The twenty-third season started September 27, 1997 and ended on May 9, 1998.
There were no featured cast members for Season 23.
| Episode # |
Air Date |
Host(s) |
Musical Guest(s) |
Remarks |
| 427 (23.1) |
September 27, 1997 |
Sylvester Stallone |
Jamiroquai |
- The initial 1996 Olympics bombing suspect Richard Jewell makes a guest appearance, where, in a highly publicized sketch, he punches Janet Reno (played by Will Ferrell) in the gut, with Reno responding, "Same time next week?". Jewell also appeared alongside Norm Macdonald on Weekend Update.
- During the original broadcast, the final sketch of the night featuring Will Ferrell as Elton John is cut off by commercials halfway through because of time issues.
|
| 428 (23.2) |
October 4, 1997 |
Matthew Perry |
Oasis |
- This episode marked the first appearance of Tim Meadows' popular "The Ladies Man" sketch.
|
| 429 (23.3) |
October 18, 1997 |
Brendan Fraser |
Björk |
- This episode marked the first appearance of Mango.
- A Roxbury Guys sketch was cut after dress rehearsal (though footage from the week's rehearsal was shown on Access Hollywood)
|
| 430 (23.4) |
October 25, 1997 |
Chris Farley† |
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones |
- Chevy Chase and Chris Rock have cameo appearances in the cold opening and monologue.
- Chicago news anchor and reporter Bill Kurtis along with George Wendt and Mike Ditka appear in a short film showing the lives of the "Bill Swerski Superfans" after their run on SNL.
- This would turn out to be Farley's last-ever appearance on the show.
- The 60-minute syndicated version edits out the cold opening where Lorne Michaels doesn't want Chris Farley to host, but Tim Meadows and Chevy Chase convince him. Also cut is the monologue where Chris Rock and Tim Meadows stall for time when Farley fails to show up.
- Throughout the episode, Farley's voice was hoarse, as a result of him having blown it out during the dress rehearsal.
- The cast and crew were unsure if Farley would be able to perform on Saturday. Chris Rock hung around all week and had prepared a monologue and a few sketches in case Farley was unable to go on.
|
| 431 (23.5) |
November 8, 1997 |
Jon Lovitz |
Jane's Addiction |
- Former cast member Dana Carvey makes a surprise appearance in this episode.
|
| 432 (23.6) |
November 15, 1997 |
Claire Danes |
Mariah Carey |
|
| 433 (23.7) |
November 22, 1997 |
Rudy Giuliani |
Sarah McLachlan |
- The 60-minute rerun version of this episode only shows a minute of the "Freakin' Giuliani" sketch where a cab driver (played by Rudolph Giuliani) complains about the changes in New York thanks to the mayor at the time (Giuliani). The sketch fades to black after the cab driver says, "Freakin' Giuliani!"
|
| 434 (23.8) |
December 6, 1997 |
Nathan Lane |
Metallica |
- Lane's The Lion King co-star, Ernie Sabella, makes a cameo appearance during the monologue, in which both sing a few bars of Hakuna Matata. In the 60-minute rerun of this episode, the monologue where Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, and Ana Gasteyer go around Studio 8H singing, Hakuna Matata, cuts off after Ernie Sabella's surprise appearance.
|
| 435 (23.9) |
December 13, 1997 |
Helen Hunt |
Hanson |
- Hunt's As Good As It Gets co-star Jack Nicholson makes a cameo appearance during the monologue and in a "Roxbury Guys" sketch.
- Todd Hundley, Scott Rolen, Mark Wohlers, Marty Cordova, Jeff Fassero, Gregg Jefferies, Mark Grudzielanek, Rondell White, Todd Zeile, Russ Davis, Cliff Floyd, David Howard, Mike Sweeney and Gerald Williams make an appearance in one sketch.
- This episode features Norm Macdonald's last appearance as Weekend Update anchor.
|
| 436 (23.10) |
January 10, 1998 |
Samuel L. Jackson |
Ben Folds Five |
- Colin Quinn takes over as Weekend Update anchor in this episode. He begins the segment with a bartender analogy which essentially asks the audience to give him a chance. He also includes at least one O.J. Simpson joke in the Update segment, presumably to refute charges that Norm McDonald was demoted because frequent McDonald target Simpson was friends with NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer.
|
| 437 (23.11) |
January 17, 1998 |
Sarah Michelle Gellar |
Portishead |
- The Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Seinfeld sketch is not shown in the 60-minute rerun versions, due to issues with the owner of Buffy 20th Century Fox and the owner of Seinfeld Castle Rock.
- Portishead performs what is often considered their best live version of "Only You" to a puzzled audience. After the final notes of the performance, a stagehand begins to applaud, sparking a delayed response from the audience.
|
| 438 (23.12) |
February 7, 1998 |
John Goodman |
Paula Cole |
- Dan Aykroyd cameos in this episode, reprising two of his popular recurring characters, Elwood Blues from The Blues Brothers (during the monologue) and Irwin Mainway from "Consumer Probe" (in the Judge Judy sketch), and impersonating Bob Dole in the cold opening.
|
| 439 (23.13) |
February 14, 1998 |
Roma Downey |
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott |
- While not appearing in any sketches and not billed in the opening credits for the past few weeks, soon-to-be-ousted cast member Norm Macdonald surprised Downey and others by rushing onstage to join the cast during the show's goodnights.
- Newt Gingrich was scheduled to host this episode.
|
| 440 (23.14) |
February 28, 1998 |
Garth Brooks |
- Robert Duvall made a guest appearance in two sketches, one of which is the game show parody "Who's More Grizzled?" where he tells the game show host (played by Norm Macdonald) that he doesn't like him. In a bit of an in-joke, Norm replies, "Yeah, I get that a lot".
|
| 441 (23.15) |
March 7, 1998 |
Scott Wolf |
Natalie Imbruglia |
|
| 442 (23.16) |
March 14, 1998 |
Julianne Moore |
Backstreet Boys |
- All reruns on NBC, Comedy Central, and E! edit out the "Conspiracy Theory Rock" TV Funhouse cartoon, due to its touchy subject matter about corporations controlling the media. This sketch can now be seen on some video websites and the DVD version of the SNL clip show special "The Best of TV Funhouse".
- Norm Macdonald makes his final appearance as a cast member in this episode.
|
| 443 (23.17) |
April 4, 1998 |
Steve Buscemi |
Third Eye Blind |
|
| 444 (23.18) |
April 11, 1998 |
Greg Kinnear |
All Saints |
|
| 445 (23.19) |
May 2, 1998 |
Matthew Broderick |
Natalie Merchant |
|
| 446 (23.20) |
May 9, 1998 |
David Duchovny |
Puff Daddy |
- Jim Breuer's final episode as a cast member.
|
United States
