# Saturday Night Live season 16

The sixteenth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 29, 1990, and May 18, 1991.

## Cast

Extensive changes occurred before the start of the season. Nora Dunn and Jon Lovitz were both dropped from the show. Following her boycott of the episode hosted by Andrew Dice Clay the previous season, Dunn left the cast.
Before the season began, Lovitz requested time off so he could film Mom and Dad Save the World, which would cause him to miss the first several episodes of the season. Michaels refused, because he did not view this to be fair to the other cast members. Lovitz subsequently quit. However, he would make several cameo appearances throughout this season.
With Dunn and Lovitz gone, Michaels was put in an unusual situation. Most of the cast had been on the show for five seasons. He did not want to be put in the spot of having to replace the entire cast all at once (and to avoid repeating Jean Doumanian's mistake—and his previous mistake in the case of the season 11 cast—of hiring a cast of new, inexperienced cast members with little to no comedic chemistry). Instead, he promoted writers Rob Schneider and David Spade to the cast and hired Chris Farley, Chris Rock and Julia Sweeney. He later hired Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler to the cast midseason.
Starting with this season, the cast was divided into three groups. A middle group was created, and this new category would be introduced with the word "with," following the introduction of the repertory players. The first cast members added to the new group were Farley and Rock, with Meadows and Sweeney added midseason.
This season would also be the final season for Dennis Miller, Jan Hooks and A. Whitney Brown. Hooks left at the end of the season to join the show Designing Women, and Brown left the show midseason to move on to other acting opportunities. Miller, who also departed at the end of the season, was at the time the longest running anchor of Weekend Update, having done the job for six full seasons, until Seth Meyers broke the record in season 38. However, Miller still holds the record as the longest solo anchor of Weekend Update as Meyers was paired with Amy Poehler in his first three seasons on Weekend Update and Cecily Strong in his final season on the show.
Additionally, at the time of his departure, Miller was (briefly) the show's longest-tenured cast member (in the show's history), as he was the first cast member to stay on the show, for more than five seasons. However, several of his (former) castmates would pass that record over the next few years
Phil Hartman was also planning on leaving the show, but NBC convinced Hartman to stay on for a few more seasons by promising him his own comedy show, which was later scrapped. Hartman's third wife, Brynn, appears in this season's opening credits montage as the woman whom Hartman is speaking with in a restaurant booth.

### Cast roster

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor
All performers in the "Middle Players" category were credited for every episode after they were introduced, whereas performers in the featured players were only credited in episodes in which they appear. Of the featured players, Rob Schneider is credited for 14 episodes, David Spade and Al Franken for eight episodes each, Adam Sandler for seven episodes, and A. Whitney Brown for five episodes.

## Writers

Notable writers from season 16 included Jim Downey, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Jack Handey, Conan O'Brien, Adam Sandler (who was a new writer), Rob Smigel and Bob Odenkirk.
Season 16 would be the final year for O'Brien and Odenkirk as Saturday Night Live writers. O'Brien (who previously joined the writing staff in 1988) left to write for The Simpsons, and would later host NBC's Late Night and Tonight Show late night talk shows. Odenkirk (who wrote on the show for four years, starting in 1987) would go on to write for future cast member Chris Elliott's Get a Life and The Dennis Miller Show as well as The Ben Stiller Show, for which he was also a cast member. In 1995, he would co-create and co-star on HBO's Mr. Show with Bob and David.
This was also the final season for longtime writer A. Whitney Brown (who had been a writer since 1985, as he left the writing staff after six years.

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Host | Musical guest | Original release date |
| 287 | 1 | Kyle MacLachlan | Sinéad O'Connor | September 29, 1990 (1990-09-29) |
| Credited Featured Players: Al Franken Sinéad O'Connor performs "Three Babies" and "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance". Bad Idea Jeans TV advertisement parody with uncredited appearances by Bob Odenkirk and David Spade. Writer Conan O'Brien appears in the Twin Peaks sketch as Andy Brennan. Chris Farley and Chris Rock's first episode as cast members. Wally Feresten's first episode as cue card handler. |||||
| 288 | 2 | Susan Lucci | Hothouse Flowers | October 6, 1990 (1990-10-06) |
| Credited Featured Players: (none) Hothouse Flowers performs "Give It Up" and "I Can See Clearly Now". Gene Rayburn makes a cameo appearance in the "Game Breakers" sketch, along with Don Pardo. Future cast member David Spade appears in the "Game Breakers" sketch. |||||
| 289 | 3 | George Steinbrenner | Morris Day & The Time | October 20, 1990 (1990-10-20) |
| Credited Featured Players: Al Franken The Time performs "Jerk Out" and "Chocolate". |||||
| 290 | 4 | Patrick Swayze | Mariah Carey | October 27, 1990 (1990-10-27) |
| Credited Featured Players: A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Rob Schneider Mariah Carey performs "Vision of Love" and "Vanishing". Swayze's wife, Lisa Niemi, appears during the monologue and dances with her husband. Episode contains the "Chippendales" sketch, where Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley play dancers competing to be cast for the male burlesque troupe Chippendales. Rob Schneider's first episode as a cast member. |||||
| 291 | 5 | Jimmy Smits | World Party | November 10, 1990 (1990-11-10) |
| Credited Featured Players: Rob Schneider, David Spade World Party performs "Way Down Now" and "Ship of Fools". Bob Costas makes a cameo appearance in the "Spanish Pronunciation" sketch. Contains the first "The Dark Side with Nat X" sketch. David Spade and Julia Sweeney's first episode as cast members. |||||
| 292 | 6 | Dennis Hopper | Paul Simon | November 17, 1990 (1990-11-17) |
| Credited Featured Players: Rob Schneider Paul Simon performs "The Obvious Child" with Olodum, "Late in the Evening" and "Proof". He also appears in the "Bowman's Retirement Party" sketch. Miss America pageant host Bert Parks makes a cameo appearance during the monologue and in the following "All New This Is Your Life" sketch. |||||
| 293 | 7 | John Goodman | Faith No More | December 1, 1990 (1990-12-01) |
| Credited Featured Players: Rob Schneider, David Spade Faith No More performs "Epic" and "From Out of Nowhere". Contains the first "Pat" sketch |||||
| 294 | 8 | Tom Hanks | Edie Brickell & New Bohemians | December 8, 1990 (1990-12-08) |
| Credited Featured Players: A. Whitney Brown Edie Brickell & New Bohemians performs "Woyaho" and "He Said". Elliott Gould, Steve Martin and Paul Simon make cameo appearances as members of the "Five Timer's Club"; Jon Lovitz cameos as a waiter, Conan O'Brien as a doorman and Ralph Nader appears as a onetime former host trying to get into the club. Ralph Nader also appears in the "Global Warming Christmas Special" sketch. Tony Randall makes a cameo appearance in the "Game Beaters/Mr. Short Term Memory" sketch. Future cast member Adam Sandler appears in the Sabra sketch. Aired on the 10th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. An excerpt of Lennon’s “Instant Karma!” is played at the beginning and end of Weekend Update . |||||
| 295 | 9 | Dennis Quaid | The Neville Brothers | December 15, 1990 (1990-12-15) |
| Credited Featured Players: Rob Schneider The Neville Brothers performs "Brother Jake" and "River of Life." Jon Lovitz makes a cameo appearance during "Weekend Update" as his character "Annoying Man". Future cast member Adam Sandler appears in the Ex-Boyfriend sketch, which was submitted by an uncredited Judd Apatow. |||||
| 296 | 10 | Joe Mantegna | Vanilla Ice | January 12, 1991 (1991-01-12) |
| Credited Featured Players: A. Whitney Brown, Rob Schneider Vanilla Ice performs "Ice Ice Baby" and "Play That Funky Music". Future cast member Adam Sandler portrays Hector Camacho in the O'Hanlon Memorial sketch. Debut of "Bill Swerski's Superfans". |||||
| 297 | 11 | Sting | Sting | January 19, 1991 (1991-01-19) |
| Credited Featured Players: Al Franken, Rob Schneider, David Spade Sting performs "All This Time", "Mad About You" and "Purple Haze". Contains the first "Richmeister" sketch, the debut of "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey", the first "Coffee Talk" sketch as well as the "Sinatra Group" sketch. |||||
| 298 | 12 | Kevin Bacon | INXS | February 9, 1991 (1991-02-09) |
| Credited Featured Players: A Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider INXS performs "Bitter Tears" and "Suicide Blonde". Contains the first "Stuart Smalley" sketch. Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler's first episode as cast members. |||||
| 299 | 13 | Roseanne Barr | Deee-Lite | February 16, 1991 (1991-02-16) |
| Credited Featured Players: Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider Deee-Lite performs "World Clique" and "Power of Love" with backing by Bootsy Collins & The Rubber Band. Tom Arnold makes a cameo appearance in the Sally sketch. Jon Lovitz makes a cameo appearance in the Misery II sketch. |||||
| 300 | 14 | Alec Baldwin | Whitney Houston | February 23, 1991 (1991-02-23) |
| Credited Featured Players: David Spade Whitney Houston performs "I'm Your Baby Tonight", "All the Man That I Need" and "My Name Is Not Susan". Houston also appears during the monologue. Jon Lovitz and journalist Arthur Kent appear during the monologue. Boxer Evander Holyfield appears in the pre-recorded "The Dancer" sketch. |||||
| 301 | 15 | Michael J. Fox | The Black Crowes | March 16, 1991 (1991-03-16) |
| Credited Featured Players: A Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Spade The Black Crowes perform "Thick n' Thin" and "She Talks To Angels". A. Whitney Brown's final episode as a cast member. |||||
| 302 | 16 | Jeremy Irons | Fishbone | March 23, 1991 (1991-03-23) |
| Credited Featured Players: Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider Fishbone performs "Sunless Saturday" and "Everyday Sunshine". Boxer Donovan "Razor" Ruddock appears during "Weekend Update" and the "Buzz Pen" sketch. |||||
| 303 | 17 | Catherine O'Hara | R.E.M. | April 13, 1991 (1991-04-13) |
| Credited Featured Players: Al Franken, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade R.E.M. performs "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People". Kate Pierson of The B-52's performs with R.E.M. on the latter number. Carole King plays with the Saturday Night Live Band. Boxer Evander Holyfield appears in a replay of "The Dancer" sketch. Bob Odenkirk appears during the monologue as an audience member. Randy Quaid makes a cameo appearance in the "In Conclusion Theatre" sketch. |||||
| 304 | 18 | Steven Seagal | Michael Bolton | April 20, 1991 (1991-04-20) |
| Credited Featured Players: Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade Michael Bolton performs "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" and "Time, Love and Tenderness". He also appears in the "Musicians for Free-Range Chickens" sketch. |||||
| 305 | 19 | Delta Burke | Chris Isaak | May 11, 1991 (1991-05-11) |
| Credited Featured Players: Al Franken, Adam Sandler Chris Isaak performs "Wicked Game" and "Diddley Daddy". He also appears in the "Karaoke Bar" sketch. Madonna appears in a filmed cameo during the "Wayne's World" sketch. An edited version of this episode was released as part of the three-episode "Best of Saturday Night Live: Special Edition" VHS (1992). |||||
| 306 | 20 | George Wendt | Elvis Costello | May 18, 1991 (1991-05-18) |
| Credited Featured Players: Rob Schneider, David Spade Elvis Costello performs "The Other Side of Summer" and "So Like Candy". Jan Hooks and Dennis Miller's final episode as cast members. Miller's final episode as Weekend Update anchor. |||||