Editing Harry Shearer (section)

====Return in 1984 under Dick Ebersol====
{{quote box |width=30em |bgcolor=transparent |align=right |halign=left |quote=When I left, Dick [Ebersol] issued a press release, saying "creative differences." And the first person who called me for a comment on it read me that and I blurted out, "Yeah, I was creative and they were different."|salign=right |source=—Harry Shearer<ref name="Shales287"/>}}

In 1984, while promoting the film ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'', Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean performed on ''Saturday Night Live''. All three members were offered the chance to join the show in the [[Saturday Night Live (season 10)|1984–1985 season]]. Shearer accepted because he was treated well by the producers and he thought the backstage environment had improved<ref name="ign2"/> but later stated that he "didn't realize that guests are treated better than the regulars."<ref>{{harvnb|Shales|Miller|2002 |p=261}}</ref> Guest also accepted the offer while McKean rejected it, although he would join the cast in 1994.

[[Dick Ebersol]], who replaced Lorne Michaels as the show's producer, said that Shearer was "a gifted performer but a pain in the butt. He's just so demanding on the preciseness of things and he's very, very hard on the working people. He's just a nightmare-to-deal-with person."<ref>{{harvnb|Shales|Miller|2002 |p=260}}</ref> In January 1985, Shearer left the show for good,<ref name="ign2"/> partially because he felt he was not being used enough.<ref name="Shales287">{{harvnb|Shales|Miller|2002 |p=287}}</ref> [[Martin Short]] said Shearer "wanted to be creative and Dick [Ebersol] wanted something else. ... I think he felt his voice wasn't getting represented on the show. When he wouldn't get that chance, it made him very upset."<ref>{{harvnb|Shales|Miller|2002 |p=288}}</ref>