Saturday Night Live
Season 15
TV-14
Saturday Night Live aired its fifteenth season during the 1989 - 1990 television season on NBC. The fifteenth season started off with a 15th anniversary special on September 24, 1989 and ended on May 19, 1990. 21 episodes were produced, including the anniversary special.
Few changes happened before the start of the season. The only change was the absence of Ben Stiller. After being on the show for five episodes, Stiller left the show due to creative differences with Lorne Michaels. Mike Myers was upgraded to repertory status.
This season saw the first hosting gigs of three celebrities who would go on to be frequent SNL hosts: John Goodman, Christopher Walken, and Alec Baldwin.
This season is also notorious for an in-cast spat towards the end of the season. Nora Dunn staged a boycott over the host of the episode, controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Dunn refused to appear in the episode because of Clay's profane jokes about women. The original musical guest for the episode, Sinéad O'Connor, joined Dunn in her boycott and canceled her scheduled appearance. O'Connor was replaced by Julee Cruise and The Spanic Boys.
Few changes happened before the start of the season. The only change was the absence of Ben Stiller. After being on the show for five episodes, Stiller left the show due to creative differences with Lorne Michaels. Mike Myers was upgraded to repertory status.
This season saw the first hosting gigs of three celebrities who would go on to be frequent SNL hosts: John Goodman, Christopher Walken, and Alec Baldwin.
This season is also notorious for an in-cast spat towards the end of the season. Nora Dunn staged a boycott over the host of the episode, controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Dunn refused to appear in the episode because of Clay's profane jokes about women. The original musical guest for the episode, Sinéad O'Connor, joined Dunn in her boycott and canceled her scheduled appearance. O'Connor was replaced by Julee Cruise and The Spanic Boys.
Where to Watch Season 15
20 Episodes
- Bruce Willis/Neil Young
E1Bruce Willis/Neil YoungAction superstar Bruce Willis hosts the premiere episode of the 1989/90 season. Selected sketches and segments include "White House Report," "thirtysomething Cereal," "Anal Retentive Guy," and "Wayne's World." For clearance reasons, episodes have been edited from their original version. - Rick Moranis/Rickie Lee Jones
E2Rick Moranis/Rickie Lee JonesComedian Rick Moranis hosts this 1989 episode. Selected sketches include "Jackie Mason's Press Conference," "Honey, I Shrunk Hans and Franz," "Sheeba The Horse," and "Word Busters." For clearance reasons, episodes have been edited from their original version. - Kathleen Turner/Billy Joel
E3Kathleen Turner/Billy JoelOscar nominee Kathleen Turner hosts this 1989 episode. Selected segments and sketches include Kathleen's monologue, in which she reveals to readers her "real voice," as well as "Weekend Update." For clearance reasons, episodes have been edited from their original version. - James Woods/Don Henley
E4James Woods/Don HenleySketches include ""The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,"" ""Yard-a-pult,"" ""Dracula and AIDS,"" ""Primetime Live,"" ""Ventriloquist Act,"" ""Falling in Love,"" ""Three Dudes Holistic Automotive,"" ""Hemsley Spook House,"" and ""Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein."" - Chris Evert/Eurythmics
E5Chris Evert/EurythmicsTennis champ Chris Evert hosts this 1989 episode, which features selected sketches and segments such as "Wimbledon Loss," "Bush At The Berlin Wall," "Lyle, The Effeminate Heterosexual," and "The Nude House of Wacky People." For clearance reasons, episodes have been edited from their original version. - Woody Harrelson/David Byrne
E6Woody Harrelson/David ByrneCheers star Woody Harrelson hosts this 1989 episode. Selected sketches include "Five Easy Pieces," "Three Very Lonely Cowboys," "Attitudes," and "Thanksgiving Good, Fire Bad." For clearance reasons, episodes have been edited from their original version. - John Goodman/k.d. lang & The Reclines
E7John Goodman/k.d. lang & The ReclinesSketches include ""It's a Wonderful Savings and Loan,"" ""Wayne's World,"" ""Cooking with the Anal-Retentive Chef,"" ""Toonces The Cat Who Could Drive a Car,"" ""The Mike Ditka Type-A Christmas Special,"" and ""The Referee Pitman Show"". - Robert Wagner/Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
E8Robert Wagner/Linda Ronstadt & Aaron NevilleSketches include ""George Bush and Dan Quayle"", ""Yard-A-Pult,"" ""Messy Date"", ""Tales of the Runaway Boulder,"" ""Attack of the Masturbating Zombies,"" ""Rockefeller is Evil,"" ""A Betty Ford Straight Arrow Christmas"", and ""In the Middle."" Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville performed ""Don't Know Much"" and ""When Something Is Wrong."" - Christopher Walken/Bonnie Raitt
E11Christopher Walken/Bonnie RaittSNL favorite Christopher Walken hosts this 1990 episode, which includes selected sketches such as "Eternity," "Attitudes," "Girlfriend Dumping Service," and commercial parody "Colon Blow." For clearance reasons, episodes have been edited from their original version. - Quincy Jones
E12Quincy JonesSketches include ""Pumping Up With Hans and Franz,"" ""Century 21 Marriage Counselors,"" ""Toonces,"" ""Bob Waltman Special,"" ""Jazz Perspective,"" ""Reverend and Rabbi,"" ""Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein,"" ""Soviet Central Committee,"" ""House Committee on Dials and Gauges"". - Tom Hanks/Aerosmith
E13Tom Hanks/AerosmithSketches include ""Ivana Trump Pre-Nup"", ""Wayne's World,"" ""Tales of Ribaldry,"" ""Tradtional Irish Drinking Songs for St. Patrick's Day,"" ""The Mob,"" ""Singles Cruise,"" and ""Black History Minute."" Aerosmith performed ""Jamie's Got a Gun"" and ""Monkey On My Back."" - Andrew Dice Clay/Spanic Boys & Julee Cruise
E19Andrew Dice Clay/Spanic Boys & Julee CruiseSketches include ""It's a Wonderful Dice,"" ""Diceman Employment Agency,"" ""Cooking With the Anal-Rententive Chef,"" ""What's Sex?"", ""DJ Tony Trailer,"" ""Jan Hooks Protest,"" ""Cool Mite,"" ""Ridiculous Bull,"" ""Kevin Nealon Protest"" - Candice Bergen/Notting Hillbillies
E20Candice Bergen/Notting HillbilliesCandice Bergen returns to host this finale episode of the 1990 season. Selected sketches and segments include "Toonces, The Cat Who Could Drive A Car," "The Tonight Show," "Wayne's World," and "Once Upon A Time." For clearance reasons, episodes have been edited from their original version.
