When the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike in March 1988, the Winter Olympics had just finished, both the Republican and Democratic primaries were underway, and Saturday Night Live was in the middle of its 13th season. Despite the anticlimactic finish to the year (Judge Reinhold / 10,000 Maniacs), the show was continuing its resurgence.

By the summer of 1987, Saturday Night Live had survived leadership changes, cast and writer turnover, and the threat of cancellation several times over; for the first time in years, the show was in a period of stability. New performers such as Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman quickly made their mark with characters such as the Church Lady and the Sweeney Sisters, and the writing had noticeably improved, with a renewed emphasis on political satire. It would make sense that the new season would look very similar to the last.