Live from New York (circa 1979-1980), it’s Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fifth Season (Universal), the final season with The Not Ready For Prime Time Players. By now it was already down a few original members, with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd the latest to leave, but Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Larraine Newman, Jane Curtin and Garret Morris held on, with help from new cast member Harry Shearer and writers Al Franken and Brian Doyle-Murray jumping into skits as needed and Father Guido Sarducci dropping by.

Garret Morris, Bill Murray and Gilda Radner

The creative loss of Belushi and Aykroyd is apparent in the writing and the performance chemistry but this cast has its own chemistry, much of powered by Bill Murray and Gilda Radner, plus Jane Curtin pushing the barriers of good tasted with a deadpan delivery that often slip into a smile on her “Weekend Update” bits. This is the end of the original glory days of the show, when guest hosts were like recurring cast members: Steve Martin and Buck Henry are on board to host two episodes apiece and Eric Idle (who performs his opening monologue strapped to a stretcher), Elliot Gould and Chevy Chase each headline an episode. Musical guests include Blondie, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, David Bowie, The B-52’s, Sam & Dave and the Grateful Dead, and for the 100^th show, old friends Paul Simon and James Taylor drop on by.

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