When the 1986–1987 season began, only
Jon Lovitz,
Nora Dunn,
Dennis Miller and featured player
A. Whitney Brown returned as cast members. Michaels went back to his original tactic of assembling a strong ensemble of relative unknowns, led by
Dana Carvey,
Phil Hartman,
Jan Hooks,
Victoria Jackson and
Kevin Nealon.
Jim Carrey made his third unsuccessful attempt to join the cast. The first show of the 1986–1987 season opened with
Madonna, host of the previous season opener, telling the audience that the entire 1985–1986 season had been a "horrible, horrible dream". Carvey's
Church Lady character debuted in this episode. Hartman's send-up of President
Ronald Reagan kickstarted the most fruitful and successful period of political parody on
SNL. Carvey's widely remembered impression of then Vice President
George H. W. Bush debuted in the following season. Other popular sketches introduced this season include
Mr. Subliminal, the
Sweeney Sisters, and
Derek Stevens. ==Cast==