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Live From New York: An Uncensored History Of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales, James Andrew Miller
trin's review against another edition
4.0
So, yes: I primarily read this for my husband, Bill Hader, even though I knew he wouldn't show up until the last hundred pages of this 750+ page behemoth. But the whole book is pretty damn riveting. I would never identify as a huge SNL fan; however, it's been part of the comedy background of my life for my entire life. My parents introduced me to Landshark and Toonces, and everything after that seeped into my brain just...as a culturally conscious American, I guess.
SNL has been fairly good and very bad in my lifetime, but it's always been there. It's fascinating to get to know so many of the personalities behind the show, and to get a glimpse of the nitty-gritty of how it gets made.
This book fell into the trap of a lot of oral histories of hitting the same point over and over; the updated chapters were, unsurprisingly, the least well edited, actively full of typos and repetition. And yet I could not stop turning the pages. I stayed up way too late several nights because I was just having so much fun. There are just so many people in this book who seem like they'd be an absolute blast to hang out with. With, also, some extremely notable exceptions.
Chevy Chase. First and foremost, hoo boy, am I talking about Chevy Chase. Fun fact: I once got to shout "Go fuck yourself, Chevy!" to Chevy Chase's face. It was very satisfying. Even more so after reading this book.
Anyway, here are some random factoids that I learned:
--Chevy Chase: the worst. Also he was really, really cruel to tiny baby Robert Downey Jr. once. Gotta wonder if either of them ever still thinks about that.
--Baby Lorne Michaels was actually sort of hot? whaaaaaaaaat
--In the early years, everyone was fucking everyone else, all the time. Dan Ackroyd stole Lorne Michaels' wife (a writer on the show) and everyone seemed pretty cool about it?? Are all the stories about the '70s actually just based around what was happening at Rockefeller Plaza?
--Milton Berle, an early years host, had an absolutely enormous penis. This book is worth reading for the sequence about Milton Berle's penis alone.
--It's really weird to read a book written at a time (updated edition: 2014) when Rudy Guiliani was still someone people took relatively seriously. He's quoted in this book, mostly in reference to the first show after 9/11. He sounds vaguely sane. I mean, I still didn't like Guiliani in 2014, but could I have guessed what would transpire with him? No! A landshark appearance would have seemed more plausible. Oof.
--BUT ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE: everyone loves my husband, Bill Hader, and thinks he's incredibly talented. (Correct.) Bill also has lovely things to say about everyone he's ever worked with...except Justin Bieber. Man, he really does not like Bieber. He's a sensible man, our Bill.
--The description given about Milton Berle's penis is that it was "like a pepperoni." There, now you have suffer through that image with me. This has been my evil plan all along. Mwahahahaha
SNL has been fairly good and very bad in my lifetime, but it's always been there. It's fascinating to get to know so many of the personalities behind the show, and to get a glimpse of the nitty-gritty of how it gets made.
This book fell into the trap of a lot of oral histories of hitting the same point over and over; the updated chapters were, unsurprisingly, the least well edited, actively full of typos and repetition. And yet I could not stop turning the pages. I stayed up way too late several nights because I was just having so much fun. There are just so many people in this book who seem like they'd be an absolute blast to hang out with. With, also, some extremely notable exceptions.
Chevy Chase. First and foremost, hoo boy, am I talking about Chevy Chase. Fun fact: I once got to shout "Go fuck yourself, Chevy!" to Chevy Chase's face. It was very satisfying. Even more so after reading this book.
Anyway, here are some random factoids that I learned:
--Chevy Chase: the worst. Also he was really, really cruel to tiny baby Robert Downey Jr. once. Gotta wonder if either of them ever still thinks about that.
--Baby Lorne Michaels was actually sort of hot? whaaaaaaaaat
--In the early years, everyone was fucking everyone else, all the time. Dan Ackroyd stole Lorne Michaels' wife (a writer on the show) and everyone seemed pretty cool about it?? Are all the stories about the '70s actually just based around what was happening at Rockefeller Plaza?
--Milton Berle, an early years host, had an absolutely enormous penis. This book is worth reading for the sequence about Milton Berle's penis alone.
--It's really weird to read a book written at a time (updated edition: 2014) when Rudy Guiliani was still someone people took relatively seriously. He's quoted in this book, mostly in reference to the first show after 9/11. He sounds vaguely sane. I mean, I still didn't like Guiliani in 2014, but could I have guessed what would transpire with him? No! A landshark appearance would have seemed more plausible. Oof.
--BUT ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE: everyone loves my husband, Bill Hader, and thinks he's incredibly talented. (Correct.) Bill also has lovely things to say about everyone he's ever worked with...except Justin Bieber. Man, he really does not like Bieber. He's a sensible man, our Bill.
--The description given about Milton Berle's penis is that it was "like a pepperoni." There, now you have suffer through that image with me. This has been my evil plan all along. Mwahahahaha
finnthehuman217's review against another edition
5.0
Yeah this fucking book is a roller coaster. I loved every moment of it. I love SNL and hearing behind the scenes stuff about seasons I didn’t even know about was awesome!!! Bravo! I recommend it to anyone who likes comedy
hagbard_celine's review against another edition
3.0
Fun and naturally incomplete oral history that seems to touch some of the sharp edges of SNL’s story, despite having the blessing of a megacorp with assets to protect. Can only begin the imagine all of the crazy and delightful and horrifying shit was left out.
kmfeeney's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this book. Only some characters were discussed, some movies. I would like more on the formulation of some of the iconic characters. I skipped the last chapter about Lorne because the whole book is about Lorne, not a page goes by without mentioning Lorne. I just remembered like Tim Meadows being a huge cast member when I was young and there so little about him. I think it also showed a nastier side to some people involved l, hosts, writers...
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves the show.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves the show.
pete0926's review against another edition
4.0
I good look back at an iconic show, by the people who were there as cast and crew. The book is separated out by eras/generations of cast members. An enjoyable read overall.
mooradj0's review against another edition
5.0
Wholly inspiring. This book is filled with so many people speaking honestly about what they love to do: write comedy, perform comedy, produce comedy. “Live From New York” allows the individuals who have toiled in the halls of studio 8H to speak openly about the insane and singular experience of working on SNL. The format of the book flows freely from speaker to speaker and gives you a sense of each one’s knowledge and personality, each section contributing to a clearer picture of the show and its history. Despite the emotional, physical, or psychological toll of contributing to SNL that is detailed in these pages, the sense of this book is overwhelming one of passion, love, and admiration for an entertainment institution which has buoyed the lives of so many with laughter, or at the very least a chuckle once a week.
aubreep's review against another edition
3.0
As a relatively new fan of SNL I was excited to read up on the history of the show. As I was reading, I was googling the names and trying to get some background on those involved considering I was born during the Will Ferrell era (Yikes!). I loved that it was told by the cast and writers, etc. and aside from the obnoxious vocabulary and metaphors Mr. Shales decided to use to break up the interviews... this book was extremely helpful in understanding what makes the show so incredible. I really do think that Saturday Night Live was and has continued to be a cultural phenomenon. They say what everyone is thinking and puts the art that is comedy, on the forefront of people's minds. I didn't understand comedy as an art form until very recently and I now feel that if everyone understood that, people would be much, much happier. Saturday Night Live continues that mission and I, for one, am extremely grateful.