Official Synopsis:
Continuing the enormous success of the previous two years, the Third Season of SNL (1977-78) showcased a fearless cast that created some of the most memorable sketches to ever appear on the show.

With hilarious breakthrough characters like The Nerds (Bill Murray and Gilda Radner), Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin) lounge singer Nick Winters (Bill Murray), Samurai Warrior (John Belushi), a singing King Tut (legendary SNL host Steve Martin) and featuring Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) as well as "The Franken and Davis Show" (Al Franken and Tom Davis), SNL continued to define itself as the pinnacle of irreverent humor and political satire.

The Complete Third Season of SNL contains unforgettable appearances by hosts Steve Martin, Michael Palin, Hugh Hefner, Buck Henry, Robert Klein, Chevy Chase, Madeline Kahn, Richard Dreyfuss, O.J. Simpson and the winner of the "Anyone Can Host" contest, Miskel Spillman, and classic musical performances by Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ashford & Simpson, Meat Loaf and The Blues Brothers. 

Our Take:
Where did all the extra features go?

Universal’s Saturday Night Live season sets haven’t exactly been the benchmark for bonus materials among TV-on-DVD sets but this latest effort seems to be a bit lacking. Granted, Things We Did Last Summer is a humorous 48-minute special showing what the cast was up to over the summer, but it originally aired in 1977. This is one of those awesome archival bonuses that should be included when available, but it would have been nice to see a little more diversity in the extra features rather than just the inclusion of a “look what we found!” special.

Still, am I going to complain about another collection of one of the greatest comedy television shows ever to hit the airwaves? Especially during a season that brought us the Wild and Crazy Guys as well as The Blues Brothers? Heck, the Blues Brothers segments alone make this set worth owning. Throw in John Belushi’s samurai chef, Bill Murray’s lounge singer and the Coneheads, and you really do start to get nostalgic for the show’s golden years. And Al Franken had a sketch back in the 70’s? I thought he was strictly an 80’s-90’s guy; I had no idea he’d been around this long!

As for the extra features, well, in addition to the aforementioned special, there isn’t much else. Here’s what you get:.

* Things We Did Last Summer (48 minutes) – A humor special from 1977.
* Wardrobe Test With John Belushi & Howard Shore (2 minutes) – Just what it sounds like. Whoo hoo.

* Postcards – Literal postcards, included in the packaging.

With guests such as O.J. Simpson, Steve Martin, Hugh Hefner, Chevy Chase, Richard Dreyfuss, and Madeline Kahn and musical performances from the likes of Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Meat Loaf, and The Blues Brothers, Saturday Night Live: The Third Season is a must-have for fans of the show. The extra features may not be groundbreaking, but this set is still a worthy addition to anyone’s collection.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Show: A-
DVD: B-

- Mike Spring

Editor