The Untold Truth Of Martin Short - Looper

Martin Short may have only been a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" for one season, but his tenure on the show saved it from the brink of cultural irrelevance. Having already established himself as a versatile performer on "SCTV," Short signed a one-year contract to join the NBC sketch-comedy series during a turbulent time in its history. After executive producer Lorne Michaels left "SNL" in 1980, followed by an infamous season under Jean Doumanian, NBC executive Dick Ebersol took charge in 1981. With the departures of popular players Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo in 1984 and the show's hipness in question, Ebersol sought a new strategy: hire known comedic talent at top dollar. Short writes in his memoir, "I Must Say," that he was convinced to join "SNL" because Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer all signed as players, mixing with relative newcomers like Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Jim Belushi, and Mary Gross.

"SNL" was important for Short's career and the show, but it came at a price. He told Vulture, "The pressure of the 'SNL' weekly format was a lot for me, which is why I only did the show for a year." Armed with his established "SCTV" characters like Ed Grimley, Jackie Rogers Jr., and Irving Cohen, Short was a smash on "SNL," but he writes in "I Must Say" that the strenuous production schedule almost caused him to quit before the season was over. He didn't, but he left after his contract was complete. Lorne Michaels returned to "SNL" the following season, its coolness secured once again.

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