of him calling from the hospital. A caption stated "VOICE OF CHEVY CHASE". He returned on October 16, 1976, via wheelchair. Michaels later stated that he knew that Saturday Night Live could go in one of two directions: "It would either stay what it was... or it would morph into The Chevy Chase Show". Chase received offers to star in films. NBC offered him a prime-time series, but because he had signed a one-year contract, Chase would be free to leave television for a film career. Though Chase had never been friendly with most of the cast (a rivalry with John Belushi went all the way back to their work on The National Lampoon Radio Hour, and by the time he left, he couldn't even get along with Lorne Michaels), Chase returned to host the show several times over the next two decades. Relations were often strained; the cast (whatever their own personal conflicts) would usually unite in opposition or disgust towards him, even hiding so that they would not have to share an elevator with him. During Chase's 1978 hosting stint, Chase got into a brawl with Bill Murray mere moments before broadcast. In 1985, he horrified many of the cast by suggesting a sketch where openly gay performer Terry Sweeney develops AIDS and then show the audience how much weight he loses each week. In 1997 after being just in general difficult to work with, Chase was banned from ever hosting again. Despite this, Chase would occasionally make cameos following his ban from the show. Cast The Not Ready for Prime Time Players Dan Aykroyd John Belushi Chevy Chase George Coe (final episode: May 29, 1976) Jane Curtin Garrett Morris Laraine Newman Michael O'Donoghue Gilda Radner bold denotes Weekend Update anchor Finding footing (1976–1977) By the 1976–77 season, Saturday Night Live had grown into something of a television phenomenon. Like Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In several years earlier, it was, in many ways, a show that appealed to a younger audience, which made it appealing to advertisers. Recurring characters and catchphrases from the show soon entered the popular vernacular. In March 1977, the show was renamed from NBC's Saturday Night to Saturday Night Live. Bill Murray Bill Murray's first appearance was on January 15, 1977, shortly after Chase left to pursue a movie career. Murray had a shaky start, forgetting his lines and seeming awkward. Many fans of Chase