Rating: 
Summary: Rambling, Tedious, and Pretentious
Review: Good points first (and there are good points): This book is truly an insider's view of the show, the politics surrounding the show, from virtually every perspective possible. It's an interesting primer on how shows are created, their evolutions, the tension between the "suits" and the creative types, among the creative types, and so forth.Weak points: This book needed a lot of editing. It's as if raw tapes were transcribed; the comments and views could have been tightened up substantially without losing any of the flavor. Every once in a while, the authors (Shales and Miller) provide a bit of commentary, but it's not enough...kind of like a Christmas fruit cake with too many jellied fruits and not enough dough. Another weak point--probably not Shales' and Miller's fault, but due to the way the book was created--is that you're given the sense that what appeared on the air was generally "the best of the best"...that the process of winnowing down all the material left most of the gems on-air (as well as many that regrettably didn't make it). I was mostly a fan of the earlier years but, after reading the book, I watched many of the shows on satellite (Comedy Channel). A lot of the shows and a lot of the bits were pretty weak. My point: There's a real disconnect between what many of the writers and performers recall and what the tape actually reveals.
Rating: 
Summary: Addictive reading - A very fast 565 pages
Review: It is difficult to not be impressed by the gargantuan task undertaken by this book's authors to complete lengthy, detailed interviews with what appears to be almost everyone who has ever had anything to do with "Saturday Night Live", including former cast members, writers, producers, musicians, network executives and even former guest stars. Equally impressive was how the authors edited these interviews to form a cohesive whole, keeping the book in chronological and thematic order. This is just about the fastest 565 pages I've ever read. Particularly when detailing the show's creation through its first five years, the reader really gets a true sense of what the day to day process was of working on the show - from the immense amounts of cocaine used by all but a few to get through the all-night writing sessions, to the pre-AIDS era bed-hopping that was done between cast and crew members. The book provides more detail on some well known stories (most people know that John Belushi had a drug problem, but until reading this book I didn't understand the true depths of his addiction) as well as providing many surprises (I would have never pegged Harry Shearer as someone who was so universally despised during his time on the show nor did I realize how catty Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks were towards Victoria Jackson). One of the fun aspects of reading "Live From New York" is hearing differing perspectives on the same story. For example, first you'll hear Janeane Garofalo discuss what a horrible working environment "SNL" was during her brief time on the show, followed by one of the show's writers explaining that Garofalo was something of an insecure nutjob who created her own bad experience. Likewise, you'll hear former producer Jean Doumanian described as "Ayatollah Doumanian" by those who worked for her during her tenure as executive producer, followed by Doumanian herself describe how she was set up to fail. Some people might get frustrated by the lack of an objective "truth" presented in some of these stories, but this seemed to me to be more true to real life, where often the "reality" of a situation is dependent on your own perspective. Also very interesting was reading about the perceived weaknesses in the current "SNL" program in the opinion of some of the writers, including an overreliance on sketches involving recurring characters, too many "surprise" appearances by celebrities who are being parodied (as in the real Robert DeNiro "surprising" a cast member who is doing a parody of Robert DeNiro), and a lack of political bite that once defined the show. If I have anything negative to say about the book, it is only that the early sections, regarding the first few years of the show, spoil the reader in terms of the immense detail presented there that is missing in the sections dealing with the program's later years. In discussing the first few years of the show, the authors give great detail on how virtually every cast member came to be hired, what their history was before the show, how they got along with fellow cast and crew members, and whether or not the indulged in many of the bad habits that went on during the show. As the book gets to more recent casts, often the book would just mention that so and so and so and so joined the show, without much detail of how that came to be, instead choosing to focus on major controversies in the shows recent history, such as Nora Dunn walking off the show in protest of Andrew Dice Clay being invited to guest host, Sinead O'Connor tearing up a picture of the Pope on air, the deaths of Phil Hartman and Chris Farley, and NBC West Coast President Don Ohlmeyer's single-minded obsession with getting Norm McDonald fired from his "Weekend Update duties. If not for a sentence or two, you could go through the whole book without realizing that Dennis Miller was ever on the show. This is one of those rare books where, even at nearly 600 pages, the book seems too short. I would have gladly read several hundred more if it meant that all periods of the show were given the same depth.
Rating:
Summary: Yadda, yadda, yadda!
Review: If you took out every comment by cast, writers and producers on trying (unsuccessfully)to figure out Lorne Michaels, this heavy tome would easily be cut in half. Too much whining, too little interesting, historical information for me, a long time fan of the show.
Rating:
Summary: 4-1/2 stars -- Long but GREAT retrospective
Review: My brother told me about this Live From New York book, and being an avid Saturday Night Live watcher, I decided to pick it up. This book, compiled by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, is a very good retrospective of the series, and how (and WHY) it came to be. I originally expected the book to just be straightforward and biographical, if you will, but the whole thing is actually told through the testimonies of workers on the show, cast members, NBC executives, writers, and even guest hosts. There were a few surprises I found, though. One is that Chevy Chase appears to be a very arrogant person, because whenever he came back to host, to say that he insulted the cast would be an understatement (he was eventually banned from hosting ever again after 1996). As for Dick Ebersol, who replaced Lorne Michaels as executive producer from 1981 to 1985...well, a lot of people in the book say that his name seems to fit his personality. And it was also interesting that the book never mentioned anything about Martin Lawrence's risqué monologue when he hosted back in '94. It was also revealed things like the TRUE reason why Ben Stiller pulled out of hosting the second episode of the 2001-02 season (it ended up being hosted by Seann William Scott, who was originally supposed to host the following episode), hosts from Hell like Steven Seagal (maybe that's why NBC doesn't air that episode any more) and Frank Zappa, and behind-the-scenes problems with the seemingly tight cast from 1986 to 1990 (Dana, Nora, Phil, Jan, Victoria, Jon, Dennis, and Kevin). Also, I was surprised to find testimonies from people like Nora Dunn and Norm MacDonald because I didn't think cast members that were fired would want to talk about the show at all. But I WASN'T surprised to see no sign of Eddie Murphy (what's up with his ego, anyway?). Anyway, this is a very good book. At close to 600 pages, it'll take you a few days to get through it, but if you're really into Saturday Night Live, you should like it. Anthony Rupert P.S. One more thing I'd like to mention is that there are pictures in the middle of the book from various years, and one picture is taken from the 1998-99 season, and it shows a "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketch with the caption stating that Michael J. Fox is portraying Tom Cruise. It was Ben Stiller, not Michael J. Fox.
Rating: 
Summary: A Quick Read, Even at 566 Pages...
Review: I'm not what you call an avid SNL fan. I grew up in the eighties and loved Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo but really didn't get back into SNL until Chris Farley reared his head. Live From New York is a fascinating look into the backstage antics and sniping straight from the participants mouths (well, most of them Eddie Murphy declined). At 566 pages, this book is an incredibly fast read. I absolutely could not put this book down, although too much of it is devoted to Lorne Michaels and not enough to Chris Farley, Will Ferrell or Phil Hartman. Still, this is intriguing stuff, hearing about Belushi going to rehearsals bombed or about who actually started the infamous Chevy Chase/Bill Murray fight. Bill Murray gives some really good insight into some of the cast members like Gilda Radner. Chevy Chase comes off like a pompous ass which is a shame because he was so damn funny. Anyway, this is a very entertaining look into what it's like to be on SNL and the everyday rigors and pressures that these performers endure. Highly Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: For Fans
Review: This book is a full one, with numerous quotes from many participants themselves who were cast members of the famous
TV show, but the information provided is a bit limited.
The format consists of hundreds of brief quotes, clustered
around a linear time-line, so there isn't much of a feel of
literature about the book at all. The disjointed format lessens the interest in reading it, but
the quotes provide a first-hand look at one of our popular
institutions. If "unnamed sources" had told some of these stories, no one would believe them. There are such sorid tales of massive drug
abuse and routine, non-romantic sex, taking place during the
writing and rehearsals, that they would sound like wild exaggerations. Outsiders wouldn't believe a TV show could be
put on the air with such inattention and such casual attitude
toward public performance, but the participants detail a long
list of abuses and excesses. There are more confessions in this book than in a Catholic church, and if salacious detail interest a reader, then this
book is a place to start. The format prevents it from being as readable as it should be,
but some interesting facts are here. But this book, as a serious subject, is only for the true fan of the TV show.
The displays of self-indulgence behavior and selfish attitudes
detailed here will repel many potential readers, so approach
this book with caution. It won't hold the interests of many
readers very long. It is almost like a pasted-up version of a supermarket tabloid,
and the only redeeming feature is that the details are provided
by those who were there doing all those stupid, selfish things
to themselves and fellow staffers. As I said, for the serious fan of the show only.
Rating:
Summary: Addictive read, ultimately frustrating
Review: Because this book is so large and covers such an interesting subject, you basically will live with it for a couple of days, having feverish dreams about being a cast member or writer, trying to make Lorne happy. Certainly, SNL deserves such a comprehensive book, and the authors interviewed everyone they could. However, the book drags interminably after you finish reading about the original cast. There are certain things that get repeated a million times by several people. By the time you reach the end of the book, you say to yourself, I just don't care that Gwyneth Paltrow was scared but had a great time hosting. In addition, the authors do something I have never seen in journalism before, which is to let people and places mentioned in interviews go past without any referencing. For example, at one point someone is talking about Gilda Radner and "Gene." Granted, most people know she was married to Gene Wilder, but it is very surprising that the authors wouldn't add in brackets [her husband, actor Gene Wilder]. They never add anything in brackets, ever, or have any footnotes. There are DOZENS of these dangling throughout the book and it gets very annoying. Also, perhaps this is too much to ask for, but there is hardly any cultural context. The authors add a few weak transitions between interviews, and that's about it. I hesitate to even use the word "authors"--they are interviewers and compilers. A truly important HISTORY would include some analysis. So because of the lack of referencing and the weak narrative, the authors seem lazy, like "Oh let's just throw all these interviews together and readers will just have to figure out what happens when." Last but not least, I am very disappointed that most sketches and characters were not discussed specifically. It is very surprising that the authors didn't seem interested in what was in FRONT of the camera. The book is much more interested in gossip and office politics. When the interview subjects do talk about the creative genesis of certain famous sketches (John Belushi's Samurai, or Pat, or the two wild and crazy brothers, for example) the book really comes alive. But there are SO few of these!! If you are looking for stories about any of Chris Farley's characters, for example, forget it. You will hear only about his personality. Want to hear anything about Father Guido Sarducci? Not a peep. Dan Aykroyd in recent years got together with John Goodman to tour as the Blues Brothers--anybody think this is a cheap sellout or have any opinion on this?? Couldn't tell you. The writers were hardly ever discussed as creative beings--just drug using (or not), scared of Lorne, bickering, etc. You get very little sense of how they came up with characters, or wrote jokes for Update, or collaborated with the actors, or decided what was too offensive, etc. Instead you hear for the hundredth time about how they stay up all night on Tuesdays or whatever.
Rating:
Summary: Too Many Cooks in The Kitchen, but Still Hits the Mark
Review: A 600+ page book about Saturday Night Live can seem rather intimidating. But once you open it up and see the style with which it is written you can easily understand why it's so long. The book is comprised of excerpts from interviews with cast members new and old, just about every writer that walked through the building, and most executives at NBC. This all culminates in a very interesting read. However, one can get antsy reading over 100 pages of talk about the show before it was ever on the air. Once that is over with, the juicy stuff starts. You'll learn who was well respected and who was not. But at the same time you get conflicting views of the same person so it's hard to create a mental image of any particular individual. For instance, Lorne Michaels is a central figure in all the talks, yet I feel like I would be better off reading a biography on him than reading this book. Sure, you only get one angle, but sometimes that's the easiest to ingest.
Rating:
Summary: Great quotes, great story, some narrative please
Review: Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller did not author "Live From New York," they compiled it--just an observation. I really enjoyed "Live From New York." What a brilliant topic for a thorough book. I have sometimes loved Saturday Night Live and other times loathed it. SNL has given the world some great stars and some of forgettable ones. In compiling this book, Shales and Miller did endless leg work and then stepped out of the picture. They wrote introductions for the various sections of the book but left the text to meander as the body of the book is really little more than a list of quotes from the people who were there. Shales and Miller reached almost everybody of any stature in the history Saturday Night Live--writers, comedians, producers. (Eddie Murphy was notably abscent.) My gripe is that Miller and Shales are fine writers with expert views, I wanted to hear more of what they thought. I wanted to hear a little of their voice, and I wanted them to help me pick up on some of the nuances. I wanted to know whom they trusted and whom they dismissed. When Bill Murray and Chevy Chase got into a shoving match--was Murray reacting to Chase's arrogance or had John Belushi put Murray up to attack? What do Shales and Miller think after interviewing both men? You won't get it from this book? That said, reading quote after quote by everybody who is still alive (Gilda Radner, Chris Farley, John Belushi, and many other key people have passed away) becomes somewhat hypnotic, and you really do hear their voices in their quotes.
Rating:
Summary: Fast and Fascinating
Review: The library I patronize bought only two copies of this book. One doesn't circulate, and the other is always out, so I broke down and bought this. I only wanted to read it because I love gossip. I didn't expect much of the writing because this is an oral history, and I wasn't disappointed. However, you wouldn't want the authors/editors to do too much editing, or the voices wouldn't sound natural. But when one of the people from the show who's labeled "writer" says, "Each one was their own boutique," I cringe. Some of the reviewers don't give the compilers of this volume much credit. I think they deserve more. First they had to do a lot of legwork just to get interviews with these people and get them to talk about meaningful stuff. I assume they taped all this. Words don't just jump from an audiotape to the printed pages of a book. All the "and-ums" had to be deleted. Probably some of the language had to be cleaned up. Useless repetition had to be cut. All this editing had to be done without killing the spontaneous feel of the material. Seems like a big job to me. My only complaint about the authors is that they're a little too reverential in their short pieces between the speakers. The first time I ever saw Saturday Night Live, I thought the musical act was one of the comedy sketches, and if I hadn't been told differently, I'd think so still. My son-in-law tells me he's heard other people say the same thing. If the musical acts are supposed to be taken seriously, they're completely out of sync with the rest of the show, none of which is to be taken seriously. The one thing that almost every speaker dwells on is the fame and money garnered by the players who went on to become big names in entertainment. Fame and money are their gods. There's no mention of whether these successes ever did anything of quality. ... Not one of them has been on a level with Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Robin Williams, or Bill Cosby. And no one ever even mentions the one Oscar nomination to come out of this company: Dan Ackroyd's performance in "Driving Miss Daisy." I've never been a big fan of SNL. My favorites were Gilda Radner and Phil Hartman. I absolutely loathe(d) Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Chris Kattan, Rob Schneider, David Spade, and John Belushi. They are or were all loud, stupid, vulgar, and disgusting. But I still watch occasionally, hoping to see something funny. I seldom do. The commercials are overlong. The music is awful. The humor is never subtle. When did vomit become funny? Nevertheless, I think the book is worth a read, especially for those who are just aching to know what went on among these people after hours. It's a long book but a fast read.
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