Saturday Night Live shared a sneak peek at a vintage 1984 rundown ahead of Eddie Murphy’s hotly anticipated hosting gig, which will occur this Saturday, December 21. The comedian will take Studio 8H stage for the first time in 35 years as the show’s host.
The solo sheet of paper was shared on the show’s Instagram feed with a note that revealed how the show’s writing team, which includes co-head writers and “Weekend Update” anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che as well as Kent Sublette and Bryan Tucker, used the material as a guide to craft a new episode of the series.
The show breakdown was for episode number 405, which aired on December 15, 1984, and was the last show hosted by the Dolemite Is My Name actor.
The rundown for air included several fan-favorite sketches in the episode, the last time many of Murphy’s most iconic characters were seen on the late-night comedy series.
A take on The Little Rascals character of Alfalfa was featured as part of the cold open, and then followed by the show’s opening monologue featuring the comedian and a videotaped skit titled “White Like Me.”
This segued into another one of Murphy’s iconic roles as Mr. Robinson in the skit “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood.” Mr. Robinson was a lower-income version of Mr. Rogers known for stealing and cheating his way through his neighborhood and effectively avoiding paying rent to his landlord.
Also featured in the episode were Murphy’s Gumby impersonation, his iconic Buckwheat skit, as well as a black history minute.
The fun addition to the show’s Instagram page gave fans an insider look at what really goes into the minute-by-minute rundown of a live show, even as far as the skits that were cut, which were noted at the bottom of the page.
Saturday Night Live also uploaded one photo and one video to honor Murphy’s hotly anticipated return to the series.
The above image showed the comedian seated alongside the show’s cast and writers for his table read of the week’s scripts. The weekly event gives the host a feel of what to expect for the live show and a chance to add comments about the skits they will be involved in.
A second video, shown above, shows Murphy ascending to the set in an elevator. He is seen walking down the hallway to the show’s studio, and then he stands on stage, removes his sunglasses, and raises his eyebrows in a way to let fans know he has returned.
Eddie Murphy will take the stage alongside Lizzo, who will perform as the show’s musical guest.
Saturday Night Live airs Saturday evening beginning at 11:30 p.m. EST on NBC.
