Saturday Night Live season 20
| Saturday Night Live | |
|---|---|
| Season 20 | |
| No. of episodes | 20 | 
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC | 
| Original release | September 24, 1994 – May 13, 1995  | 
| Season chronology | |
The twentieth season of Saturday Night Live (also branded Saturday Night Live 20), an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 24, 1994, and May 13, 1995.
Much like the 1980–1981 season and the 1985–1986 season, NBC worried over SNL's decline in quality (and ratings) and initially decided to cancel the show. According to the documentary Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation, Lorne Michaels names this season as the closest he has ever been to being fired. The cast member firings and crew turnover after this season represented the biggest involvement in the show's affairs by NBC executives since the 1980–1981 season and the biggest cast overhaul since the 1985–1986 season.
This season saw the deaths of two SNL alumni: season 11 cast member Danitra Vance (who died of breast cancer) and "Not Ready for Primetime"-era writer and occasional performer Michael O'Donoghue (who died of a brain hemorrhage after years of suffering from migraine headaches). The Sarah Jessica Parker-hosted episode featured a special appearance by Bill Murray, who introduced a clip from season 3, "The Soiled Kimono", aired in O'Donoghue's memory.