Maybe It Was Al Franken's Mouth...

 That made all this possible.


Negotiations between embattled NBC president and CEO Fred Silverman and Lorne Michaels were cancelled as a result of Al's "Limo For A Lame-O" bit on Weekend Update.  That led to Mr. Silverman breaking off negotiations with Lorne and so Fred asked one of his key assistants, Barbara Gallagher with a suggestion who should replace Mr. Michaels.  Barbara suggested her good friend, Saturday Night Live's talent coordinator-turned-associate producer Jean Doumanian, who eventually got the gig.


Lorne had wanted the show to be put on hiatus for several months, than return around the start of the 1981 calendar year, starting fresh and re-casting the show; if that weren't possible, he suggested that writers Al Franken, Tom Davis, and Jim Downey to become the show's new producers.  


But Al's "Limo for the Lame-o" bit made Fred angry, and as one might say, the rest is history.

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