Season 2 poster

Season 2

22 episodes September 18, 1976

Saturday Night Live aired its second season during the 1976–1977 television season on NBC. The second season started on September 18, 1976, and ended on May 21, 1977. This season saw the first of many SNL cast changes. Chevy Chase, who was pursuing a movie career in California, left the show after the October 30th episode hosted by Buck Henry with musical guest, The Band. Jane Curtin became the first female cast member to become a Weekend Update anchor following Chase's departure. On the January 15, 1977 episode, Bill Murray joined the cast to fill the void left by Chase's departure. This season also saw another change in the show: its name. Following the cancellation of ABC's Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell, NBC changed the name of the show from NBC's Saturday Night to its current title, Saturday Night Live in the episode hosted by Jack Burns in 1977. It was the last time that the Muppet sketches would appear on the show. In a 1977 interview with Playboy, O'Donoghue who was head writer/performer, referred to the Muppets as "those fucking Muppets, those little hairy facecloths" and were "made from the refuse after they cleaned up after Woodstock". He also refused to write for them, saying "I don’t write for felt". O'Donoghue also had a lynched Big Bird hanging in the writer's office.

Episodes

1 Lily Tomlin/James Taylor Sep 18, 1976 No ratings 2 Norman Lear/Boz Scaggs Sep 25, 1976 No ratings 3 Eric Idle/Joe Cocker and Stuff Oct 2, 1976 No ratings 4 Karen Black/John Prine Oct 16, 1976 No ratings 5 Steve Martin/Kinky Friedman Oct 23, 1976 No ratings 6 Buck Henry/The Band Oct 30, 1976 No ratings 7 Dick Cavett/Ry Cooder Nov 13, 1976 No ratings 8 Paul Simon/Paul Simon, George Harrison Nov 20, 1976 No ratings 9 Jodie Foster/Brian Wilson Nov 27, 1976 No ratings 10 Candice Bergen/Frank Zappa Dec 11, 1976 No ratings 11 Ralph Nader/George Benson Jan 15, 1977 No ratings 12 Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry Jan 22, 1977 No ratings 13 Fran Tarkenton/Leo Sayer Jan 29, 1977 No ratings 14 Steve Martin/The Kinks Feb 26, 1977 No ratings 15 Sissy Spacek/Richard Baskin Mar 12, 1977 No ratings 16 Broderick Crawford/Dr. John, The Meters Mar 19, 1977 No ratings 17 Jack Burns/Santana Mar 26, 1977 No ratings 18 Julian Bond/Brick Apr 9, 1977 No ratings 19 Elliott Gould/McGarrigle Sisters Apr 16, 1977 No ratings 20 Eric Idle/Neil Innes Apr 23, 1977 No ratings 21 Shelley Duvall/Joan Armatrading May 14, 1977 No ratings 22 Buck Henry/Kenny Vance, Jennifer Warnes May 21, 1977 No ratings