Title: Live from New York : An Oral History of Saturday Night Live
Author: James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales
Publisher: Little Brown and Co.
Release Date: October 2002
Pages: 566
Book Source: Hardcover
“When first published to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Live from New York was immediately proclaimed the best book ever produced on the landmark and legendary late-night show. In their own words, unfiltered and uncensored, a dazzling galaxy of trail-blazing talents recalled three turbulent decades of on-camera antics and off-camera escapades. Now a fourth decade has passed – and best-selling authors James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales have returned to Studio 8H. They raucously and revealingly take the SNL story up to the present, adding a constellation of iconic new stars, surprises, and controversies.” – Amazon
Heather’s Review
As an enthusiastic fan of Saturday Night Live, I really enjoyed Live from New York. The time periods covered range from the inception of the show all the way to the Tina Fey/Jimmy Fallon era. A large portion is dedicated to the first season and its cast.
Interviews were conducted with writers, producers, hosts, as well as cast members. A wide range of viewpoints are shared regarding many aspects of the show. Some of them are contradictory, but we all experience things differently and led me to believe this is an honest portrayal of SNL and behind the scenes.
My personal favorite commentary were those from cast members regarding which hosts were the easiest or most difficult to work with. I learned a lot of new facts in general and would highly recommend this book to a fan or someone looking to learn more about the history of SNL.
Not everyone affiliated with SNL is portrayed in a positive light so keep that in mind if you have favorite cast members who you may not want to read about negatively. There is a lot of focus on the show’s ability to change to keep up with the times as well as times when it has struggled and been called “Saturday Night Dead.” Again, an accurate and honest portrayal of the good times and the bad.
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