The final bumper of this weekend’s Saturday Night Live featured a tribute to Richard Lloyd, the founding member and guitarist of the influential New York punk band Television, who died last week at age 75.
The bumper recreated the cover of Television’s landmark 1977 debut album, Marquee Moon, originally photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe. Host John Mulaney portrayed all four members of the band in the new version, shot by longtime SNL photographer Mary Ellen Matthews.
Lloyd died November 7 at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after a battle with bile duct cancer. He had been diagnosed with the disease in March.
Formed in New York City in 1973, Television was among the earliest bands to perform at CBGB, the legendary downtown club that helped launch the city’s punk rock movement. The band released just two studio albums during its original 1970s run, but Marquee Moon remains one of the era’s most influential records.
Mulaney has frequently expressed his appreciation for New York’s 1970s underground music scene, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether he initiated the subtle tribute, which capped his seventh SNL hosting appearance.
Matthews frequently draws inspiration for her SNL bumpers from iconic pop culture imagery and fine art. She and Mulaney have previously recreated the covers of Patti Smith‘s Horses (also photographed by Mapplethorpe) and Lou Reed’s Transformer (photographed by Mick Rock).
Two of Mulaney’s other bumpers Saturday night were inspired by the work of artist William Wegman, who is best known for his portraits and videos of Weimaraner dogs.
