25 best cold-opens in SNL history
By David Rouben
24. Live from … Burbank?
Chevy Chase is one of the lucky few that gets to call himself an original SNL cast member. However, his time as a regular only lasted for a season and a half, as he soon landed a ton of movie roles and became the face of the National Lampoon franchise. However, he still hosted the show numerous times, and in the season 8 premiere, they tried something they’ve never done before.
It was clear that Chase couldn’t make it to New York to host the episode, so they had him do it via satellite from Burbank. The cold open doubles as the host’s monologue, as Chase says he’s “surprised” that SNL is still being taped in New York. As he keeps talking, the camera slowly pans out and reveals that he’s speaking on a monitor and isn’t actually in studio.
If any other host couldn’t make it, they might have simply tried to find someone else. But the fact that they accommodated Chase and took this bold direction tells you just how much he’s valued by the people at SNL. Not being on set didn’t stop him from bringing back some of his signature moves. The camera operator dropping the TV set doubled as his trademark fall. And in one of the episode’s sketches, he brought back Land Shark in a bit with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The only thing that was missing was a “Weekend Update,” perhaps because they knew it wouldn’t be the same without Chase in person.
It’s a shame that Chase couldn’t stay on as a series regular for longer. But his run will live on forever, and every time he came back to the show, it was unforgettable.