Saturday Night Live: 30 scandals and secrets you didn’t know
By Jeremy Dick
27. Charles Rocket drops one of broadcast TV’s first F-bombs
One of the long-forgotten cast members of SNL history is Charles Rocket, who appeared on the show’s 1980-1981 season. Rocket was a funny guy and potentially could have spent much longer on the show. But a major gaffe on the air likely played a big part in his getting released from Saturday Night Live.
On an episode of SNL hosted by Dallas star Charlene Tilton, the infamous “Who shot J.R.?” storyline was spoofed. A sketch saw Rocket and Tilton flirting, prompting a jealous sniper to “shoot” Rocket in the chest. The moment satirized the big moment from Dallas when the character J.R. Ewing was shot by an unknown assailant.
In the closing moments of the episode, Tilton asked Rocket how it felt to be shot. After mentioning that it was the first time he’d ever been shot, Rocket improvised and blurted out, “I’d like to know who the f— did it.” The swear was heard live on the air with everyone watching.
This flub, along with low ratings overall for the season, spelled bad news for Rocket. He was very soon after fired from the program and rarely if ever, made mention of again in subsequent seasons.