The fifth season of Saturday Night Live is an American skit comedy series that was originally aired on NBC from October 13, 1979 to May 24, 1980. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd left the show at the end of the fourth season, leaving a gap in the cast, which most fans believe will be the beginning of the end of the late night sketch show. In order to continue the show, Lorne Michaels elevated many of the screenwriters to actors: Peter Aykroyd (Dan's brother), Jim Downey, Brian Doyle Murray (Bill's brother), Don Novello, Tom Schiller, and Alan Zweibel. Band conductor Paul Schafer also joined the cast, becoming the first person in SNL to become an actor. Harry Shearer joined the play as a featured actor, and was promoted to the stage actor in the season. This season is also the first to have two family members as actors (Bill Murray and Brian Doyle Murray). This will be the final season for all actors. Tom Davis and Downey will return to the show as screenwriters in the coming seasons. Al Franken, Doyle Murray, Novello, and Shearer will rejoin the cast in the coming seasons (Franken will also return as a writer).
