Nick takes a deep dive into one of the most chaotic and heavily criticized seasons in Saturday Night Live history: Season 20, also known as The Bad Boys Club Season. Following the departure of core cast members like Phil Hartman, Rob Schneider, and Julia Sweeney, the show found itself leaning hard into the rowdy, often crude humor of Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and David Spade—while sidelining much of the female cast, including Janine Garofalo, who left midway through the season.
The cast was bloated, the writing uneven, and the press relentless. Nick walks through the entire season with behind-the-scenes stories, including how Jeff Daniels nearly suffered a serious makeup mishap, why Dan Aykroyd unofficially hosted instead of the listed John Goodman, and how the writers struggled with brilliant hosts like Bob Newhart, John Turturro, David Hyde Pierce, and Courtney Cox—while completely losing control during hosting gigs by George Foreman and Deion Sanders.
Despite its rough reputation, the season had its moments: Norm Macdonald took over the Weekend Update desk, Molly Shannon made a strong debut halfway through, and both Damon Wayans and Dana Carvey returned to deliver some much-needed highlights. You’ll also hear Stuart Smalley hilariously scolding the public for ignoring his movie, and Bill Murray delivering a moving tribute to the late Michael O’Donoghue.
It’s a full look at one of SNL’s messiest, most fascinating seasons—flawed, but unforgettable. [Ep 122]