Saturday Night Live (season 11)
The eleventh season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between November 9, 1985, and May 24, 1986. Reception
The new cast failed to connect with audiences, due to the cast's inexperience in comedy. The show also featured a frustrated writing crew (including future Simpsons writers Jon Vitti, George Meyer, and John Swartzwelder), who didn't know how to write sketches for such an eclectic cast. The season was plagued by harsh criticism, low ratings, and rumours of a possible cancellation. Tartikoff planned to cancel SNL after its season finale in May 1986; Michaels, however, pleaded with Tartikoff to let the show go on, provided that Lorne find better-suited cast members for the next season. Notable sketches
Notable moments of the season included when Chevy Chase hosted the show. Chase was not popular with the cast and crew and, according to the book Live From New York: The Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, Chase pitched an idea for a sketch that featured openly gay cast member Sweeney as a person with AIDS who is weighed by a doctor to see how much weight he lost. Cast
With Ebersol's cast and writers gone, Michaels hired Academy Award nominee Randy Quaid, best known for his work in The Last Detail and National Lampoon's Vacation; as well as Joan Cusack and Robert Downey Jr. 

Danitra Vance was added along with stand-up comedians Dennis Miller and Damon Wayans, and improv comedians Nora Dunn and Jon Lovitz. Don Novello returned as his popular Father Guido Sarducci character. Writer A. Whitney Brown was also added to the cast mid-season and Al Franken returned in the finale. Miller covered Weekend Update. According to a recent interview with short-term cast member Dan Vitale, actress Anjelica Huston was nearly hired as a cast member this season. Huston, a friend of Lorne's, was begged to join the show as a cast member; instead she co-hosted the season finale with Billy Martin. Cast roster

Repertory players
Joan Cusack
Robert Downey Jr.
Nora Dunn
Anthony Michael Hall
Jon Lovitz
Dennis Miller
Randy Quaid
Terry Sweeney
Danitra Vance

Featured players
A. Whitney Brown (first episode: February 22, 1986)
Al Franken (first episode: May 24, 1986)
Don Novello (first episode: November 23, 1985)
Dan Vitale (first episode: November 23, 1985 / final episode: February 8, 1986)
Damon Wayans (final episode: March 15, 1986)

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Writers

This season's writers were A. Whitney Brown, Tom Davis, Jim Downey, Jack Handey, Lanier Laney, Carol Leifer, George Meyer, Lorne Michaels, Don Novello, Michael O'Donoghue, R. D. Rosen, Herb Sargent, Suzy Schneider, Robert Smigel, John Swartzwelder, Terry Sweeney, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch. The head writer was Jim Downey. Episodes

References

11
1985 American television seasons
1986 American television seasons
Saturday Night Live in the 1980s