Saturday Night Live - Season 11

Saturday Night Live aired its 11th season during the 1985-1986 television season on NBC. The season started on November 9, 1985 and ended on May 24, 1986, 18 episodes were produced. Dick Ebersol left the show after the 1984-85 season, when the network refused his request to shut the program down entirely for six months and shift much of the material onto tape, not live broadcast. Once again, NBC briefly considered cancelling the show, but programming head Brandon Tartikoff decided to continue the show and re-hire erstwhile producer Lorne Michaels. In some ways the job Michaels returned to was more challenging than the one he took on in 1975. For starters, Michaels' "golden boy" reputation was somewhat tarnished. His most recent effort, the previous season's The New Show confused critics and was ignored by audiences. Also, the 1984-1985 season had been a critical and ratings hit, generating memorable characters and stand-out performers. However, Michaels would not be the only member of the old guard to return: original writers Al Franken and Tom Davis would return as producers, and Jim Downey would be head writer. Fans and critics welcomed Michaels and many of the original producers and writers back, calling it a return to the show's roots.

• S11 E1 - Madonna/Simple Minds

• S11 E2 - Chevy Chase/Sheila E.

• S11 E3 - Pee Wee Herman/Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band

• S11 E4 - John Lithgow/Mr. Mister

• S11 E5 - Tom Hanks/Sade

• S11 E6 - Teri Garr/Dream Academy, The Cult

• S11 E7 - Harry Dean Stanton/The Replacements

• S11 E8 - Dudley Moore/Al Green

• S11 E9 - Ron Reagan/The Nelsons

• S11 E10 - Jerry Hall/Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

• S11 E11 - Jay Leno/The Neville Brothers

• S11 E12 - Griffin Dunne/Rosanne Cash

• S11 E13 - George Wendt/Philip Glass

• S11 E14 - Oprah Winfrey/Joe Jackson

• S11 E15 - Tony Danza/Laurie Anderson

• S11 E16 - Catherine Oxenberg & Paul Simon/Ladysmith Black Mambazo

• S11 E17 - Jimmy Breslin & Marvin Hagler/Level 42, E.G. Daily

• S11 E18 - Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin/George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic