""Sick Boy""

George Clooney/The Cranberries

Episode 14

George Clooney/The Cranberries

Feb 25, 1995 67 min

Sketches include ""Black History Month,"" ""Mandy the Whale,"" ""Tales of Fraud and Malfeasance in Railroad Hiring Practices,"" ""Taxicab Confessions,"" and ""Zagat's"".

Paul Reiser/Annie Lennox

Episode 15

Paul Reiser/Annie Lennox

Mar 18, 1995 67 min

Sketches include ""Newt Gingrich's Sister,"" ""Where's Superman?,"" ""Mad About You Aliens,"" ""Sparklebrite Toothpaste,"" and ""One Brother Cafe.""

John Goodman/Tragically Hip

Episode 16

John Goodman/Tragically Hip

Mar 25, 1995 67 min

Live from New York, it'sÒ€¦Dan Aykroyd! Sketches include ""This Week With David Brinkley,"" ""Superfans Return,"" ""The Late Late Show With Tom Snyder,"" ""Dog Park,"" ""Howard Stern,"" ""Self-Deluded Losers,"" ""Unsolved Mysteries,"" ""Coal Miners,"" and ""Penis-Measuring Device.""

Damon Wayans/Dionne Farris

Episode 17

Damon Wayans/Dionne Farris

Apr 08, 1995 67 min

Sketches include: ""Judge Ito,"" ""Men on Film,"" ""Spit Valves,"" ""Black Names,"" ""Christopher Walken for Skittles"", and ""Court TV: The O.J. Trial.""

Courteney Cox/Dave Matthews Band

Episode 18

Courteney Cox/Dave Matthews Band

Apr 15, 1995 67 min

Sketches include ""Matt Foley,"" ""Good Morning Brooklyn,"" ""Gapardy,"" ""Melanie Babysits,"" ""Charles Manson,"" ""Truth vs. Jokes,"" ""Replacement Baseball,"" ""His Muse Friday,"" ""Obnoxious Co-worker""

Bob Saget/TLC

Episode 19

Bob Saget/TLC

May 06, 1995 67 min

Sketches include ""Tony Vallencourt,"" ""Fast,"" ""America's Funniest Hate Videos,"" ""Fashion Designer,"" ""Where In the World is San Diego, California?"", ""Boyz II Men,"" ""Karl's,"" ""Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey,"" ""Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley,"" ""Pacemaker""

David Duchovny/Rod Stewart

Episode 20

David Duchovny/Rod Stewart

May 13, 1995 67 min

Live from New York, for the last time, it'sÒ€¦Michael McKean! Sketches include ""Beastman of Studio 8H,"" You Think You're Better Than Me?, Zagat's, ""New England General Store,"" Ricki Lake, ""Rock and Roll Realtor,"" and ""Polar Bears.""