7.5/10140 votes#1 - Steve Martin/Blondie
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 10/13/1979
Sketches include ""The Pope's Doorman,"" ""Craig's Travellers' Checks,"" ""Free Spanish Lesson,"" ""Juvenile Delinquent Vandal,"" ""Rise,"" ""Carole King,"" ""The David Susskind Show,"" ""Bolshoi Ballet,"" ""The All-New Mr. Bill Show,"" ""What the Hell is That?"". Blondie performs "Dreaming" and "The Hardest Part".
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
7.5/10122 votes#2 - Eric Idle/Bob Dylan
Season 5 Episode 2 - Aired 10/20/1979
Sketches include ""Eric's Sick,"" ""Hotel-Motel Art Fair,"" ""Mr. Howard's Shoe Store,"" ""Prince Charles Tells You How To Pick Up Girls!,"" ""Hardcore II,"" ""Heavy Sarcasm,"" and ""Ask Elvis."" Bob Dylan performs ""Gotta Serve Somebody,"" ""I Believe In You,"" and ""When You Gonna Wake Up.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.1/10101 votes#3 - Bill Russell/Chicago
Season 5 Episode 3 - Aired 11/3/1979
Sketches include ""Kennedy in '80,"" ""Banshee,"" ""The Black Shadow,"" ""The Landers Files,"" ""Mr. Bill at Home,"" ""Nick in the Arctic,"" ""Eleanor Roosevelt,"" ""Sports Hot Line,"" and ""Big n' Tall That's All."" Chicago performs their 1970 hit ""I'm a Man"" and their then-current single ""Street Player.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.7/10105 votes#4 - Buck Henry/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Season 5 Episode 4 - Aired 11/10/1979
Sketches include ""Rush Home to the Bathroom,"" ""Find the Popes in the Pizza Contest drawing,"" ""Nerds #12,"" ""Harley's Bristol Cream"" and ""Banshee"" commercial parodies, and one of Aviva Slesin's ""First Love"" films.
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.1/10109 votes#5 - Bea Arthur/The Roches
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 11/17/1979
Sketches include ""Sex Change,"" ""The Backers' Audition,"" and ""First, He Cries.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.2/10104 votes#6 - Howard Hesseman/Randy Newman
Season 5 Episode 6 - Aired 12/8/1979
Sketches include the ""Steve Marvin Radio Show"" and the debut of ""The Al Franken Decade.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
7.0/10121 votes#7 - Martin Sheen/David Bowie
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 12/15/1979
Sketches include ""Quick Sex Change Operation,"" ""Le Shoe,"" ""Afraid of the Dark,"" ""Striking Teachers,"" ""Apocolypse Now,"" ""First Love, Part 2,"" ""Foreveready,"" ""Criminals,"" ""Minota AM-3 Camera,"" ""Revisions of Freudian History,"" ""Martin Sheen Hairspray""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
5.8/1093 votes#8 - Ted Knight/Desmond Child and Rouge
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 12/22/1979
Sketches include A Christmas Gift from The Shah, Nerds Nativity, and Java Junkie.
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.4/1097 votes#9 - Teri Garr/The B-52's
Season 5 Episode 9 - Aired 1/26/1980
Sketches include ""Paul McCartney in Japan: Day 11,"" ""Craig's,"" ""Somewhere Near Mason City, Iowa,"" ""Debs Behind Bars,"" ""Anchovy Council of America,"" ""Bad Playhouse,"" ""Baby Casting Director,"" and ""The Mr. Bill Show."" The B-52's perform ""Rock Lobster"" and ""Dance This Mess Around.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.3/10100 votes#10 - Chevy Chase/Marianne Faithfull
Season 5 Episode 10 - Aired 2/9/1980
Live from New York, it's…Chevy Chase! Sketches include ""Henry Kissinger and Gerald Ford,"" ""Pre-Chewed Charlies,"" The Bel Airabs, ""You Can't Win,"" Speaking of Fashion, ""Linden Palmer, Hollywood's Forgotten Director,"" and ""Honduras.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.3/1091 votes#11 - Elliott Gould/Gary Numan
Season 5 Episode 11 - Aired 2/16/1980
Sketches include ""Kramer vs. Godzilla,"" ""The Incredible Man,"" Andy Aaron's film ""Get Rid of That Building,"" and ""All-Time Radio.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.4/10103 votes#12 - Kirk Douglas/Sam and Dave
Season 5 Episode 12 - Aired 2/23/1980
Sketches include ""Kirk's Greatest Kirks,"" ""What If?,"" ""Arlene Meets Kirk Douglas,"" ""Greg's Bar Mitzvah,"" ""Prime Time Saturday,"" and ""Mask of Fear""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
7.0/10115 votes#13 - Rodney Dangerfield/J. Geils Band
Season 5 Episode 13 - Aired 3/8/1980
Sketches include-- Dressing Room opening, Dr. Shockley's House of Sperm, Niggerands, Manhasset, The Subsitute Judge, Celebrity Corner: Bill Murray talks with Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow.
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.3/1094 votes#14 - Paul Simon/James Taylor
Season 5 Episode 14 - Aired 3/15/1980
Sketches include ""Anniversary Seance,"" ""Todd's Campaign,"" ""The Biggest Leprechaun,"" ""The Flogging Musicians,"" ""Talk or Die,"" and ""The David Susskind Show."" Paul Simon and James Taylor perform ""Cathy's Clown / Take Me to the Mardi Gras"" and David Sanborn performs ""Anything You Want.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.1/1089 votes#15 - Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss/The Grateful Dead
Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 4/5/1980
Sketches include ""Women Empowerment"" and ""Hotel Room/Smell You.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
5.7/1096 votes#16 - Burt Reynolds/Anne Murray
Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 4/12/1980
Sketches include ""Burt's Not Angry,"" ""Vomitorium,"" ""The Burt Book,"" ""Be a Pepper,"" and ""Baba Wawa at Large."" Anne Murray performs ""Lucky Me.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.8/1098 votes#17 - Strother Martin/The Specials
Season 5 Episode 17 - Aired 4/19/1980
The host for the episode is Strother Martin, and the musical guest is The Specials. The skits for this episode are as follows: Rosalyn Carter talks about sections of the 1980 census intended for illegal aliens, including questions about how they got into the US, where they would hide if the INS came to their homes, and how much they would be willing to do housework for. During his opening monologue, Strother Martin reveals that he was asked to host the show because Lorne Michaels mistook him for Tennessee Williams, and so far he's been keeping up the act. At Camp Beau Soleil, the campers are forced to learn French by the brutal camp counselor, Le Capitain, but a camper named Luke is determined to escape. Additional skits include a variety show will, the Conductor's Club, Any Town, and Food. The Specials perform "Gangsters" and "Too Much, Too Young".
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
6.7/1092 votes#18 - Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn
Season 5 Episode 18 - Aired 5/10/1980
Sketches include ""Mysteries of the Universe,"" ""The Dating Zone,"" ""Writing Home,"" and ""Mr. Bill."" The Amazing Rhythm Aces (featuring Bill Murray) perform ""Third-Rate Romance.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
7.7/10111 votes#19 - Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney
Season 5 Episode 19 - Aired 5/17/1980
Sketches include: ""Father Guido Sarducci, Live from London,"" ""Real Incredible People,"" ""Stretch Marks Record Offer,"" ""Reagan's Dinner,"" and ""The Hominids."" 3-D performed ""All-Night Television.""
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
7.4/1099 votes#20 - Buck Henry/Andrew Gold
Season 5 Episode 20 - Aired 5/24/1980
Live from New York, it's Harry Shearer! Sketches include "Election '80: Almost Halfway Over," "The SNL Stars of the Future" monologue, "Lord and Lady Douchebag," "Uncle Roy," and "Nick at Trader Nick's."
Director: Dave Wilson
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Saturday Night Live Season 5
Every episode of Saturday Night Live Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Saturday Night Live Season 5!
A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed...
Genres:ComedyNews
Network:NBC
Season 5 Ratings Summary
"Steve Martin/Blondie" is the best rated episode of "Saturday Night Live" season 5. It scored 7.5/10 based on 140 votes. Directed by Dave Wilson and written by N/A, it aired on 10/13/1979. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Eric Idle/Bob Dylan".