Saturday Night Live (season 23)

Saturday Night Live Season 23
The Saturday Night Live title card as seen in the opening credits of the 23rd season.
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	20
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 27, 1997 – May 9, 1998
Season chronology
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List of Saturday Night Live episodes

Saturday Night Live aired its twenty-third season during the 1997–98 television season on NBC. The twenty-third season started September 27, 1997 and ended on May 9, 1998, with 20 episodes being produced. A few changes happened before the start of the season, Mark McKinney left the show while Fred Wolf left in the start of the twenty-second season. This season was also notable for not having any featured players or any new cast members. This season was also the only season to have an opening sequence that didn't show any shots of New York City, being replaced by a 1950's-inspired design.

This season was notable for the controversy surrounding Weekend Update. Anchor Norm Macdonald angered NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer. Macdonald often told O. J. Simpson jokes in the Update segment which upset Ohlmeyer, who was good friends with Simpson and did not find the jokes funny. Ohlmeyer then fired Macdonald from the segment, but not from the show, since Ohlmeyer thought he did better in sketches than on Update. His final Update was in the episode hosted by Helen Hunt. Quinn was then promoted to the job and began anchoring the segment in the episode hosted by Samuel L. Jackson. Even though Macdonald still performed in sketches, he was not happy and his stay on the show was short-lived. He ended up quitting the show a few months after getting demoted from Weekend Update. His final appearance was in the show hosted by Julianne Moore.

This season saw the deaths of two former cast members. Six weeks after he came back to host, Chris Farley became the fifth SNL cast member to die prematurely. Similar to his idol, John Belushi, Farley died of a drug overdose at age 33 consisting of cocaine and heroin. Two weeks after the season finale, long-time performer Phil Hartman was shot to death by his wife.

Cast

Repertory players

• Jim Breuer
• Will Ferrell
• Ana Gasteyer
• Darrell Hammond
• Chris Kattan
• Norm Macdonald (final episode: March 14, 1998)
• Tim Meadows
• Tracy Morgan
• Cheri Oteri
• Colin Quinn
• Molly Shannon

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Writers

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers#Season 23

Tina Fey joins the writing staff in this season. Jim Downey leaves the show after Norm Macdonald was taken off Weekend Update (since Downey co-wrote Update with Macdonald).

Episodes

See also: List of Saturday Night Live episodes

Saturday Night Live season 23 episodes

No.	#	Host(s)	Musical guest(s)	Original airdate
427	1	Sylvester Stallone	Jamiroquai	September 27, 1997
The initial 1996 Olympics bombing suspect Richard Jewell makes a guest appearance, where, in a highly publicized sketch, he punches Janet Reno (played by Will Ferrell) in the gut, with Reno responding, "Same time next week?". Jewell also appeared alongside Norm Macdonald on Weekend Update. Jamiroquai performs "Alright."
428	2	Matthew Perry	Oasis	October 4, 1997
Oasis performs "Don't Go Away" and "Acquiesce." This episode marked the first appearance of Tim Meadows' popular "The Ladies Man" sketch.
429	3	Brendan Fraser	Björk	October 18, 1997
This episode marked the first appearance of Mango. Guest appearance by Eric Dickerson. Björk performs "Bachelorette."
430	4	Chris Farley	The Mighty Mighty Bosstones	October 25, 1997
Chevy Chase and Chris Rock have cameo appearances in the cold opening and monologue. Chicago news anchor and reporter Bill Kurtis along with George Wendt and Mike Ditka appear in a short film showing the lives of the "Bill Swerski's Superfans" after their run on SNL. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones performs "The Impression That I Get."
431	5	Jon Lovitz	Jane's Addiction	November 8, 1997
Jane's Addiction performs "Jane Says." Former cast member Dana Carvey makes a cameo appearance in this episode.
432	6	Claire Danes	Mariah Carey	November 15, 1997
During the monologue, writer and future cast member Tina Fey makes a brief appearance as an audience member. Mariah Carey performs "Butterfly" and "My All."
433	7	Rudolph Giuliani	Sarah McLachlan	November 22, 1997
Sarah McLachlan performs "Sweet Surrender."
434	8	Nathan Lane	Metallica Marianne Faithfull	December 6, 1997
Metallica performs "Fuel" and "The Memory Remains," the latter of which featured Marianne Faithfull on additional vocals. Lane's The Lion King co-star, Ernie Sabella, makes a cameo appearance during the monologue, in which both sing a few bars of "Hakuna Matata." Guest appearance by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
435	9	Helen Hunt	Hanson	December 13, 1997
Hunt's As Good as It Gets co-star Jack Nicholson makes a cameo appearance during the monologue and in a "Roxbury Guys" sketch. Todd Hundley, Scott Rolen, Mark Wohlers, Marty Cordova, Jeff Fassero, Gregg Jefferies, Mark Grudzielanek, Rondell White, Todd Zeile, Russ Davis, Cliff Floyd, David Howard, Mike Sweeney and Gerald Williams make an appearance in one sketch. This episode features Norm Macdonald's last appearance as Weekend Update anchor. Hanson performs "MMMBop" and "Merry Christmas Baby."
436	10	Samuel L. Jackson	Ben Folds Five	January 10, 1998
Ben Folds Five performs "Brick." Colin Quinn takes over as Weekend Update anchor in this episode.
437	11	Sarah Michelle Gellar	Portishead	January 17, 1998
During the "Tiger Beat's Ultra Super Duper Dreamy Love Show" sketch, Norm Macdonald's fake mustache comes loose and begins to fall off. In response, he ad-libs "This is not a real mustache" and removes it completely. He continues to ad-lib about buying it off a man on the street. Portishead performs "Only You" to a puzzled audience.
438	12	John Goodman	Paula Cole	February 7, 1998
Dan Aykroyd cameos in this episode, reprising two of his popular recurring characters, Elwood Blues from The Blues Brothers (during the monologue) and Irwin Mainway from "Consumer Probe" (in the Judge Judy sketch). He also impersonates Bob Dole in the cold opening. Aykroyd performs "Lookin' For a Fox." Paula Cole performs "I Don't Want to Wait."
439	13	Roma Downey	Missy Misdemeanor Elliott	February 14, 1998
Missy Elliott performs "Sock It 2 Me" and "Beep Me 911."
440	14	Garth Brooks	Garth Brooks	February 28, 1998
Robert Duvall makes a guest appearance in two sketches, one of which is the game show parody "Who's More Grizzled?" where he tells the game show host (played by Norm Macdonald) that he doesn't like him. In a bit of an in-joke, Norm replies, "Yeah, I get that a lot." Garth Brooks performs "Two Piña Coladas."
441	15	Scott Wolf	Natalie Imbruglia	March 7, 1998
In the cold open, writer and future cast member Tina Fey appears as Kathleen Willey on Larry King Live. Natalie Imbruglia performs "Torn."
442	16	Julianne Moore	Backstreet Boys	March 14, 1998
Norm Macdonald makes his final appearance as a cast member in this episode. Backstreet Boys perform "As Long as You Love Me" and "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)."
443	17	Steve Buscemi	Third Eye Blind	April 4, 1998
This episode features a number of guest appearances including writer Tina Fey, John Hurt, Didi Conn, Lewis H. Lapham, and Natasha Henstridge. Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried, and Molly Ringwald lend their voices in the animated TV Funhouse segment. Third Eye Blind performs "How's It Going to Be."
444	18	Greg Kinnear	All Saints	April 11, 1998
Guest appearance by Bob Hoskins. Saturday TV Funhouse "Fun with Real Audio" cartoon – about Tom Snyder being obsessed with Dolly Parton – was written by Robert Smigel, Smigel's wife, Michelle, and Stephen Colbert. All Saints perform "Never Ever."
445	19	Matthew Broderick	Natalie Merchant	May 2, 1998
Tenacious D appears as a special guest. Natalie Merchant performs "Kind & Generous."
446	20	David Duchovny	Puff Daddy Jimmy Page	May 9, 1998
Guest appearance by John Goodman. Jim Breuer's final episode as a cast member. Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page perform "Come with Me".

Specials

#	Special	Original airdate
1	"SNL Halloween '97"	November 1, 1997
A clip show hosted by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey featuring material from previous shows.
2	"SNL Sports Extra '98"	January 24, 1998
A clip show featuring material from previous shows.
3	"Best of the New Season '97-'98"	January 31, 1998
A clip show featuring some of the best material from the first half of the '97-'98 season. Sketches include "Well Babies Tragedy," "Cookie Dough Sport," "The View," "The Ladies' Man," and "The Ambiguously Gay Duo."
4	"SNL Remembers Chris Farley"	February 21, 1998
The special featured some of the best material featuring Chris Farley during his stint on the show. Sketches include "Chippendales Auditions," "Superfans," "The Chris Farley Show," "Bobby Watches Grandma," "Schmitts Gay," "Focus On Beauty II," "Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker," "Giuliani's Inauguration," "Tater Junction," "Lunchlady Land", "Lillehammer", "Clinton Auditions," "Good Morning Brooklyn," "Japanese Game Show," "Juggernaut Force," "Zagat's," and "Hidden Camera Commercials."
5	"SNL Remembers Phil Hartman"	June 13, 1998
The special featured some of the best material featuring Phil Hartman during his stint on the show. *Sketches include "Donahue," "The Crosby Show," "Star Trek Convention," "Discover," "On Broadway," "Church Chat," "Cumpulsion," "Anne Boleyn," "Succinctly Speaking," "All-Drug Olympics," "Nicknames," "Win, Lose, or Tie," "Love is a Dream (film)," "Nancy Reagan Visits," "Robot Repair," "Cooking with the Anal Retentive Chef," "A Betty Ford Straight Arrow Christmas," "Celebrity Lawyer Court," "Greenhilly," "The Sinatra Group," "Clarence Thomas Hearings," "Campaign '92," "Sprockets," "Dick Clark's Snotty Receptionist," "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer," "Johnny Carson's Last Episode," "Perot and Stockdale Car Trip," "Clinton at McDonald's," "Sassy's Sassiest Boys," and "Acting Class."
6	"The Best of Eddie Murphy"	August 22, 1998
The special featured some of the best material featuring Eddie Murphy during his tenure on the show. Sketches include "The Little Richard Simmons Show," "Prose and Cons" (film), "Velvet Jones School Of Technology," "Career Corner," "Ebony & Ivory," "Buckwheat Dead," "Stevie Wonder Impersonator," "Rock & Roll... and then some," "Black History Minute," "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood," "Gumby," "Buckwheat Sings," and "James Brown's Hot Tub Party."