SNL's Season 6 Cast Brings Bill Murray's Vision to Life in "Script in Development"
The former cast member returned to the SNL stage as Host for the first time, on March 7, 1981.
In the weeks leading up to February 16's three-hour 50th anniversary celebration on NBC, the team behind Saturday Night Live has selected one sketch from every single season — 50 seasons in 50 days — to reflect the show's rich legacy across five decades. Presenting the sketch chosen to represent Season 6: "Script in Development" starring Host Bill Murray along with Season 6 cast members Ann Risley, Denny Dillon, Charles Rocket, and Matthew Laurance.
Bill Murray was an SNL cast member from 1977 to 1980 — and on March 7, 1981, he returned to the Studio 8H stage to host for his first time. A standout sketch from the night? "Script in Development," starring Murray as a writer who sits typing out a story— and his scene is feverishly acted out by the cast behind him.
"It was a beautiful night..." types Murray's character as the sketch begins. "No — it was a dark and stormy night," he goes on, cueing the thunder crash outside the apartment set behind him. We soon see the Season 6 cast bring his vision to life.
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SNL's Season 6 cast flexed their theater skills in "Script in Development"
Season 6 cast members Ann Risley, Denny Dillon, Charles Rocket, and Matthew Laurance act out the author's story, Love Is Rough, as they bring his vision to life in a chaotic comedic scene reminiscent of Noises Off and Clue.
The madcap mayhem includes a love triangle with jealous husbands, and features physical comedy gags like Carl (Rocket) throwing himself through a window, and Laurance's character repeatedly punching himself.
The author's indecisive vision has him changing characters and their intentions as he goes — forcing the actors to stay quick on their feet in the zany situation. The overly dramatic scene ends when the author stops writing, and pulls his page out of the typewriter.
"I don't know about this. Let's go over it," Murray's character says, quickly reading through what he just wrote — forcing the cast to act out the scene again, only this time at double speed.
"I don't like this, it's too artsy. I need a whole new approach, I think," the author tells himself, as he starts a new, more serious story titled I Gave My Heart to the Czar.
The frustrated cast walk off and the set dims to black, with Murray's author back at the beginning with the familiar opening line: "It was a dark and stormy night..."
"Script in Development" was written by Scrooged writer Mitch Glazer
"Script in Development," was written by Mitch Glazer. He would reunite with Murray on other projects, co-writing the 1988 holiday hit, Scrooged, and 2015's A Very Murray Christmas on Netflix.
Glazer was also an associate producer on Lost in Translation, starring Murray and Scarlett Johansson
How many times has Bill Murray hosted Saturday Night Live?
Five times — but the Five-Timers Club member hasn't hosted since February 20, 1999.
Saturday Night Live's Season 6 marked a notable change for the show. Featuring an entirely new cast, the season was cut short due to the 1981 Writers Guild of America strike, so it consisted of only 13 episodes. Decades later, Season 6 is most notable for being Eddie Murphy's first season on the show. The comedian would become a breakout star, and stay on as a regular cast member until February 1984.
Murray would be the second former cast member to return as Host, the first being Chevy Chase, for the February 18, 1978 episode.
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