# Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1985–86

The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between November 9, 1985, and May 24, 1986, the eleventh season of SNL.

## Cabrini Green Jackson

A Danitra Vance sketch. Debuted November 9, 1985.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host |
| 11 | November 9, 1985 | Madonna |
| 11 | November 23, 1985 | Pee-wee Herman |
| 11 | December 21, 1985 | Teri Garr |
| 11 | January 25, 1986 | Dudley Moore |
| 11 | April 12, 1986 | Oprah Winfrey |
| 11 | May 17, 1986 | Jimmy Breslin |

## The Jones Brothers

A Damon Wayans and Anthony Michael Hall sketch. Debuted November 9, 1985.

## The Limits of the Imagination

The Limits of the Imagination was a short-lived sketch featured on the 1985–1986 season. It featured Randy Quaid as "The Floating Head", a Rod Serling-like character who would introduce a creepy, Twilight Zone-esque story with a weak ending (or no ending at all). The title was also reminiscent of the 1960s sci-fi anthology The Outer Limits.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
| 11 | November 9, 1985 | Madonna | In a loose parody of The Twilight Zone episode "The Hitch-hiker", Madonna plays a female motorist who is being followed by a crazy man (played by Jon Lovitz) living in the engine of her car. |
| 11 | December 7, 1985 | John Lithgow | Joan Cusack, Robert Downey Jr., Nora Dunn, and Terry Sweeney play restaurant patrons who are trapped at an "all-you-can-eat" fish restaurant where patrons are forced to eat everything on the menu. |
| 11 | January 25, 1986 | Dudley Moore | Dudley Moore plays a bad comedian who sells his soul to the devil (played by Jon Lovitz) in order to be popular. |
| 11 | February 8, 1986 | Ron Reagan | In a parody of several Twilight Zone episodes, notably "Person or Persons Unknown", Ron Reagan Jr. plays a man who is treated like a stranger by his wife (Joan Cusack), son (Robert Downey Jr.), and friends (Jon Lovitz, Damon Wayans, and Dan Vitale). |
| 11 | February 15, 1986 | Jerry Hall | Jerry Hall plays "Maggie the Cat" from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, who traps and seduces a gay man (played by Terry Sweeney) in her hotel room. |
| 11 | May 10, 1986 | Catherine Oxenberg, Paul Simon | Young Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (played by Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Michael Hall) sell their souls to the Devil (Jon Lovitz) for success. Later, an elderly Paul Simon (who appears as himself) lives out his personal hell of listening to Muzak versions of his greatest hits while stuck in an elevator. |

## The Pat Stevens Show

Nora Dunn played the host, a somewhat dim, shallow, ex-model who thought Vogue was literature. Debuted November 16, 1985.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host |
| 11 | November 16, 1985 | Chevy Chase |
| 11 | November 23, 1985 | Pee-wee Herman |
| 11 | December 14, 1985 | Tom Hanks |
| 11 | January 25, 1986 | Dudley Moore |
| 11 | February 8, 1986 | Ron Reagan |
| 11 | February 15, 1986 | Jerry Hall |
| 11 | April 12, 1986 | Oprah Winfrey |
| 11 | May 17, 1986 | Jimmy Breslin |
| 12 | December 6, 1986 | Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short |
| 12 | January 31, 1987 | Paul Shaffer |
| 12 | April 11, 1987 | John Lithgow |
| 13 | October 31, 1987 | Dabney Coleman |
| 13 | February 20, 1988 | Tom Hanks |
| 14 | October 8, 1988 | Tom Hanks |
| 14 | November 19, 1988 | John Lithgow |
| 14 | February 18, 1989 | Leslie Nielsen |
| 15 | February 24, 1990 | Fred Savage |

## Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant

An Anthony Michael Hall sketch. Craig Sundberg is a particularly blockheaded teenager who gets summoned to help with complex scientific problems; though seemingly completely stupid, Craig somehow consistently saves the day. Debuted November 16, 1985.

## Tommy Flanagan, the Pathological Liar

The Pathological Liar is a character created and portrayed by Jon Lovitz, pre-dating his work on SNL. (The character's first TV appearance was on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in March, 1985.) The Liar often appeared on Weekend Update segments to share his farcical views, but was also used in full-length sketches and show openings. The character's name was Tommy Flanagan (/fləˈneɪɡən/ flə-NAY-gən) — not to be confused with the jazz pianist) — and he would tell outrageous whoppers in an effort to make himself seem important (such as his claim that he invented rock and roll). One recurring lie was claiming he was married to Morgan Fairchild, and thus had seen her naked, "more than once." His devious look, hand rubbing and nervous speech made it clear he was making up lies, one after the other, on the spot. After a particularly outrageous lie he would often use an old Humphrey Bogart line, "Yeah! That's the ticket!", as a catchphrase.
One of his biggest lies, however, would work to his great advantage. During the cold opening when Jerry Hall hosted, Flanagan claimed to be an old friend of her then-boyfriend Mick Jagger; when Jagger entered moments later, he shocked her by revealing that the two were longtime friends, and had actually spent the previous weekend together, while she had no idea of his whereabouts, on a fishing trip. As he and Hall got up to leave, Jagger told Flanagan, "I owe you for this one," before opening the show.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host |
| 11 | November 16, 1985 | Chevy Chase |
| 11 | November 23, 1985 | Pee-wee Herman |
| 11 | December 14, 1985 | Tom Hanks |
| 11 | January 25, 1986 | Dudley Moore |
| 11 | February 15, 1986 | Jerry Hall |
| 11 | February 22, 1986 | Jay Leno |
| 11 | March 15, 1986 | Griffin Dunne |
| 11 | March 22, 1986 | George Wendt, Francis Ford Coppola |
| 11 | April 12, 1986 | Oprah Winfrey |
| 11 | May 10, 1986 | Catherine Oxenberg, Paul Simon |
| 11 | May 17, 1986 | Jimmy Breslin |
| 12 | October 11, 1986 | Sigourney Weaver |
| 12 | November 8, 1986 | Rosanna Arquette |
| 12 | December 6, 1986 | Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short |
| 12 | January 24, 1987 | Joe Montana, Walter Payton |
| 12 | February 21, 1987 | Willie Nelson |
| 12 | May 23, 1987 | Dennis Hopper |
| 14 | April 1, 1989 | Mel Gibson |
| 23 | November 8, 1997 | Jon Lovitz |

## Master Thespian

Jon Lovitz plays a ruthlessly ambitious, egomaniacal actor who spoke with a plummy "Shakespearean" English accent and often elicited the sympathy of other characters in the sketch, only to reveal the ruse by declaring his catchphrase, "Acting!" His arch-rival and mentor, Baudelaire (John Lithgow), often had the last laugh in the escalating one-upmanship, in reality childish pranks and paperthin disguises that they both fell for, ostensibly due to their brilliant acting. On the few occasions we actually see him act, it is clear that he is not as good as his reputation would have us believe, on occasion seeming completely oblivious to the concept of acting. The sketch debuted December 7, 1985 and appeared 13 times between 1985 and 1989.
In 2016, Lovitz stated that the character was based on Canadian actor William Needles, who was his drama professor at the University of California at Irvine. The character was meant as a tribute, not a put-down: "He was the kindest, nicest man. A great actor," Lovitz tweeted. "I based (the) character Master Thespian a lot on him. He was the nicest teacher, ever."

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host |
| 11 | December 7, 1985 | John Lithgow |
| 11 | January 25, 1986 | Dudley Moore |
| 11 | February 15, 1986 | Jerry Hall |
| 11 | March 22, 1986 | George Wendt, Francis Ford Coppola |
| 11 | April 19, 1986 | Tony Danza |
| 12 | November 22, 1986 | Robin Williams |
| 12 | April 11, 1987 | John Lithgow |
| 13 | December 19, 1987 | Paul Simon |
| 13 | January 23, 1988 | Carl Weathers |
| 14 | November 19, 1988 | John Lithgow |
| 14 | December 10, 1988 | Kevin Kline |
| 14 | February 25, 1989 | Glenn Close |

## The Rudy Randolphs

A Randy Quaid and Robert Downey Jr. sketch. Debuted December 7, 1985.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host |
| 11 | December 7, 1985 | John Lithgow |
| 11 | January 18, 1986 | Harry Dean Stanton |
| 11 | March 15, 1986 | Griffin Dunne |

## The Stand-Ups

An ensemble sketch; Jon Lovitz appeared in all three "Stand-Ups" sketches, while Tom Hanks, Damon Wayans and Dennis Miller each appeared in two of the three. Several stand-up comedians talk backstage, drinking coffee before their set. Their patter is always delivered in an exaggerated stand-up style: "Hey! What's with half-and-half? If it's half-empty, is it quarter-quarter? I wanna know!" Debuted December 14, 1985.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
| 11 | December 14, 1985 | Tom Hanks | Three stand-ups: Tom Hanks (as Paul), Jon Lovitz (as Bob), Damon Wayans (as Keith) |
| 11 | February 22, 1986 | Jay Leno | Four stand-ups: Jon Lovitz (as Bob), Dennis Miller (character unnamed), Damon Wayans (as Keith) and Jay Leno (as Jackie Niles) |
| 13 | February 20, 1988 | Tom Hanks | Four stand-ups: Tom Hanks (as Bill), Jon Lovitz (as Bob), Dennis Miller (as Steve), and Dana Carvey (as Jeff). |
Tom Hanks reprised his Paul character from this sketch in a Cut For Time "Bruce Chandling" Weekend Update feature on October 22, 2016 (Season 42, Episode 4).

## That Black Girl

A Danitra Vance sketch. Debuted January 18, 1986.

## Vinnie Barber

A Jon Lovitz sketch. Debuted January 18, 1986.

## Mephistopheles

A Jon Lovitz sketch. Debuted January 25, 1986.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
| 11 | January 25, 1986 | Dudley Moore | Debuted as part of a recurring Limits of the Imagination sketch |
| 11 | May 10, 1986 | Catherine Oxenberg, Paul Simon | |
| 11 | May 24, 1986 | Anjelica Huston, Billy Martin | |
| 12 | November 8, 1986 | Rosanna Arquette | |
| 12 | December 6, 1986 | Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short | |
| 12 | February 21, 1987 | Willie Nelson | |
| 14 | December 17, 1988 | Melanie Griffith | |
| 14 | February 18, 1989 | Leslie Nielsen | |
| 15 | March 24, 1990 | Debra Winger | |
| 15 | May 12, 1990 | Andrew Dice Clay | |

## The Big Picture

A Weekend Update commentary segment, with A. Whitney Brown explaining how several seemingly-unrelated current news events fit into "The Big Picture". The segment was created by Brown and Mark McKinney.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host |
| 11 | February 8, 1986 | Ron Reagan |
| 11 | February 22, 1986 | Jay Leno |
| 11 | March 15, 1986 | Griffin Dunne |
| 11 | April 12, 1986 | Oprah Winfrey |
| 11 | May 10, 1986 | Catherine Oxenberg, Paul Simon |
| 11 | May 24, 1986 | Anjelica Huston, Billy Martin |
| 12 | October 11, 1986 | Sigourney Weaver |
| 12 | November 8, 1986 | Rosanna Arquette |
| 12 | November 22, 1986 | Robin Williams |
| 12 | January 24, 1987 | Joe Montana, Walter Payton |
| 12 | February 14, 1987 | Bronson Pinchot |
| 12 | February 21, 1987 | Willie Nelson |
| 12 | April 11, 1987 | John Lithgow |
| 12 | May 9, 1987 | Mark Harmon |
| 12 | May 23, 1987 | Dennis Hopper |
| 13 | November 14, 1987 | Robert Mitchum |
| 13 | December 12, 1987 | Angie Dickinson |
| 13 | January 30, 1988 | Carl Weathers |
| 13 | February 27, 1988 | Judge Reinhold |
| 14 | October 15, 1988 | Matthew Broderick |
| 14 | November 5, 1988 | Matthew Modine |
| 14 | December 10, 1988 | Kevin Kline |
| 14 | January 21, 1989 | John Malkovich |
| 14 | February 25, 1989 | Glenn Close |
| 14 | May 20, 1989 | Steve Martin |
| 15 | September 30, 1989 | Bruce Willis |
| 15 | October 21, 1989 | Kathleen Turner |
| 15 | October 28, 1989 | James Woods |
| 15 | March 17, 1990 | Rob Lowe |
| 15 | April 21, 1990 | Alec Baldwin |
| 15 | May 19, 1990 | Candice Bergen |
| 16 | October 27, 1990 | Patrick Swayze |
| 16 | January 12, 1991 | Joe Mantegna |
| 16 | February 9, 1991 | Kevin Bacon |
| 16 | March 16, 1991 | Michael J. Fox |

## Babette

A Nora Dunn sketch, as she plays French sex kitten and international jet-setter Babette (“A sex kitten never dies; we just get fluffy”). Debuted February 15, 1986.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
| 11 | February 15, 1986 | Jerry Hall | Weekend Update |
| 11 | April 19, 1986 | Tony Danza | Weekend Update |
| 12 | December 13, 1986 | Steve Guttenberg | Weekend Update |
| 12 | February 14, 1987 | Bronson Pinchot | |
| 12 | April 18, 1987 | John Larroquette | Weekend Update |
| 12 | May 16, 1987 | Garry Shandling | Teeny Café |
| 13 | October 24, 1987 | Sean Penn | Teeny Café |

## The Further Adventures of Biff and Salena

The various mundane events in the lives of a seemingly mentally disabled couple (Jon Lovitz and Joan Cusack). Debuted February 22, 1986.

## Actors of Film

A Nora Dunn and Robert Downey Jr. sketch. Jimmy Chance (Robert Downey Jr.) and Ashley Ashley (Nora Dunn) gushingly and pretentiously discuss films and filmmaking. Debuted March 22, 1986.

### Appearances

| Season | Episode | Host |
| 11 | March 22, 1986 | George Wendt, Francis Ford Coppola |
| 11 | April 12, 1986 | Oprah Winfrey |
| 11 | May 24, 1986 | Anjelica Huston, Billy Martin |