No host was announced for this episode. However, Chevy Chase appeared in the cold opening and returned to "Weekend Update" for the third time. While introducing the second musical performance, Chase was joined on screen by Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve , the two of whom remained mostly silent.
Weekend Update was separated into two parts by a commercial break in this episode. This is the only episode in the history of the show where this happens.
Tim Kazurinsky recounts in the book "Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live" that John Belushi recommended him and pretty much got him hired on the show. However, he didn't see himself as an actor and assumed to have been hired as a writer. He was very surprised when Dick Ebersol told him he wanted him to act and never even knew he wrote.
Dick Ebersol becomes the show's new executive producer with this show. Ebersol had been instrumental in the creation of the show back in 1974, but had never produced a comedy show or written a sketch up till then. He met with Lorne Michaels to ask for his approval, and Michaels suggested that Ebersol would re-hire controversial writer Michael O'Donoghue, who was in need of money at the time.
The next week's episode was scheduled to be hosted by Al Franken & Tom Davis with musical guest Grateful Dead. But the writers' strike shortly after this episode put an end to the season. Other episodes deleted due to strike were scheduled for May 9, 1981, with host Steve Martin and musical guest Neil Young; May 16, 1981, to be hosted by Brooke Shields with musical guests Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and May 23, 1981, to be hosted by Buck Henry with musical guests REO Speedwagon.