Part 6/8:
The night of the premiere, host George Carlin was reportedly under the influence of cocaine, creating additional unpredictability. His aloofness during rehearsals, stemming from anxiety about the show's comedic format, led to him declining most sketch participation.
Michaels overbooked the evening with content, bringing in established comedians like Andy Kaufman and Billy Crystal, whose performance ended up being cut. As the chaos unfolded, the pressure mounted, particularly because moments before the show went live, Belushi, as the last-minute drama unfolded, was still negotiating contract terms.