Season 4 poster
20 episodes

Saturday Night Live - Season 4

First aired Oct 7, 1978Season 4

Saturday Night Live aired its fourth season during the 1978–1979 television season on NBC. The fourth season started on October 7, 1978 and ended on May 26, 1979. The season four DVD was released on December 2, 2008. The entire cast from the previous season returned. This would be the final season for Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Aykroyd and Belushi left to work on The Blues Brothers film.

Social

Reviews

Community reviews for Saturday Night Live, shown here with its season details.

G

GenerationofSwine

1.0

It was good, then it was great, then it was good again and now it stinks. As of 2018 The edginess is gone. There are no risks in the jokes. They all consist of two things, 1. Trump is bad. and 2. This was a thing, remember it? Neither of those really work for me. Make fun of Trump all you want, but do it with a punch line. Most of the time they forget the punchline. Simply not liking him is NOT a punchline. You have to exaggerate something, make it satire, mock it in some way. I don't even care if it's a cruel mockery...so long as it doesn't seem like they are just stating an opinion. Opinions are NOT jokes. The same thing goes with their "remember this, this was a thing" jokes... They leave you sitting there waiting for them to say something funny about it. You're with them for a little while, "Yeah I remember it, go on..." then you realize that, no, that was the joke. That's not a joke, that's just asking me to remember something. Again, if they had a punch line, if they said something about what they were asking me to remember, then it might be funny...but they don't. The jokes are literally "this was a thing, laugh at it." and that's not funny. It has to be followed up with something. Like with Trump, an opinion is NOT a joke unless it is followed by something. The same thing with a memory, a memory is NOT a joke in and of itself. They both have to be followed by something

s

sethdozerman

Saturday Night Live will always be my comfort show. The longevity and influence SNL has had on the comedy scene is unmatched. It has been the catalyst for so many careers, e.g. Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Will Ferrell etc... The show has definitely had its ups and downs but, in taking a step back it is evident that the show has remained consistently mixed in it entire run. Not every season has had great writers or talent, some actors have been much more successful than others, and yet it has always found an audience. My favourite era of the show was the mid 2000s with Bill Hader and Andy Samberg, but most people have a a preference for whatever season they had as a teenager. The consistency of structure and crew unites all the different casts, creating a familiar image and sensibility, found in every season. There will always be a host monologue, musical guest, Weekend Update and most importantly, it will always be LIVE! The production process of a pitch meeting with the host, staying up all night on Tuesdays to write, read-through and dress rehearsal. Whether it's 1975 or 2023, everyone endures the same experience (although whether they have the aid of cocaine is certainly a difference!). The argument SNL hasnt been funny since the "insert previous ten years" is redundant. Every season of the show has been criticised for not being funny but every season of the show has produced hilarious sketches and shone a light on the new faces of comedy. In the 70s they had Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, the 80s they had Julia Louis Dreyfus and Conan O'Brien, the 90s they had Will Ferrell and Eddy Murphy, the 2000s Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the 2010s Kate McKinnon and Vanessa Bayer and finally in the 2020s we have Bowen Yang and Marcello Hernandez. The show continues to inspire and entertain the next generation of aspiring creatives with it's ground approach to sketch comedy. It is an American institution that will always hold a very dear place in my heart.

Episodes

The Rolling Stones still

Episode 1

The Rolling Stones

7.0
Oct 7, 197867 min2 votes

Live from New York, it's Dan Aykroyd! Sketches include "Garrett Morris and the National Broadcasting Orchestra," "Mayor Koch Honors John Belushi," the commercial parody "Autoscent," Tomorrow, "Nerds Meet the Norge Refrigerator Repairman," "Olympia Restaurant #4," Tom Schiller's Sushi By the Pool, "Paul McCartney and John Lennon Reunion," "Danger Probe."

Fred Willard/Devo still

Episode 2

Fred Willard/Devo

6.0
Oct 14, 197867 min1 votes

Sketches include--"Honker in the Audience", "Two Guys Who Are Lawyers", "Aging Stuntman Cliff Preston", "One-Night-Stand vs. Phone Talk", "Mr. Bill Goes To N.Y.", "Bobbi Farber", "Crossroads", "Scotch Boutique", "Booji Boy"

Frank Zappa still

Episode 3

Frank Zappa

4.0
Oct 21, 197867 min1 votes

Sketches include "Fred Silverman," "Coneheads," "Domestic Prison," "Night on Freak Mountain," "Woman to Woman," "The Al Franken and Tom Davis Show," "Mr. Bill"

Steve Martin/Van Morrison still

Episode 4

Steve Martin/Van Morrison

7.0
Nov 4, 197867 min1 votes

Live from New York, it's...President Dan Aykroyd! Sketches include "A Message From the President of the United States", "Where's the Cracker, Steve?", "Elvis Presley's Coat", "What If?", "Theodoric of York, Medieval Judge", "Festrunk Brothers at a Fox Bar," "The Nerds at the Hospital", "Looks At Books", and "Annoying Waiter".

Buck Henry/The Grateful Dead still

Episode 5

Buck Henry/The Grateful Dead

7.0
Nov 11, 197867 min1 votes

Sketches include--"Concession Speech,", "Rovco Chinch Canch" commercial parody, "Samurai Optometrist," "Uncle Roy #1," "The Death Of Rasputin," "Nick Sands, the Lounge Singer," More Flu To Worry About, and "St. Mickey's Knights of Columbus."

Carrie Fisher/The Blues Brothers still

Episode 6

Carrie Fisher/The Blues Brothers

7.8
Nov 18, 197867 min4 votes

Live from New York, it's....Garrett Morris! The Blues Brothers open the show by performing Soul Man. Carrie comes out dressed as Princess Leia for her monologue, telling a joke that only the voice of Obi Won (Dan Aykroyd) likes. This leads into Beach Blanket Bimbo from Outer Space, "The Loud Family," Mercy Killers, the Blues Brothers' performance of Almost and B-Movie Boxcar Blues, "Mr. Bill's Fishing Trip," Tomorrow, "Bad Red Chinese Ballet," and the Schiller film Arrividerci Roman.

Walter Matthau/Garrett Morris still

Episode 7

Walter Matthau/Garrett Morris

7.0
Dec 2, 197867 min1 votes

Sketches include--"Fred Silverman", "Super Epoxy-Dent", "The Bad News Bees", "Olympia Cafe", "Daughter's Old Room", "Nixon's Conspirator, "Woman to Woman", "Government Surplus Store", "Network Battle of the T's & A's", "Mr. Bill Is Late"

Eric Idle/Kate Bush still

Episode 8

Eric Idle/Kate Bush

8.0
Dec 9, 197867 min3 votes

Sketches include "Telepsychic Ray," "Julia Child," "Madrigal," "The Woman He Loved," "What Do You?", "Candy Slice," "Consumer Probe," "Singing Dog Agent," and "Cochise at Oxford".

Elliott Gould/Peter Tosh with Mick Jagger still

Episode 9

Elliott Gould/Peter Tosh with Mick Jagger

7.0
Dec 16, 197867 min1 votes

Sketches include "White House Lawn Special Event," "Rovco All-Flammable Christmas Tree," "The Widettes," "Mommie Dearest," "Scotch and Spirits," "Bob and Ray," "St. Mickey's Knights of Columbus," and "Honker Works the Christmas Lot".

Michael Palin/The Doobie Brothers still

Episode 10

Michael Palin/The Doobie Brothers

7.5
Jan 27, 197967 min2 votes

Sketches include "State of the Union Address: Preparation I," "Palin's Socks Monologue," "Mr. Brighton Returns to the Nerds," "Miles Cowperthwaite, Part One," "What If Superman Grew Up in Germany?" and "Name the Bats." Weekend Update features "Chico Escuela's Super Bowl Recap" and "Father Guido Sarducci's Bill for The Last Brunch."

Cicely Tyson/Talking Heads still

Episode 11

Cicely Tyson/Talking Heads

6.5
Feb 10, 197967 min2 votes

Sketches include "Cicely Confronts Garrett Monologue," "Nick Rails, the Train Lounge Singer," and "The Widettes."

Rick Nelson/Judy Collins still

Episode 12

Rick Nelson/Judy Collins

7.5
Feb 17, 197967 min2 votes

Live from New York, it's...John Belushi! Sketches include "WGN Morning Show," "The Twilight Zone," "Helium," "¿Quien Es Mas Macho?," and "Rock Against Yeast '79." Judy Collins performed "Hard Times for Lovers."

Kate Jackson/Delbert McClinton still

Episode 13

Kate Jackson/Delbert McClinton

6.0
Feb 24, 197967 min1 votes

Sketches include "Charlie's Angels," "Nerds," "Fred Silverman," "Child Psychiatrist," "Andy Kaufman," "Kate Jackson and Fred Silverman," "Bad Cabaret For Children," "Coneheads"

Gary Busey/Gary Busey with Rick Danko and Paul Butterfield, Eubie Blake still

Episode 14

Gary Busey/Gary Busey with Rick Danko and Paul Butterfield, Eubie Blake

5.0
Mar 10, 197967 min1 votes

Live from New York, it's...John Belushi! Sketches include: "Breaking the Ice with Belushi" "Billy Carter" "Women's Problems" "The Unsung Heroes of Rock n Roll" "The Slopjockey" "Bill Murray Talks With Mrs. Ed." Gregory Hines joins Eubie Blake in singing Low-down Blues, I'm Just Simply Full Of Jazz and I'm Just Wild About Harry. Busey and Paul Butterfield perform Stay All Night.

Margot Kidder/The Chieftains still

Episode 15

Margot Kidder/The Chieftains

7.0
Mar 17, 197967 min2 votes

Live from New York, it's...John Belushi! Sketches include "WGN Radio Live at Doyle's Tavern," "The Navy," "Fred Garvin: Male Prostitute," "St. Mickey's Knights of Columbus," "Superhero Party," The Franken and Davis Show, "Men's Problems," and The Mr. Bill Show. The Chieftains perform If I Had Maggie In The Woods and Morning Dew.

Richard Benjamin/Rickie Lee Jones still

Episode 16

Richard Benjamin/Rickie Lee Jones

7.0
Apr 7, 197967 min1 votes

Sketches include "The Pepsi Syndrome," "The Nerds In Love," and "Scottish Restaurant." Jones performs his hit "Chuck E's In Love."

Milton Berle/Ornette Coleman still

Episode 17

Milton Berle/Ornette Coleman

4.0
Apr 14, 197967 min2 votes

Sketches include "Texaco Star Theater Intro," "The Widettes," "On The Spot," and "Milton's Writers." Ornette Coleman played "Times Square."

Michael Palin/James Taylor still

Episode 18

Michael Palin/James Taylor

7.0
May 12, 197967 min2 votes

Sketches include "Mother's Day Monologue," "Miles Cowperthwaite, Part Two: I Am Nailed to the Hull," and "Black-Market Gasoline." Weekend Update includes "Margaret Thathcer Interview."

Maureen Stapleton/Linda Ronstadt, Phoebe Snow still

Episode 19

Maureen Stapleton/Linda Ronstadt, Phoebe Snow

6.0
May 19, 197967 min1 votes

Live from New York, it's... Dan Aykroyd! Sketches include "Telepsychic Ray," "Nick Wings, the Airport VIP Lounge Singer," and "Idi Amin Holes Out."

Buck Henry/Bette Midler still

Episode 20

Buck Henry/Bette Midler

NR
May 26, 197967 min

Sketches include "Mr. Bill at SNL," "Disco Roller Fishing Park," "Samurai Bakery," "Uncle Roy," "Watergate Was a Joke," and "Olympia Cafe." Bette Midler performs a medley of standards.