Not Ready for Season 6: SNL S06E12: Bill Murray/Delbert McClinton (3/7/81) Artwork

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

An in-depth journey into the legacy of one of television's most iconic and influential shows - Saturday Night Live. Through deep dives into its most memorable eras, behind-the-scenes stories, and analysis of its evolution, we celebrate and debate all things SNL - the show that has become an institution, defining comedy for over 50 years.

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The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Not Ready for Season 6: SNL S06E12: Bill Murray/Delbert McClinton (3/7/81)

August 18, 2026 • Two Pints Productions, Inc.

0:00 | 1:29:14

Bill Murray returns to Saturday Night Live to host what ended up being the final episode of the very brief Jean Doumanian era. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save Season 6—even if he did bring back Delbert McClinton as musical guest.

Hours after this episode ended, Doumanian was fired as Executive Producer of the show. Replaced by Dick Ebersol, many of the cast and writers would also experience their last week at Studio 8H.

But the episode itself? The returning veteran from SNL's original era does all he can and delivers some truly great performances—including possibly the best cold open of the season, a great sketch as a writer, and a really great two-hander with Denny Dillon.

This episode actually showed glimpses of what this group could have been. Sadly, it was not to be.

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