Saturday Night Live aired its fifteenth season during the 1989 – 1990 television season on NBC. The fifteenth season started off with a 15th anniversary special on September 24, 1989 and ended on May 19, 1990. 21 episodes were produced, including the anniversary special.
Few changes happened before the start of the season. The only change was the absence of Ben Stiller. After being on the show for five episodes, Stiller left the show due to creative differences with Lorne Michaels. Mike Myers was upgraded to repertory status.
This season saw the first hosting gigs of three celebrities who would go on to be frequent SNL hosts: John Goodman, Christopher Walken, and Alec Baldwin.
This season is also notorious for an in-cast spat towards the end of the season. Nora Dunn staged a boycott over the host of the episode, controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Dunn refused to appear in the episode because of Clay’s profane jokes about women. The original musical guest for the episode, Sinéad O’Connor, joined Dunn in her boycott and canceled her scheduled appearance. O’Connor was replaced by Julee Cruise and The Spanic Boys.
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Episode 1
Bruce Willis/Neil Young
Sketches include: Thirtysomething, Wayne's World, Donahue, Home Improvement, New Leading Man, Sprockets, Bruce Willis: The Man and His Music
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Episode 2
Rick Moranis/Rickie Lee Jones
Sketches include: The Big Bitch Bulldyke Bust Out of '89, Honey I Shrunk Hans & Franz, Resorts International Hotel, Wild Horse, New Commissioner, Baby Talk, Word Busters
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Episode 3
Kathleen Turner/Billy Joel
Sketches Include: Plug Away With Harvey Fierstein, Die Squaren Ost Berliner, Egg Man, Really Ordinary People, All About Deborah Norville, Lank Thompson: I'm A Handsome Man, 555-Toon, Maxwell House
- Episode 4 James Woods/Don Henley Sketches include ""The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,"" ""Yard-a-pult,"" ""Dracula and AIDS,"" ""Primetime Live,"" ""Ventriloquist Act,"" ""Falling in Love,"" ""Three Dudes Holistic Automotive,"" ""Hemsley Spook House,"" and ""Tonto, Tarzan, and…
- Episode 5 Chris Evert/Eurythmics Sketches include ""Wimbledon,"" ""Oneupmanship,"" and ""Lothar of the Hill People.""
- Episode 6 Woody Harrelson/David Byrne Sketches include ""Jack Nicholson,"" ""Pumping Up with Hans & Franz,"" ""A&E Attitudes,"" ""Sprockets,"" and ""Three Very Lonesome Cowboys.""
- Episode 7 John Goodman/k.d. lang & The Reclines Sketches include ""It's a Wonderful Savings and Loan,"" ""Wayne's World,"" ""Cooking with the Anal-Retentive Chef,"" ""Toonces The Cat Who Could Drive a Car,"" ""The Mike Ditka Type-A Christmas Special,"" and…
- Episode 8 Robert Wagner/Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville Sketches include ""George Bush and Dan Quayle"", ""Yard-A-Pult,"" ""Messy Date"", ""Tales of the Runaway Boulder,"" ""Attack of the Masturbating Zombies,"" ""Rockefeller is Evil,"" ""A Betty Ford Straight Arrow Christmas"", and…
- Episode 9 Andie MacDowell/Tracy Chapman Sketches included ""Interrupted PSA,"" ""Church Chat,"" ""The Night Hanukkah Harry Saved Christmas,"" ""Hal Jerome Tribute,"" and ""Before the Wedding."" Tracy Chapman performed ""Gimme One Reason.""
- Episode 10 Ed O’Neill/Harry Connick, Jr. Sketches include ""George Bush,"" ""Bizilady,"" ""I Got What You Need,"" ""Wayne's World,"" ""The Nagging,"" ""Dennis Woo's Real Estate Fortunes The Easy Way,"" ""Ceaucescu's Wake,"" ""Lothar of the Hill People,"" and…
- Episode 11 Christopher Walken/Bonnie Raitt Sketches include ""The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson,"" ""Eternity,"" ""Hired Break-Up,"" ""The Continental,"" ""Attitudes,"" ""Lease With an Option to Kill,"" ""Hardbound""
- Episode 12 Quincy Jones Sketches include ""Pumping Up With Hans and Franz,"" ""Century 21 Marriage Counselors,"" ""Toonces,"" ""Bob Waltman Special,"" ""Jazz Perspective,"" ""Reverend and Rabbi,"" ""Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein,"" ""Soviet Central Committee,"" ""House Committee…
- Episode 13 Tom Hanks/Aerosmith Sketches include ""Ivana Trump Pre-Nup"", ""Wayne's World,"" ""Tales of Ribaldry,"" ""Tradtional Irish Drinking Songs for St. Patrick's Day,"" ""The Mob,"" ""Singles Cruise,"" and ""Black History Minute."" Aerosmith performed ""Jamie's Got…
- Episode 14 Fred Savage/Technotronic Sketches include ""Church Chat,"" ""Left Alone with a Gun,"" ""The Pat Stevens Show,"" ""Imaginary Friend,"" and ""Hooked on Sushi"" (film). Technotronic performed ""Pump Up The Jam.""
- Episode 15 Rob Lowe/The Pogues Sketches include "George Bush/Rob Lowe", "Irish Drinking Songs", "Church Chat", "Sprockets", "Arsenio Beckman Show", "Lambada Prison", "Helmet Head", and "Alexander's Fur World".
- Episode 16 Debra Winger/Eric Clapton Sketches include ""Reagan Census Count,"" ""Wayne's World,"" ""Toonces the Cat Who Could Drive a Car,"" ""Calamity Jane,"" and ""Senate Record Labelling Hearings"", ""Weekend Update""
- Episode 17 Corbin Bernsen/Smithereens Sketches include ""Cable Shopping Network,"" ""Celebrity Lawyer Court,"" ""Hanukkah Harry,"" ""George F. Will's Sports Machine,"" ""His Face,"" ""Movers and Shakers,"" and ""Playgirl Models"".
- Episode 18 Alec Baldwin/The B-52’s Sketches include "Bush Talks to Nation", "Greenhilly", "The Environmentally Conscious One", "Sexual Tension Diner", "The Garbo I Knew", "Only In New York", "Nude Talk Show" and "Middle Aged Man". The…
- Episode 19 Andrew Dice Clay/Spanic Boys & Julee Cruise Sketches include ""It's a Wonderful Dice,"" ""Diceman Employment Agency,"" ""Cooking With the Anal-Rententive Chef,"" ""What's Sex?"", ""DJ Tony Trailer,"" ""Jan Hooks Protest,"" ""Cool Mite,"" ""Ridiculous Bull,"" ""Kevin Nealon Protest""
- Episode 20 Candice Bergen/Notting Hillbillies Sketches include ""George Bush,"" ""Toonces The Cat Who Can Drive a Car,"" ""The Carsenio Show,"" and ""Wayne's World.""