• Air date: 27 Sep '97 22 episodes
      Saturday Night Live aired its twenty-third season during the 1997–98 television season on NBC. The twenty-third season started September 27, 1997 and ended on May 9, 1998, with 20 episodes being produced. A few changes happened before the start of the season; Colin Quinn was promoted to repertory status and Mark McKinney left the show while Fred Wolf left in the start of the twenty-second season. This season was also notable for not having any featured players or any new cast members. This season was also the only season to have an opening sequence that didn't show any shots of New York City, being replaced by a 1950's-inspired design. This season was notable for the controversy surrounding Weekend Update. Anchor Norm Macdonald angered NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer. Macdonald often told O. J. Simpson jokes in the Update segment which upset Ohlmeyer, who was good friends with Simpson and did not find the jokes funny. Ohlmeyer then fired Macdonald from the segment, but not from the show, since Ohlmeyer thought he did better in sketches than on Update. His final Update was in the episode hosted by Helen Hunt. Quinn was then promoted to the job and began anchoring the segment in the episode hosted by Samuel L. Jackson. Even though Macdonald still performed in sketches, he was not happy and his stay on the show was short-lived. He ended up quitting the show a few months after getting demoted from Weekend Update. His final appearance was in the show hosted by Julianne Moore.
  • List of Episodes (22)
    • 0. SNL Remembers Chris Farley

      21 Feb '98
      Two months after his paralleling with John Belushi ended at age 33, Chris Farley was given a tremendous memorial via a selection of his most unforgettable sketches and characters. Included were ""Matt Foley,"" ""Chippendale's Audition,"" ""Andrew Giuliani,"" and ""El Niño."" Also included are some raucous dress rehearsal footage.
    • 1. Sylvester Stallone/Jamiroquai

      27 Sep '97
      Sketches include ""Oprah's Book Club,"" ""Rita Delvechio,"" ""Car Accident with Sylvester Stallone,"" ""Roxbury Guys,"" ""Janet Reno,"" ""Computer Store,"" ""Planet Hollywood,"" and ""Lou's Lovely Daughters.""
    • 2. Matthew Perry/Oasis

      04 Oct '97
      Sketches include ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Sarcasm 101,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""Space the Infinite Frontier with Harry Caray,"" ""Goat Boy,"" ""Friends,"" and ""Good Morning with Liza.""
    • 3. Brendan Fraser/Bjork

      18 Oct '97
      Sketches include ""Janet Reno,"" ""Xena: Warrior Princess,"" ""Issues,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""Crazy Lady Gets Prescription Filled,"" and ""Mango.""
    • 4. Chris Farley/The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

      25 Oct '97
      Sketches include ""Farley Gets Permission to Host,"" ""Morning Latte,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker,"" ""Goth Talk,"" ""The Sally Show,"" ""Monday Night Football Song,"" ""Superfans,"" and ""El Niño.""
    • 5. Jon Lovitz/Jane's Addiction

      08 Nov '97
      Sketches include ""Rival Billionaires,"" ""Fred the Baker,"" ""Larry King's Wedding,"" ""Win a Year with Jewel,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""The Late Show with David Letterman,"" and ""The Robin Byrd Show,"" and ""Save Our Nanny."" Jane's Addiction performs ""Jane Says.""
    • 6. Claire Danes/Mariah Carey

      15 Nov '97
      Sketches include ""Bill and Hillary Clinton,"" ""Barry Scheck's Apartment,"" ""The View,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Peter Pan,"" ""Mr. Peepers,"" ""CEO Dreamboats Magazine,"" and ""The Louvre.""
    • 7. Rudy Giuliani/Sarah McLachlan

      22 Nov '97
      Sketches include ""Rudy Giuliani and Colin Quinn,"" ""Nightline with Saddam Hussein,"" ""Rita Delvechio,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""The Joe Pesci Show,"" ""Friggin' Giuliani,"" ""Janet Reno's Dance Party,"" ""Colin Quinn Explains the New York Times,"" and ""Perspectives.""
    • 8. Nathan Lane/Metallica

      06 Dec '97
      Sketches include ""Well Babies Tragedy,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""The Quiet Storm,"" ""Sister Wendy Beckett's Art Odyssey,"" ""The History of Vaudeville,"" ""Vance and Miss Milo,"" and ""Santa Claus the Ex-Convict.""
    • 9. Helen Hunt/Hanson

      19 Dec '97
      Sketches include ""The Culps,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""Baseball Wish,"" ""Roxbury Guys,"" ""Joan Rivers,"" ""Burt Renolds Christmas,"" ""ChristmaSoft with Bill Gates,"" and ""Hanson in an Elevator.""
    • 10. Samuel L. Jackson/Ben Folds Five

      10 Jan '98
      Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include: The Clinton Movie, Lemon Glow, Publisher's Clearing House Go To The Ghetto, Quentin Tarantino's ""Pulp Fiction"" Auditions, Jazzterpieces, Judge Judy, TV Funhouse: George Clooney's ""Speed Racer"", Black People on the Titanic, Mango and Monroe, The Weston Collection, The Learning Annex, and The Playboy Channel Ben Folds Five performs: ""Brick""
    • 11. Sarah Michelle Gellar/Portishead

      17 Jan '98
      Sketches include ""Ted Kazinsky,"" ""The View,"" ""John Gray's Inspirational Tapes,"" ""Dysfunctional Family Argues Over Dinner,"" ""CBS World of Sports,"" ""Goth Talk,"" ""The Robin Byrd Show,"" and ""The Tiger Beat Ultra Super Duper Dreamy Love Show.""
    • 12. John Goodman/Paula Cole

      07 Feb '98
      Sketches include ""Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky,"" ""Morning Latte,"" ""The Ten Commandments with Bill Clinton,"" ""CBS Olympics,"" ""Emeril Live,"" ""Judge Judy,"" ""Martha Stewart,"" ""Sabado Chistoso,"" ""When Cobras Attack,"" and ""Storytellers with Neil Diamond.""
    • 13. Roma Downey/Missy Elliot

      14 Feb '98
      Sketches include ""Nightline,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Press Conference with Catherine II,"" ""Martha Stewart Living,"" ""CBS Olympics,"" ""Riding My Donkey: Political Talk Show,"" ""Fran,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" and ""Lou's Lovely Daughters.""
    • 14. Garth Brooks (1)

      28 Feb '98
      Sketches include ""Larry King Live,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""The Celine Dion Show,"" ""Party of Five,"" ""Re-Enactment Awards,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Issues,"" and ""College Singers.""
    • 15. Scott Wolf/Natalie Imbruglia

      07 Mar '98
      Sketches include ""Titanic,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""Barbara Walters,"" ""TV Funhouse: Conspiracy Theory Rock"", ""Pretty Living,"" ""Terrence Maddox in Art Class,"" ""Liza,"" and ""Shirtless Bible Salesman."" The NBC and syndicated reruns of this episode do not have the TV Funhouse: Conspiracy Theory Rock cartoon.
    • 16. Julianne Moore/Backstreet Boys

      14 Mar '98
      Sketches include ""Viewers Choose Clinton Coverage,"" ""Alice in Wonderland,"" ""Morning Latte,"" ""Goth Talk,"" ""Stuff We Made,"" ""Judge Judy,"" ""Job Interviews,"" and ""I Took a Gay Guy to the Prom.""
    • 17. Steve Buscemi/Third Eye Blind

      04 Apr '98
      Sketches include ""Martha Stewart,"" ""Name That Dog!,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Restaurant,"" ""House of Dogs,"" ""Nightline,"" ""Pirate Ship,"" and ""The Robin Byrd Show.""
    • 18. Greg Kinnear/All Saints

      11 Apr '98
      Sketches include ""The Ladies' Man,"" ""The View,"" ""The Zimmermans,"" ""Pretty Living,"" ""The Celine Dion Show,"" ""Prime Minister's Questions,"" ""Limousine Rides,"" and ""Comic Minds.""
    • 19. Matthew Broderick/Natalie Merchant

      02 May '98
      Sketches include ""Janet Reno,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Mango,"" ""Oprah Meets Goat Boy,"" and ""To the Moon and Back.""
    • 20. David Duchovny/Puff Daddy

      09 May '98
      Sketches include ""Janet Reno,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Mango,"" ""Oprah Meets Goat Boy,"" and ""To the Moon and Back.""
    • 21. SNL Remembers Phil Hartman

      13 Jun '98
      Before his untimely death in 1998, comedian and actor Phil Hartman was best known for his work on Saturday Night Live. Over the course of eight seasons, Hartman took on a varying array of characters and impressions. This tribute to the recently slain Phil Hartman were highlights of his tenure.