Rating: 
Summary: Lots of gossipy fun
Review: I have to admit right up front, I gave up on SNL quite a while ago--and yet this book is still really interesting throughout. The book is in interview form, so you get insight from most of the major cast members about their experiences on the show. It's also a major plus in my opinion that the writers of the show get to sound off as well. Add Dennis Miller in addition to Eddie Murphy as to the small number of people that aren't represented in the book. It would have been all the better if they had participated. That said, if you had a decent amount of exposure to the show throughout its tenure, this eminently readable book is like a time machine; reading it, I couldn't help but pair memories of what I was doing throughout the different seasons and cast changes, and was surprised at how much of SNL still resonates, bad or good. All of the controversies are touched upon--Sinead O'Connor's tearing the picture of the Pope, Andrew Dice Clay's appearance, battles with the censors and so on. The book also confirmed a few things for me--how much of a jerk Chevy Chase seems to be, how ill-fitting cast members seem to resent the show (witness the incredibly negative vibe from Janeane Garofalo)--and some performers/writers I never really thought much of before come off as incredibly down-to-earth and kind. And, as might be assumed, a lot of the focus falls on Lorne Michaels (the book's final chapter is devoted to deciphering the man, to no avail, of course). I'm kind of interested in what makes shows like this fail, and I could have had even more details from when the show really tanked, but this is a minor complaint. All around, this will probably be the SNL book to have for a long time to come.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty addictive if not quite complete
Review: I would've given this tome 5 stars had it not given short shrift to lesser-known and/or less successful ex-cast members (i.e., Ellen Cleghorne, David Koechner, Mary Gross, Charles Rocket, etc.) who might've provided more brutally honest and assumedly bitter versions of how things operate over at "SNL." Sure, there are a few - Tim Kazurinsky and Gilbert Gottfried pop up with comments on the disastrous '80 season and the unbalanced "Eddie Murphy" years - but, as a comedy nerd, I'm far more interested in how so much great talent gets neutered in the SNL machine. It seems from the book that, on this show, it's not enough to be brilliantly funny... one must be brilliantly funny AND ruthless. The details of the pressure-cooker, snake-pit atmosphere in which the show runs certainly goes a long way to exaplain why it is more often unfunny than funny. Anyway, the tales that are told between the covers are highly entertaining and it's difficult to put the book down! If you've read the fine Hill/Weingrad book on SNL, the second half of the book, detailing the Billy Crystal/Rich Hall/Pamela Stephenson years to the recent Tina Fey/Tracy Morgan/Horatio Sanz era is the most enlightening (meaning, packed with things you've never heard before). Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: THE essential volume for the SNL generation
Review: If you want to know the real story, the behind-the-scenes scoop on the entertainment phenomenon known as Saturday Night Live as told by the people who were there, this is the book to own. More of an oral history than a comprehensive document, there are insights to be gained and new facts to be gleaned from this book. I almost rate this as a "guilty pleasure" because some of the book is, naturally, gossipy, but it is a pleasure not to be missed by SNL fans. It's interesting to see the changes in the show over the years, from the drug-fueled early days of edgy, almost anarchic humor through the times when the show almost got the axe after severe dips in quality and popularity, to it's almost iconic status today. There's a lot more to this book than the overly-publicized "everyone hates Chevy" aspect. It's a big book, but hard to put down. Definitely worth a read by SNL fans, especially those who have been fans from the beginning.
Rating:
Summary: I would like - to feed your fingertips - to the wolverines.
Review: If you pick this book up, you will not be able to put it down. Which is definitely saying something because a)more often than not, new books suck and b)it's heavy. My only complaint: no words from Denny Dillon.
Rating:
Summary: Surprise
Review: I've watched the show for years and thought I knew a lot about it, but this book took me backstage and behind the scenes in such cool detail I quickly realized how much more there was to the story of this show. These guys managed to make all the years of the show entertaining and revealing, and I really liked the fact that I could pick up the book, turn to any page, and find a great story to jump from. Probably the best book on a TV show I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: A feast of recollections...
Review: This book is full of fascinating anecdotes from many of the most gifted comedians, writers, and writer/comedians still living--with poignant reminders of those, perhaps most notably John Belushi, who didn't live as long as SNL has. My main quibble with the authors is that the talented production design staff who created so much of the "look" of "Saturday Night Live," such as veteran Akira Yoshimura, were not interviewed. Why not? Are the authors planning a second book on this subject? Perhaps they should consider it.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding in every way
Review: I'm not one to spend the money on a hardcover book. Honestly I'd rather wait for the paperback or check it out from the library. But, my wife and I are big SNL fans, and the reviews I've read piqued my interest. This was worth every penny and honestly one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. What I enjoyed most was the different points of view shown by the cast members, writers, hosts, and Lorne himself. The details are sometimes shocking, but always entertaining. I laughed out loud at least a dozen times. A must for any SNL fan or entertainment industry buff.
Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't Put It Down!!
Review: I actually had to discipline myself to resist just blowing off my work and simply reading this book non-stop. The amount of times I laughed out loud to the point of actual tears was many! It was so frustrating to find it too late to call a friend and read a passage from the book to them that I found either hysterical or extremely enlightening. Many thanks to the authors for a book long overdue!
Rating:
Summary: A great read, plenty of new details.
Review: Shales lets the cast and crew tell their stories in their own words, with minimal editorializing. It's interesting to see how different people remember the same event with skewed perspectives. A hefty, 550+ page book I could barely tear myself away from to go to sleep. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Saturday Night Live as you have never seen it
Review: Heartbreak, hilarity, backstage backstabbing, and incredible inside stories -- "Live from New York" is the most entertaining book ever written about Saturday Night Live. The 27-year history of the show is told by the people who made that history happen, from Chevy Chase to Jimmy Fallon, from Gilda Radner to Tina Fey, from John Belushi to Will Ferrell. Full of things you never knew and anecdotes that border on the incredible, with stars like Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Dan Aykroyd, Conan O'Brien and DOZENS MORE!
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