Reading this a couple of weeks before the 40th anniversary show was completely worth the time. ( )

Mandatory for any fan of the show.
But also for anyone wondering what it feels like to be part of an innovative team.
I can’t grasp the fact that this show ran for so long, with so many technical and human challenges every week.
( )

This is the second oral history I've read, the first being the Daily Show: An Oral History which came out in 2016, so quite a bit after 'Live From New York'. Different authors, similar format - are these oral history books people are putting out connecting in any way or are people just aping style? I think the Daily Show was put together a bit better, but since it's all interviews they probably just had better material to work with.

This book is prime time fluff, a diet soda of interviews and anecdotes. It was great. I do wish they had cut it off at 1995 (published in 2002) because the perspectives of performers (successful after their run or not) differed greatly from the perspective of performers currently on the show during their interview. It would also allow a second book to be published (in 2022?) covering 1995-2015 which would be really neat since that is more of my SNL history. (yes, I know they updated this book in 2015ish to cover new years, but that's not the copy I have and it will still suffer from the 'currently on the show' atmosphere that dulls reflection). ( )

The book is a series of interviews with cast members, writers, producers, hosts and anyone who had anything to do with the show. It’s written chronologically so you get a good idea how the show progresses over time. The interviews are interspersed with commentary from the authors who provide some good hindsight and fill in some blanks. The best part about the book was reading the different perspectives and experiences from everyone interviewed which paint a pretty honest story of SNL. ( )

I like this show, and thought this book could be interesting. Specially to learn more about the phenomenon and people involved in this, with me being non-American.

But the book didn't grab me. It was a messy read, with interviews instead of clear writing and presentation. I tried to read from the very beginning and jump to the era I'm most familiar with but nah. I gave it up. ( )

Paul Schaefer is a scamp, Harry Shearer is a raging ego-maniac and an all-around asshole (& that's on his good days), Bill Murray (who I love as an actor) is almost sociopathically anti-social and often just plain mean, Chevy Chase is a bad man, John Belushi was a lovable but very messed up lush, Joe P. (who's actorly and comedic talents seemed to decrease in direct proportion to his increasing muscle mass) resented Eddie Murphy's success, and not one single soul has a bad thing to say about Will Ferrell. That's all in the book -- and I haven't even told you the good stuff!

(Teaser in the form of True or False Quiz: Paul Schaeffer is a legal midget; i.e., as tall or shorter than 4'11". TorF?) ( )

This is a wonderfully updated and expanded edition of a book previously published in 2002. While there have been a number of other books written about Saturday Night Live over the years, and I admittedly haven't read any of them, it's hard to imagine that any gives a greater glimpse into just what makes SNL tick than this 781-page tome by James A. Miller. The chronological narrative (if you could call it that) from idea conception to the present is told via bite-sized quotes, a format which works surprisingly well for the subject. The sheer number of past and present cast, crew, hosts and executives he must have interviewed is astounding. There were many instances in which I wished this could be a multi-media experience -- for example, when reading about a particularly awkward sketch or awful episode, I of course wanted to view the footage in question right then and there. Much of the content focuses on the fascinating interpersonal relationships, an aspect of which the viewer is rarely aware. Whatever you conclude about producer Lorne Michaels' personality, he is unarguably a TV god. Oh, and I'm pretty stoked that Al Franken is now my US Senator. ( )

I'm a huge Saturday Night Live fan, not quite yet a "buff" in the history of the show but I'm well on my way. This book is a good companion to the hardcore fan but maybe not to the casual viewer. I certainly enjoyed it from start to finish. One thing became clear after watching it - everyone hates Chevy Chase. ( )

So far I'm not all that impressed by this. Their transitions between quotes leaves a lot to be desired, and if they actually had the people reading their quotes it would be much interesting. So far I've learned that the 1st five years was a big stoned, cracked out, drunken slumber party...


UPDATE: I wasn't impressed with this. I found somethings were interesting, there were people who were on the show or who were writers (conan o'brien!) that I didn't know were involved.

I gave up about halfway through the last cd. If you need something to listen to as you are driving, it's not so bad. ( )

Fun. ( )

Very interesting. A history of SNL told from the viewpoint of many involved. Not everyone, as some have passed, and some (Eddie Murphy) must not have wanted to be involved. Neat to peak behind the scenes of an iconic show. ( )

Decent review of SNL from the beginning through 2002 -- pleasure book and a quick read. ( )

The definitive story of the rise and fall and rise of Saturday Night Live, as told by the people involved. Made up of soundbites from producers, writers, assistants, featured actors and each living member of the cast (except for Eddie Murphy), the book heavily involves Lorne Michaels. Perhaps this is to be expected, given how instrumental Michaels was to the entire show. A fascinating glimpse behind the curtain, this book made me wish I had actually watched the show -- that would have given me context for many of the anecdotes. ( )

25 + plus seasons of the groundbreaking comedy-variety show are revisited through the words of the cast, hosts, writers, and production crew. This oral history approach has its downside as the authors provide little context to go with the interview quotes. I was also interested in learning more about the creative process of making the show and its most famous sketches and less interested in the tell-all tales of sex, drugs, and backstabbing. At least, on the latter note there is just as much mutual admiration among the participants of the show. Some of the greatest accolades go to performers whose voices are missing from the text due to their early deaths - John Belush, Gilda Radner, Chris Farley and Phil Hartman. It would have been nice if the authors could have culled some passages from old interviews so that these great performers' voices could be heard as well. It was interesting how in their own words that some people came off unpleasantly (Chevy Chase, Nora Dunn, Harry Shearer) and some people were more interesting than I ever imagined (Jane Curtin, Tim Kazurinsky, Victoria Jackson). Despite its bulk this book is a fun and interesting read, although I can't imagine anyone who isn't already a long time fan of the show finding it all too appealing. I watched the show regularly from about 1982-1994 but found the whole story intriguing and makes me want to go back and watch the old shows. Even those dreadful 10-minutes to 1 am sketches. ( )

Great inside stories from the earlier years of SNL. This is definitely a book a reader can pick up, read a few pages, and put down for a later time. Some of the best known people from the early years were not terribly nice human beings. ( )

I'm a huge Saturday Night Live fan, not quite yet a "buff" in the history of the show but I'm well on my way. This book is a good companion to the hardcore fan but maybe not to the casual viewer. I certainly enjoyed it from start to finish. One thing became clear after watching it - everyone hates Chevy Chase. ( )

Interesting. ( )

I really enjoyed taking a backstage look at the operations and personalities involved in one of the nation's longest running comedy shows. It was interesting to see how all of the different personalities meshed to create a weekly live show and just as interested to see how some of today's biggest comedians got their start. Unfortunately, SNL losts its edge for me and I haven't been a fan of the show for several years now. ( )

Best book ever written about the Saturday Night Live phenomenon, composed of interviews with (practically) all involved.

Brilliantly orchestrated by Shales. ( )

Interesting history. . . More captivating than I expected. ( )

http://home.comcast.net/~tonydal/wiseguy_reviews.htm ( )