There were truly so many memorable moments from Murphy’s triumphant return. On Saturday’s show, “Gumby” even took a good-humored shot at Michaels as he yelled at the Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che, “I saved this damn show from the gutter! And this is the thanks I get? For saving the show?” Adding, “Shame on you, Lorne Michaels! Shame on you, NBC! Shame on you!” If you loved Murphy’s famous Buckwheat character and Murphy’s singing, you got both in a parody of the hit NBC show “Masked Singer.” And there was also the return of one of my personal favorites, “Gumby,” the green Claymation children’s character that Murphy had reinvented as a cranky, profanity spewing, cigar-smoking, showbiz agent, whose catch phrase was, “ I’m Gumby, dammit!” White people pay a lot of money and then poof! All the black people are gone.” 'SNL' cold open reveals what a difference four months can makeįor example, in 1981 Murphy comically addressed “white flight” by joking to white America, “When I move in, you move away.” On Saturday, Murphy updated this issue to show how times had changed over 35 years by announcing that the new word of the day was “gentrification,” which he jokingly explained, “It’s like a magic trick. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - "Woody Harrelson" Episode 1768 - Pictured: Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump during the "Impeachment" Cold Open on Saturday, Septem- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Will Heath/NBC/Getty Images The first character Murphy reprised was in “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood,” a parody of “Mister Rogers” in which Murphy introduced America to inner-city issues. He gave us a showcase of his recurring characters and comedy that addressed racial issues, plus he playfully evened the score with Michaels. For fans of Murphy’s years on “SNL,” Saturday’s show delivered in every way possible. (Michaels in 2013 publicly admitted the joke was a mistake since it came at the expense of one of their “own.”)īut here was Murphy finally back on the stage of NBC’s famed Studio 8H. On some level, it appeared Murphy held Michaels responsible for allowing that joke to air. Turns out it was likely a combination of both: Murphy explained for the first time in a 2011 interview that his beef with “SNL” arose from the Spade joke, which he viewed as an unfair shot at his career. Others thought it was something to do with a joke told on the show at Murphy’s expense in 1995 by David Spade, who was then a cast member. Michaels had left the show when Murphy was a cast member from 1980-1984, and didn’t return until 1985. I recall working on the 25th anniversary special in 1999 and the question would constantly come up, “Where is Eddie Murphy?!”Īt the time, the theories that abounded behind the scenes were that Murphy didn’t think executive producer Lorne Michaels liked or respected him. When I worked at “SNL” on the production staff from 1998 to 2007, there was always talk about why Murphy wouldn’t return to host.
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