Rating: 
Summary: I hate Chevy Chase, too!
Review: This book is a must read for anyone who grew up watching Saturday Night Live, even in the bad years. I really enjoyed reading this book because it gave first hand accounts of events,from several different points of view. The thing that struck me most about reading this was how much talent Lorne Michaels had and misused through the years. He is nothing, if not short sighted!I also love how cast members and writers all just aired their dirty laundry. All of the feuds and petty arguments came through! What can I say, I'm sycophantic for the original cast, and several of the later casts. If you are a fan of SNL, any cast, this book is for you!
Rating:
Summary: Loads Of Information On Everyone's Favorite Show
Review: For such a big book, this was a surprisingly fast read. I love this book. I love the way this book is put together. I used to love the show... let's hope it improves. As this book shows, SNL has survived bad seasons before. The most intersing thing I learned from the book revolved around the Dick Ebersol years. Even though they weren't the best, they seemed to have dissapeared from reruns. It's not my imagination. The book tells us that Lorne Michaels owns the rerun rights, an aside from an occasional Eddie Murphy sketch, we're not going to get anything from the Dick Ebersol- Eddie Murphy- Joe Piscapo years. This is a great whatever-happened-to book as well. This book made the wise decision to not only include the better known cast members as contributors, but the lesser known ones as well. Especially enlighting were cast members recollections as to who were good hosts and who were bad host. Guess they won't be asking Chevy Chase back to host any time soon. This is a treasure trove of information and trivia for any TV buff. Included are poignant reminiscants about former cast members who have left this world- Chris Farley, Gilda Radner, John Belushi and Phil Hartman. Also- find out who said [the "F" word]... on TV first. Hint: it was on SNL and it wasn't Charles Rocket. Think bald bandleader. Wonderful throughout.
Rating:
Summary: Only One Negative In This Whole Book...
Review: This is a brilliantly entertaining first-person(s) history of Saturday Night Live, thoroughly captivating whether you love SNL, love anything about the entertainment industry, or just love reading about a bunch of really, really screwed-up, back-stabbing, self-destructive, vindictive, revolutionary, and ultimately very insecure and very funny people. Hey, who knew so many people despised Chevy Chase? But since I like to complain, I need to mention the one big negative in this book (other than the fact that Eddie Murphy refused to participate): the cloying, slobbering, overwrought, inane, incessantly irritating, and often just plain ignorant filler pieces by Tom Shales and/or James Andrew Miller that occupy most of the beginnings and endings of chapters, and intrude during the most dramatic interludes in the show's history (the deaths of cast members, mostly). The star-worship begins immediately and never stops -- phrases like "a towering edifice on the landscape, a place of wonder and magic, a sociopolitical phenomenon" and "MGM once boasted of 'more stars than there are in the heavens,' and Saturday Night Live could make the same claim.... Too many of them, alas, really are in heaven now." But probably the single most jarring and flat-out foolish statement is made during the recounting of John Belushi's overdose: "Your parents were right after all, dammit -- drugs can destroy a life, excess can be fatal, self-abuse can have severe consequences, there's no free lunch, and all that other anti-hedonistic claptrap." Claptrap? Claptrap? Belushi is DEAD. Chris Farley, who modelled his career, and life, after Belushi's, is DEAD. And "drugs can destroy a life" is claptrap? To admire the original cast of SNL, as Shales and Miller clearly do, that's fine -- but to shrug off the wretched excess that came close to killing far more of them than just Belushi as "hedonistic" -- as though their disregard for their health and sanity were admirable -- to flippantly dismiss the warnings of those who tried to save them as "claptrap" -- it's just inexcusable. For the conception and creation of this book, Shales and Miller deserve a great deal of credit and praise. If they had only kept their big mouths shut.
Rating: 
Summary: SNL in your Bedroom!
Review: I am a youngster when it comes to SNL history. It has been around longer than I have. Mr. Miller and Mr. Shales do a fantastic job of re-creating the history of this weekend institution. The stories and anecdotes come straight from the cast members, producers, writers, and everyone else involved with the show. The book goes in chronological order and begins as Lorne Michaels is on his quest to put together this show. In reading this book, you will get the inside scoop on every major SNL event from its inception until now. Among the highlights, we get the dish on: the Bill Murray, Chevy Chase fight, the deaths of Jim Belushi, Chris Farley, and Phil Hartman. The romances, the drugs, the parties, the mistakes, the successes, the most loved hosts (Christopher Walken), the most hated hosts (Chevy Chase, Robert Blake), the rivalries between the writers, the competition to get sketches on the air and the rotating door of cast members. This book is great light reading, and would be a great gift for that SNL fan in your family.
Rating:
Summary: Almost 30 years in 594 pages!
Review: I was excited when I found this book, not only because I had watched Saturday night live for as long as I can remember, but I was eager to learn what went on behind the scenes. And I received more than I bargained for, in all good ways. The great thing about this book is it is told by the cast, writers, producers, and NBC executives. It is from their mouths. It isnt rumored tales or reporters speculating. Of course there are different opinions and feelings, but for the most part, all the cast members seem to have the same feelings. They feel a brotherhood to eachother. When you watch the show, and see the sketches, one believes these people are just having a grand old time, and you dont realize how much is involved until you read this. It starts back in 75 with the original cast members, those who are still alive, talking about what it was like. Drugs involved, pressures, etc. It goes over deaths of Gilda Radner, Jon Belushi, Phil Hartman and Chris Farrley. Almost all the cast memebers ever on the show speak in this book, with the exception of Eddie Murphy who, for some reason doesnt want to be any part of Saturday night live, even though thats what made him. For most of the cast members SNL was their platform to stardom. There also is alot of bitterness present, as with Janeane Garafalo. Most of all the cast members and the writers feel pretty much the same about Lorne Michaels, the exucutive producer. He is the creator and the father figure. They all greatly seek his approval, which is scarce. But most look back at him in kindness.
It is a great read, soooooo much information you would never have known otherwise. I really thought this would be one of those books that would last me a while and I looked forward to that, but because you know so many of the cast and are so interested in the words from their own mouth, you really cant put it down. Dont pass this one by!!
Rating: 
Summary: 100 pages of interesting in a 500 page book
Review: Did you know that the writers/performers worked all night on Tuesdays? Or that Lorne Michaels was a dysfunctional father figure? Well you'll be reminded about every fifth page of this yawner. Sure there's some interesting gossip and sniping, but save yourself some time and get the cliff notes because this is about 100 pages of interesting in a 500 page book.
Rating:
Summary: Saturday Nine Lives
Review: Anyone who has been a fan of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE should enjoy this book, whether you're an original cast fan, an Eddie Murphy fan, an 80's or 90's fan. It's all here. You'll read the stories the performers and writers tell and then watch the reruns with a new perspective.
I remember watching the first SNL when I was in junior high and have been a fan ever since (I have two favorite casts: the original Players and then the Phil Hartman/Jan Hooks/Jon Lovitz/Dana Carvey period).
The book is 565 pages long, but I kept wishing for more insights into a lot of the classic characters and sketches. A good place to find that kind of detail is in another book that came out in the late 1980's called SATURDAY NIGHT: A BACKSTAGE HISTORY OF "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" by Doug Hill & Jeff Weingrad (definitely worth reading for the early history of the show).
But the behind-the-scenes dramas and brawls here are irresistible. I thought Bill Murray's comments had a depth and thoughtfulness while I still wonder how Chevy Chase can keep going back to host with his boorish and obnoxious behavior (when recently interviewed by Fox News about his rude past documented in this and other books, Chevy said probably the most suspicious thing any celebrity could say: "I don't read them...they're all lies." Huh?).
I really appreciated reading about how the deaths of John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Phil Hartman and Chris Farley affected the other performer/writers.
Definitely worth checking out.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, an in depth comprehensive look at the real SNL
Review: I could go on forever about this book (and the show). SNL was an inspiration to my career, so this book was a must for my collection.
Some people are shattered by the harsh accounts given in this book. For real SNL fans, there is nothing too new here. What is nicely done is that the telling of these backstage stories are quite complete and nicely pieced together. For example, if there's an story about a specific cast member...you will read from several people (fellow castmembers, the person itself, agents, producers, etc.) on the issue. This clears up a lot of the gossip and explains in-depth the "truth" (or at least a more objective compilation) of how some of these historical occurances came to be.
SNL is a fascinating institution. You will quickly understand the impact this show has made on pop-culture, comedy, politics, and many things we take for granted today. More importantly, you will understand what it was like at the time as it was happening to these people who all thought they were going to the be the cast that ended the show that of course still goes on years after them. SNL has transformed from the rebel of television to the standard of what sketch comedy and late night entertainment has become. It refreshed the variety show days and brought players from the Second City and other such troupes to the mainstream audience. This book is probably the best account you will ever get of what its like to work in this sort of high paced enviroment. It is always intersting to see the collaboration, frustration, and artistic struggle of all the writers, performers, guest hosts, producers, and even agents that are all representing in this thick compilation. This book does also include many personal stories that reveal more of the human side to this fraternity of SNL alum...and beyond the protected PR world. Petty cast squabbles, working for a man like Lorne, and sadly the loss of Belushi, Gilda, Hartman, Farley, and others. Its an easy read, easy to pick up and flip around in any order. You will likely find yourself reading this book for hours at a time (yes, it is a thick chunk of pages!) and soon Cross-referencing people and stories (in a VERY detailed and useful index!) Take all the fluff stuff you saw on E!'s true Hollywood Stories and People....and look up the real deal here in this book. There will be "his side and her side" and therefore somewhere the truth.
If you like SNL, get the 20th anniversary book...if you love SNL, this book will test that love. You will either feel at home, run screaming, or just have mixed emotions for us entertainment business types.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute Delight
Review: If you, like me, have been around long enough to have enjoyed SNL since the beginning (of course with cable reruns, this includes nearly everyone), you will enjoy the behind-the-sceens look at how this long-running cultural event comes together each week. I have loved this show even when it was rotten, because I sensed that the cast and writers new it stunk too. This book confirms my suspicions and provides great insight to the creative process that makes SNL mostly good, sometimes bad, and always unique. Terrific book. An absolute page turner.
Rating:
Summary: First Hand Gossip Account of SNL
Review: The book is a compendium of segmented interviews conducted by the authors of the people responsible for developing, producing, directing, and acting in Saturday Night Live. Eddie Murphy is the only major SNL Not Ready for Prime Time player missing as an interviewee. Baby Boomers who have watched the show from its beginning may not learn anything startingly new that they have not probably read in the gossip columns and tabloids these past 27 years, but the Gen X & Y SNL viewers of today may be amused by how the show was created and how it evolved. It is not surprising how many of the people interviewed for the book, including all of the major creative and artistic SNL participants, claim credit for much of the show's success, while pawning off failures and disasters on others. The book is strongly focused on the early years, concentrating on Lorne Michaels and the original seven cast members, then moves more quickly through the 1980s and 1990s. The authors provide little of their own commentary, preferring to let those interviewed tell the story from their perspective.
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