With the rare co-operation of long-time SNL producer Lorne Michaels, Pulitzer Prize-winning tv critic Tom Shales and James Miller have interviewed the stars, the writers, the crew and the special guests who have made SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE the greatest long-running comedy of all time. From these backstage stories and uncensored memories they have woven a brilliant oral hsitory that stands as the definitive account of the show's 25-year history. The creative frenzies, the clashing egos, the actors who went on to megastardom in movies and those who just disappeared, the origin of famous routines, the censorship battles, the humour so corrosive that it never got on air, the love affairs, the drugs, the ferocious feuds - it's all here, much of it for the first time and all from the people who lived through it.
--This text refers to the
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"A perfectly woven memoir....You'll have as much fun as Wayne and Garth at an Alice Cooper concert."
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
* The NEW YORK TIMES bestselling oral history of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE that finally reveals what really went on backstage, on the set, in the writers' offices and on the town.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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First Sentence
Lorne Michaels arrived in my life before puberty, let's put it that way. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Lorne Michaels arrived in my life before puberty, let's put it that way. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was sucked into "Live from New York" within a few seconds and didn't let go until I was done. It appears that other reviewers have mixed feeling about this book, which consists of outtakes from numerous interviews with the producers, cast and crew of "Saturday Night Live" arranged in a roughly according to theme, citing other books that do the job better, but I liked this one just fine.
Perhaps it's my own personal trashy streak that makes me love it so. I love dirt. I love behind-the-scenes action. I love knowing the story that few people ever get to see. There's a lot of that sort of thing here. Dirt on guest hosts, dirt on the cast. Who were the favorite guests? Who were the worst? Which cast members messed up onstage and had to be fired? It's all here.
The beauty of this book, as compared to a straight history, is the fact that the editors (calling Tom Shales, and James Andrew Miller "authors" is being way too generous) do not strive for truth. Alternate versions of each story are told by concerned parties and observers alike, so the book resembles a huge comedy-themed "Rashomon". We may never know the truth, but it's enormous fun sifting through other people's memories.
One flaw I noticed was the fact that the book is fairly bottom-heavy; the early years are covered in minutes depth and detail, while the most interesting years on the show (the "lost years" of Charles Rocket, Randy Quaid, Julia Louise Dreyfuss, Anthony Michael and Janeane Garafalo) are barely touched upon. And the current cast is noticeably silent, perhaps because the fear repercussion or reprisal.
If you like gossip and Saturday Night Live, this book mixes them together beautifully.
By Dekks
Format:Paperback
Really great history of SNL, especially the early years, with a lot of interesting behind the scenes drama and gossip being revealed. As another reviewer said, the early years are the most comprehensively covered and the author seems to have a little bias towards certain cast member ensembles and years which hurts the book in the beginner.
I personally found the first few chapters a bit boring and difficult to get through, as they are largely centered around Lorne Michaels trying to get the show commissioned and on the air, maybe interesting to some but lengthy pargraphs and about production meetings and technical requirements didn't grab me at all. The book really hits it's stride once it starts covering the third season, with a lot of great anecdotes from the cast and gives somewhat of a insight into what was happening inside American television networks during the later 70s/early 80s.
As long as you read this knowing its a very comprehensive history of SNL and not just a 'Tell all' book, I think you'll find a great read here, even if you've never watched SNL.
I personally found the first few chapters a bit boring and difficult to get through, as they are largely centered around Lorne Michaels trying to get the show commissioned and on the air, maybe interesting to some but lengthy pargraphs and about production meetings and technical requirements didn't grab me at all. The book really hits it's stride once it starts covering the third season, with a lot of great anecdotes from the cast and gives somewhat of a insight into what was happening inside American television networks during the later 70s/early 80s.
As long as you read this knowing its a very comprehensive history of SNL and not just a 'Tell all' book, I think you'll find a great read here, even if you've never watched SNL.
By C P Johnson
Format:Paperback
As a sometime follower of modern American history and the history of entertainment, this book is an amazing read. If you've never seen Saturday Night Live(SNL), then this book probably won't make much sense to you, but if you have seen it before, or are even aware of the show as the place that gave birth to the careers of some of America and Canada's most well-known entertainers, then this is a must-read.
From the original cast which included Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Jane Curtin, on to Bill Murray and then in later years the likes of Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, David Spade and Chris Farley, Norm McDonald, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon, SNL has been an astonishingly successful showcase for comedic talent, and this book - a verbal history of the show from many of those involved - is a great insight into the way that the show worked, and often didn't, but endured from 1975 through to 2011, where the show continues.
In one sentence: The perfect toilet-side book for fans of 20th and 21st century American comedy.
From the original cast which included Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Jane Curtin, on to Bill Murray and then in later years the likes of Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, David Spade and Chris Farley, Norm McDonald, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon, SNL has been an astonishingly successful showcase for comedic talent, and this book - a verbal history of the show from many of those involved - is a great insight into the way that the show worked, and often didn't, but endured from 1975 through to 2011, where the show continues.
In one sentence: The perfect toilet-side book for fans of 20th and 21st century American comedy.
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