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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!

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...

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  1. 7.7/10(112 votes)

    #1 - Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney

    S5:E19

    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.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  2. 7.5/10(141 votes)

    #2 - Steve Martin/Blondie

    S5:E1

    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".

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  3. 7.5/10(123 votes)

    #3 - Eric Idle/Bob Dylan

    S5:E2

    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.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  4. 7.4/10(100 votes)

    #4 - Buck Henry/Andrew Gold

    S5:E20

    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."

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  5. 7.1/10(116 votes)

    #5 - Rodney Dangerfield/J. Geils Band

    S5:E13

    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.

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  6. 7.0/10(125 votes)

    #6 - Martin Sheen/David Bowie

    S5:E7

    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""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
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  8. 6.8/10(107 votes)

    #7 - Buck Henry/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

    S5:E4

    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.

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  9. 6.8/10(100 votes)

    #8 - Strother Martin/The Specials

    S5:E17

    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".

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  10. 6.7/10(92 votes)

    #9 - Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn

    S5:E18

    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.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  11. 6.4/10(100 votes)

    #10 - Teri Garr/The B-52's

    S5:E9

    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.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  12. 6.4/10(103 votes)

    #11 - Chevy Chase/Marianne Faithfull

    S5:E10

    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.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  13. 6.4/10(105 votes)

    #12 - Kirk Douglas/Sam and Dave

    S5:E12

    Sketches include ""Kirk's Greatest Kirks,"" ""What If?,"" ""Arlene Meets Kirk Douglas,"" ""Greg's Bar Mitzvah,"" ""Prime Time Saturday,"" and ""Mask of Fear""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  14. 6.3/10(94 votes)

    #13 - Elliott Gould/Gary Numan

    S5:E11

    Sketches include ""Kramer vs. Godzilla,"" ""The Incredible Man,"" Andy Aaron's film ""Get Rid of That Building,"" and ""All-Time Radio.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  15. 6.3/10(96 votes)

    #14 - Paul Simon/James Taylor

    S5:E14

    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.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  16. 6.2/10(110 votes)

    #15 - Bea Arthur/The Roches

    S5:E5

    Sketches include ""Sex Change,"" ""The Backers' Audition,"" and ""First, He Cries.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  17. 6.2/10(105 votes)

    #16 - Howard Hesseman/Randy Newman

    S5:E6

    Sketches include the ""Steve Marvin Radio Show"" and the debut of ""The Al Franken Decade.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  18. 6.1/10(103 votes)

    #17 - Bill Russell/Chicago

    S5:E3

    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.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  19. 6.1/10(91 votes)

    #18 - Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss/The Grateful Dead

    S5:E15

    Sketches include ""Women Empowerment"" and ""Hotel Room/Smell You.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  20. 5.8/10(98 votes)

    #19 - Ted Knight/Desmond Child and Rouge

    S5:E8

    Sketches include A Christmas Gift from The Shah, Nerds Nativity, and Java Junkie.

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A
  21. 5.7/10(98 votes)

    #20 - Burt Reynolds/Anne Murray

    S5:E16

    Sketches include ""Burt's Not Angry,"" ""Vomitorium,"" ""The Burt Book,"" ""Be a Pepper,"" and ""Baba Wawa at Large."" Anne Murray performs ""Lucky Me.""

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    Director:Dave Wilson
    Writer:N/A

Season 5 Ratings Summary

"Steve Martin/Paul and Linda McCartney" is the best rated episode of "Saturday Night Live" season 5. It scored 7.7/10 based on 112 votes. Directed by Dave Wilson and written by N/A, it aired on 5/17/1980. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Steve Martin/Blondie".