TIL in 1980, producer Lorne Michaels took a break from Saturday Night Live. In his absence, the entire cast and writing staff was replaced, resulting in the most critically unstable season in SNL's history. The show's ratings began improving in 1981 with break-out star Eddie Murphy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saturday_Night_Live_(1980%E2%80%931985)