For Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 4. I am officially unlocking my TV vault to watch and review the major television shows I missed over the years. This fourth broadcast episode was aired on November 8, 1975. Hollywood star Candice Bergen stepped up as the show’s very first female host.
Coming into this episode on The Unlocked Info, I noticed a distinct shift in energy right away. The pacing felt quicker, snappier, and much more aligned with what we expect from live comedy. With a heavier emphasis on sketch work, this entry was an intriguing. It was fast-moving time capsule of 1970s pop culture. However, a few specific bits felt a bit foreign to modern eyes.
SNL’s First Female Host Makes History
Candice Bergen was already Hollywood royalty and an accomplished movie star by 1975. She was the daughter of famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. She started out as a high-fashion model on the cover of Vogue before transitioning into film in the late 1960s. By October 1975, when she became SNL’s first female host, she stood out because she was an established A-list lead actress. Bergen was riding the high of box-office hits like Carnal Knowledge (1971), Bite the Bullet (1975), and The Wind and the Lion (1975).
Booking a movie star of her glamour and stature gave the young late-night sketch show immense mainstream credibility. Beyond starring in Murphy Brown, Bergen went on to build a massive career on television and film. Her most prominent post-SNL television roles include playing the sharp, formidable lawyer Shirley Schmidt on Boston Legal (2005–2008). She also played Vogue editor Enid Frick on Sex and the City and its reboot And Just Like That…, as well as high-profile guest spots on shows like House, The Conners, and Shrinking.
Chevy Chase’s Gerald Ford Debut: How Audiences Saw It Then
The episode kicked off with Chevy Chase delivering his now-legendary cold open as President Gerald Ford. Instead of doing a voice impression or applying makeup, Chase simply acted completely clumsy. He tripped over podiums, falling over folding chairs, and knocking things over. I wasn’t sure about this because I didn’t think it was extremely funny. Of course, I knew Chase was known for this impression, but I had never heard of the real-life President Gerald Ford being clumsy.
Coming into this with no original context and watching such an over-the-top, slapstick routine of a sitting U.S. President. It felt a bit rough and jarring. But back in 1975, this was groundbreaking. I found that Gerald Ford had recently suffered a few public stumbles in real life. So, audiences at the time found Chase’s physical satire utterly hilarious. Political satire on late-night network TV was virtually non-existent before SNL. So mocking the Commander-in-Chief in such an unvarnished way blew viewers away. This helped make Chevy Chase a household name overnight. I found it totally fascinating that THIS particular sketch/impression was what opened all of our current political satire up on Saturday Night Live.
The Sketches: Quicker Pacing, Hit-and-Miss Comedy
Compared to earlier episodes, Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 4 featured significantly more sketches, giving the hour a much livelier momentum.
The Famous “Land Shark” (Jaws II)
This was written in response to the summer movie phenomenon Jaws. The Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 4 sketch featured Chevy Chase as a sneaky shark. He knocked on apartment doors pretending to be a “candygram” or “plumber” to devour unsuspecting victims. This routine is hailed as a landmark classic that fans loved. However, the “Jaws II” parody didn’t quite hit my personal sense of humor. Still, you can see how its sheer absurdity won over audiences in 1975.
Andy Kaufman as “Foreign Man”
Andy Kaufman made another guest appearance on Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 4. He performed his classic “Foreign Man” routine. He stood on stage attempting terrible celebrity impressions before nervously playing the bongos. At first glance, it just felt plain weird. However, as I’m getting older, Kaufman has really started to fascinate me. Especially his notorious later work in professional wrestling and on the show, Taxi. Looking back at his early SNL spots, you can see the roots of his unique, unpredictable performance art.
Musical Guest: Who Was Esther Phillips?
The musical guest for the night was veteran blues, R&B, and disco singer Esther Phillips. She performed her disco hit “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes” along with “I Can Stand a Little Rain”. Personally, I didn’t enjoy her performances. Her vocal delivery wasn’t my style of music, and I was completely unfamiliar with who she was.
Why Was Esther Phillips Chosen?
Esther Phillips was a legendary figure in American R&B and jazz. She originally performed in the 1950s as “Little Esther Phillips.” By 1975, she was experiencing a massive career comeback after reinventing herself as a disco star. She had a hit single “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes”. Executive producer Lorne Michaels was intentionally booking an eclectic mix of veteran soul, jazz, and pop acts to give the new late-night show a distinct, underground musical credibility.
Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 4: Final Thoughts and Rating
Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 4 proved that it was finding its identity. Candice Bergen was fantastic and charming as host. She seamlessly jumped into sketches and setting the bar for future guest hosts. Thanks to a larger volume of sketches and a faster flow, the show kept moving even when individual bits missed the mark. While certain historic sketches like the Land Shark didn’t fully land for me and the musical acts weren’t my cup of tea, the overall progression of the series is clear. This episode earned a solid 7 out of 10 on The Unlocked Info.
What show should I catch up on next? What do you want to hear about? No horror or scary things. I don’t do well with those. Let me know in the comments below or head over to our Facebook page to drop a recommendation. Please continue to follow The Unlocked Info for further recaps and reviews of the first season of Saturday Night Live.