Rating: 
Summary: Yes, a bit disjointed....
Review: ...but ultimately fascinating document of our generation's most beloved variety program.The stories are told primarily by those involved, in their own words, verbatim, including cast members, writers, hosts and producers. Some surprising tidbits include an almost universal dislike of Chevy Chase, Nora Dunn's harsh treatment of co-stars, and Eddie Murphy's grudge against the show (he is the only cast member who would not appear on the 25th anniversary special and is not interviewed in the book). The book reads like an interview. There is almost no narrative from the authors. It's like reading a filmed documentary where the camera switches back and forth between the interviewees. This format fails only rarely, and the comments are usually placed somewhat in chronological order, and occasionally are lined up together, highlighting common viewpoints between participants where they exist. Most of the memorable, gossipy events are covered, such as Nora Dunn's exile from the show when Andrew Dice Clay appeared, Jean Doumanian's brief stint as producer that almost got the show cancelled, Norm Macdonald's ousting as Update anchor, Sinead's unanticipated Pope-bashing, etc., etc., etc. A fascinating read that will make you look at the show in a different light once you finish it. May also make you feel a bit misty-eyed, as you link SNL memories with memories of where you were and who you were as you witnessed them live.
Rating: 
Summary: Ultimately dissappointing
Review: Reading this book reminded me of how much I've always loved SNL during the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've always watched it. But, the format of this book didn't seem to ever get to the heart of the matter. It didn't feel like history and it didn't feel like opinion. It just felt like a series of quotes thrown together under some loose subjects. It lacks synthesis. It deserves a follow-up book by Shales, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Ebersol, or someone who writes a good history of the show and its impact on our culture. SNL is more than just the random opinions of the stars and writers.
Rating:
Summary: real interesting Book
Review: there was a time when SNL was on the Cutting edge of TV.but those days have long past&too be honest the plug on the Show should have been pulled at least 11-12 years back.but in it's early days it set the standards for shows like In Living Color"&what you see with "Madd TV" among other shows.I always wondered why the Show had so few African-American Cast Members over the years?Eddie Murphy is Missing something badly in here for me.of course you would want too hear Eddie Murphy reflect on the show.interesting stories on John Belushi.He was something else.this book deals with alot of various topics.
Rating: 
Summary: Eh. With so much talent, they put out this?
Review: Given the reputations of those involved, especially Shales, this is a hellacious disappointment and certainly not worth the hardcover price at any discount. They couldn't even get Murphy to talk to them and, given that he saved the show, that is a major problem in a book of this size and alleged scope. O'Donoghue, who was viciously brilliant, is reduced to a parody. There's nothing here you couldn't have figured out from reading years of tv commentary or watching the show.
Rating:
Summary: Woah! SNL !
Review: This book started slow (Everything you read in the intro WILL be repeated later in the book, so instead of nodding off, go directly to the first chapter.) If you have ever dreamed of writing for SNL or performing on SNL, read this book first. Sure, some are bitter (Janene Garafalo particularly hated working there, so did Chris Elliot) but others loved every minute of the experience. All writers and performers say in this book that they can't believe they made it through the experience alive. I once hoped to write for SNL; now I know I couldn't handle it.
I am a mere humor columnist; I read this and was glad that I do what I do and am not working there.
I did cry a little reading people's reactions to Phil Hartman's death. Was a little irritated that the authors spent more time on Chris Farley's death. They were both brilliant. But Phil Hartman's death was a shock and unbelievable; Chris Farley's death was sad yet not surprising. I still have a hard time watching a movie or skit Phil Hartman was in; I still get angry when I see a movie or skit Chris Farley was in. But I didn't work with either man, I'm just a member of the public. I cry when I see Phil Hartman; I get pissed when I see Chris Farley.
My review has turned into a eulogy, I'm sorry. It's a good book with beginning and ending faults.
Rating:
Summary: Unstructured, incomplete, but interesting.
Review: This is not a bad book, but it does not even begin to cover SNL, explain its influence on television and culture, or discuss its stars or sketches. Since it consists almost solely of interviews, there is little structure to the book, with topics changing abruptly to new and unrelated topics. There is also a lot missing, such as information about the death of Chris Farley, discussions of popular sketches, or many of the extracurricular activities (e.g. "1941," "Gilda Live," etc.). There are some interesting tidbits, but it's generally not as revealing as one would like. "A Backstage History of SNL," while out of print and only covering through the Ebersol years, is a MUCH stronger and more enjoyable book. (How about a second volume?).
Rating: 
Summary: Great Great Great
Review: Any Comedy, SNL or TV lover in general will adore this book. It has comedic insight, and above all is a fun, fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: A great behind the scenes look at one of the most enduring t.v. shows of all time. Interesting tidbits heretofore unknown to the average fan. Loved it! (But if you really want a laugh, read "No One's Even Bleeding" or "Delano".)
Rating:
Summary: Face it: It's as "inside" SNL as you or I will ever get
Review: The curtain is pulled back on SNL in this book to reveal (not surprisingly) that Lorne Michaels was, is, and always will be the Wizard who always kept SNL ticking. Decades of drug use, debauchery, infighting, sleeping around, desperation, and show-biz chutzpah are related courtesy of first-hand accounts of the writers, stars, agents, TV executives, staff members, and guests of the show. Not all comments are complimentary, and not all that went on behind the scenes was funny. But it all makes for a fascinating read, despite the fact that a few notable surviving cast members chose not to participate in these oral interviews. "Live From New York" is as much a evolutionary history of the business of television over the past three decades as it is an oral history of the show itself. Perhaps SNL isn't as consistently cutting edge and counter-culture as it was in its earliest years. But nowadays the show IS the pop and showbiz culture it lampooned in the past. It cannot ever really return to its fabled glory days of 1975-1979 because the entire showbusiness landscape has changed so dramatically since then. One must credit Michaels for recognizing that and still plodding ahead with the show for most of the years since the days of The Not Ready For Prime Time Players. Read this book to find the origins of many of the standard conventions and favorite moments of the show: why the band always dresses in tuxedos, the inspiration of Danny Aykroyd's buttcrack-exposing refrigerator repairman, the inhuman writing schedule, etc. This is better than an "E! True Hollywood Story" any day.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was very interested in the book as I have watched SNL for years, but found the Shales book dull, slow moving and frankly, I don't want to read the mundane contributions from "stars", mostly about nothing in particular. I also do not share the adulation of Belushis talent and ego - it does get better in the latter half of the book which is why I rated it 3 stars. Probably a little high.
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