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emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Have you ever heard the rumor that Milton Berle had a big penis? Me either, but according to Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller the rumors are true. And now, I really wish I could see Milton Berle's penis because I'm curious. This book truly is an uncensored history of the show. Shales and Miller compiled stories from almost every cast member, many of the hosts, writers, producers and executives, and even Lorne Michaels, so this book is in their own words. There were so many tasty tidbits in this book about the process of getting the show on air, good and bad hosts, good and bad cast members, and how some of our favorite characters and sketches came to be. It was like a walk down my own personal memory lane because my earliest memories of SNL were staying up late as a kid with a babysitter and watching it, then I became the babysitter watching it while I waited for the parents to come home, then I was a college age kid watching it live most weekends, and for the past decade I've been a parent too tired to stay up for the whole show most of the time so I TiVo it and watch it later. But, this show is like a friend that is with you through all the phases of your life and I love it. And I loved this insider look at it. The only person I wish had been included that probably chose not to participate was Jason Sudeikis, but other than that it was a fantastic and comprehensive book and I encourage anyone who loves the show to pick it up. This book was originally released in 2002, but was rereleased last month with new chapters bringing it current to 2014. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it!
A gripping read at the beginning, as the energy of SNL's early years really leaps off the page via the anecdotes of the people who were there at the time. But it really runs out of gas as the story reaches the contemporary show (which at the time this book came out was more than a decade ago) and turns into a kind of gushing isn't-Lorne-awesome tribute.
I'll acknowledge it's difficult for talent and writers alone to talk about a show they're still working on, so perhaps there should've been an earlier cut off point; the distance contributes to the honesty of the earlier chapters, an honesty that seeps away as the right half gets lighter.
I'll acknowledge it's difficult for talent and writers alone to talk about a show they're still working on, so perhaps there should've been an earlier cut off point; the distance contributes to the honesty of the earlier chapters, an honesty that seeps away as the right half gets lighter.
I listened to the audiobook and I'm glad I did because this probably would have been a monotonous read for me.
I'm personally not a die hard fan of the show but a big fan of a lot of the players. I guess technically speaking this is "uncensored" but I'm sure the author opted to leave some parts of the interviews out of the final draft. Or maybe he didn't because this book somehow said A LOT while being incredibly vague. Obviously, folks have the right to share or not share whatever they want. However, a lot of the interviewees would say "I'm not going to say who but..." and then go on to tell some story that would make the anonymous person look bad.
If you just LOVE the show and want to continue to be blindly ignorant of how it is ran, don't read this book. It definitely relives how toxic the work environment is and also shows how manipulative Lorne Michaels is.
It's somehow a very honest piece on the show while also playing nice.
I'm personally not a die hard fan of the show but a big fan of a lot of the players. I guess technically speaking this is "uncensored" but I'm sure the author opted to leave some parts of the interviews out of the final draft. Or maybe he didn't because this book somehow said A LOT while being incredibly vague. Obviously, folks have the right to share or not share whatever they want. However, a lot of the interviewees would say "I'm not going to say who but..." and then go on to tell some story that would make the anonymous person look bad.
If you just LOVE the show and want to continue to be blindly ignorant of how it is ran, don't read this book. It definitely relives how toxic the work environment is and also shows how manipulative Lorne Michaels is.
It's somehow a very honest piece on the show while also playing nice.
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
I didn't realize this was an oral history! I stayed up way too late at night because the stories flowed really well. I wish they could have gotten Eddie Murphy for even a single quote but the rest is interesting stuff, especially from the people who didn't love their time on the show. I think it's a must-read for SNL fans.
Though I've largely been removed from the SNL world for a few years now, it remains a strong memory of my childhood and teenage years. The Christmas special is an annual tradition in my dad's household that I look forward to watching every year. It doesn't matter how many times you see a sketch sometimes- it just is always funny. SNL has touched so many people across the years and has become something that friends and family can share.
This book catalogs nearly 40 years of the show's history, told orally by the cast, crew, writers, hosts, and more. It was fascinating to read about the environment people worked in and how the work culture changed (or didn't change) over all those years. Some of the stories told are just absolutely crazy. But then again, some of the craziest of comedians helped make the show and its legacy what it is today.
This book catalogs nearly 40 years of the show's history, told orally by the cast, crew, writers, hosts, and more. It was fascinating to read about the environment people worked in and how the work culture changed (or didn't change) over all those years. Some of the stories told are just absolutely crazy. But then again, some of the craziest of comedians helped make the show and its legacy what it is today.
An extremely comprehensive history of Saturday Night Live, at least through 2015. With interviews from Lorne himself, as well as current and former cast, crew, and even hosts, Shales and Miller describe the ups, the downs, the feuds, and everything in between.
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This. Book. Is. Amazing.
I have two great loves in my life and they are constantly dueling for my time. Granted, I have an excess of free time due to laziness and not making plans with friends as often as I should, but still, EVERY MOMENT of it is a battle between my two major interests.
They are comedy and books.
For the first time, I was given an option that was TRULY BOTH. (That’s this book.)
I made this book last me for a month plus because I so enjoyed not fighting that battle. (Picture me, trapped between reading an article on John Mulaney and writing a review. Now apply that to my entire human existence.) (Am I hinting that I have another, non-human existence? Dunno. You decide.)
SNL was the show that got me into comedy. The marijuana to the eventual heroin. (Just kidding, guys. Marijuana’s not a gateway drug. Also, don’t do heroin.)
I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m talking about drugs. (Although this book talks about them, duh, and if that made you uncomfortable Janet you may just want to stay away from this and the early days of Saturday Night Live ALTOGETHER.)
Anyway. I have distinct memories of proudly setting SNL to record as a series on my thirteenth birthday. (Just because I was granted permission to watch TV-14 shows did NOT mean I was allowed to stay up until 1 a.m.) It was a momentous occasion.
I don’t have the same devotion to SNL now as I did then (Bill Hader and Andy Samberg are gone, duh) but I’m super grateful for it. Without SNL, I wouldn’t have discovered some of my favorite podcasts, movies, and TV shows, all through following the immense web that is the cast members’ careers.
Plus, it’s still the most fascinating thing ever. A weekly sketch show that’s been on the air for over forty years? Comedy’s greats practically living in 30 Rock, pulling all-nighters to write jokes, the best of which will become part of the cultural canon for decades to come? I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t want to read about that?
Thus, unsurprisingly, THIS BOOK IS SO, SO FASCINATING.
I keep describing it as gossiping with the greats of comedy. Dan Aykroyd confiding in you about Belushi; Bill Murray dishing on a fistfight with Chevy Chase minutes before air; countless, countless wonderful anecdotes about Gilda Radnor. (My favorite is that she used to search the drawers of Lorne Michaels’ desk, hoping to find a note that said, I really like Gilda.)
This book talks to Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher, Jane Curtin and Kristen Wiig, Paul Simon and Chris Martin. The only people missing are the infamously-disproportionate number of dead and Eddie Murphy, still smarting from a blow to the ego this book could never quite diagnose.
If you get the fortieth-anniversary edition - which, obviously, you should - this book clocks in at exactly 800 pages. And it’s worth every single one. There are dry spells, sure, but if this book was encyclopedic and came in volumes I’d still read every page.
Most importantly, this is a book unlike any other. I wish every show and movie I like was lucky enough to have its history encapsulated like this, but if it had to be just one show, I’m glad it’s this one.
Bottom line: A must-read for every SNL fan.
(Note: I’m super sorry this review was so earnest. It seems crazy weird to try to joke about a book with a hundred contributors when every single one of them is way funnier than me.)
I have two great loves in my life and they are constantly dueling for my time. Granted, I have an excess of free time due to laziness and not making plans with friends as often as I should, but still, EVERY MOMENT of it is a battle between my two major interests.
They are comedy and books.
For the first time, I was given an option that was TRULY BOTH. (That’s this book.)
I made this book last me for a month plus because I so enjoyed not fighting that battle. (Picture me, trapped between reading an article on John Mulaney and writing a review. Now apply that to my entire human existence.) (Am I hinting that I have another, non-human existence? Dunno. You decide.)
SNL was the show that got me into comedy. The marijuana to the eventual heroin. (Just kidding, guys. Marijuana’s not a gateway drug. Also, don’t do heroin.)
I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m talking about drugs. (Although this book talks about them, duh, and if that made you uncomfortable Janet you may just want to stay away from this and the early days of Saturday Night Live ALTOGETHER.)
Anyway. I have distinct memories of proudly setting SNL to record as a series on my thirteenth birthday. (Just because I was granted permission to watch TV-14 shows did NOT mean I was allowed to stay up until 1 a.m.) It was a momentous occasion.
I don’t have the same devotion to SNL now as I did then (Bill Hader and Andy Samberg are gone, duh) but I’m super grateful for it. Without SNL, I wouldn’t have discovered some of my favorite podcasts, movies, and TV shows, all through following the immense web that is the cast members’ careers.
Plus, it’s still the most fascinating thing ever. A weekly sketch show that’s been on the air for over forty years? Comedy’s greats practically living in 30 Rock, pulling all-nighters to write jokes, the best of which will become part of the cultural canon for decades to come? I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t want to read about that?
Thus, unsurprisingly, THIS BOOK IS SO, SO FASCINATING.
I keep describing it as gossiping with the greats of comedy. Dan Aykroyd confiding in you about Belushi; Bill Murray dishing on a fistfight with Chevy Chase minutes before air; countless, countless wonderful anecdotes about Gilda Radnor. (My favorite is that she used to search the drawers of Lorne Michaels’ desk, hoping to find a note that said, I really like Gilda.)
This book talks to Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher, Jane Curtin and Kristen Wiig, Paul Simon and Chris Martin. The only people missing are the infamously-disproportionate number of dead and Eddie Murphy, still smarting from a blow to the ego this book could never quite diagnose.
If you get the fortieth-anniversary edition - which, obviously, you should - this book clocks in at exactly 800 pages. And it’s worth every single one. There are dry spells, sure, but if this book was encyclopedic and came in volumes I’d still read every page.
Most importantly, this is a book unlike any other. I wish every show and movie I like was lucky enough to have its history encapsulated like this, but if it had to be just one show, I’m glad it’s this one.
Bottom line: A must-read for every SNL fan.
(Note: I’m super sorry this review was so earnest. It seems crazy weird to try to joke about a book with a hundred contributors when every single one of them is way funnier than me.)