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Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests Paperback – October 6, 2015

by Tom Shales (Author), James Andrew Miller (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,744 ratings
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James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales's definitive oral history of Saturday Night Live, hailed as "incredible" (Vulture) and "required reading" (People).

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 decades have passed, and bestselling authors James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales have returned to Studio 8H. Over more than 100 pages of new material, they raucously and revealingly take the SNL story up to the present, adding a constellation of iconic new stars, surprises, and controversies.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    800 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Back Bay Books
  4. Publication date
    October 6, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.38 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    031629506X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316295062
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Constantly entertaining....It's revealing, it's funny, it's mesmerizing." ---Entertainment Weekly

"A guilty pleasure of the highest order....Live From New York shines." ---Lev Grossman, Time

"A sharp-clawed, incisive account of how nearly three decades' worth of comic talent has emerged from a single television show." ---Janet Maslin, New York Times

"Tremendous fun." ---Rob Walker, Newsday

"A patchwork of backbiting, humor, intelligence, backbiting, gossip, backbiting, and backbiting." ---Newsweek

"Refreshing....Shales and Miller paint a detailed landscape portrait of what has become an American cultural icon, one that will guide any attentive reader to a fuller understanding of comedy, TV, and the culture itself." ---Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune

About the Author

James Andrew Miller has worked in virtually all aspects of journalism -- as well as on the entertainment side of television production and development -- for more than twenty years. Along with Tom Shales, he is the author of the #1 bestseller Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN.

Tom Shales is America's foremost television critic, having won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1988. For twenty-five years, he was film critic for National Public Radio.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books; Expanded,Updated edition (October 6, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 800 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 031629506X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316295062
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.61 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.38 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,744 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Tom Shales

    Tom Shales

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  2. James Andrew Miller

    James Andrew Miller

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    www.jamesandrewmiller.com

    JAMES ANDREW MILLER is an award-winning journalist and co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN; Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests, which spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list; and Running in Place: Inside the Senate, also a bestseller. He has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and many other publications. He is a graduate of Occidental College, Oxford University, and Harvard Business School, all with honors.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,744 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jimmy Larrison
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved This Book - Like Sitting Around the Fireplace...
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2011
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I loved this book! It was like sitting around the fireplace listening to old war stories from your grandpa and his buddies as they remembered all the things they did. The stories you hear are not just the front-line of the war and the gunshots, but the planning, day to day operations, and the relationships that were built over the years. Of course war stories are much more real and can be scary, but these stories that are shared in this book are compelling, interesting and personal. When you read this book you can hear the voices talking.

I should point out that I am not a huge SNL fan, I liked some of their work and see the show once in awhile. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and can remember when the show first came on the air and how amazing and groundbreaking it was. I was born in 1968, so was still young at the time, but grew-up with Saturday Night Live as a staple part of my Saturday Nights (or Sunday Mornings once Tivo came along) and now just watch the clips on Hulu.

Though I am not a big SNL Fan, and consider myself just a casual viewer, I think this book was one of the most interesting entertainment books I have read in a long time.

If you are a fan of SNL you will LOVE this book as it takes you behind the scenes, into the lives of the people involved and lets you experience what was going on during the years this show was growing up and becoming what it is today. If you are a huge fan of SNL, you probably have already read this book so I probably should ignore you for now.

If you are interested in entertainment or the television industry you will find this book to be really interesting as they take you behind the scenes of one of the most groundbreaking shows in the history of late night television, and let you peak at the personalities and egos that were there making this happen. The stories that are told get into a lot of details behind the scenes of the show and talk about the founding and growth of SNL and the many players throughout the years that had a hand in making the show so much a part of our entertainment culture.

If you just like to read stories about people and their lives (biography or diary), you will find this book to be really fun to read. It is in effect a bunch of verbatim's from people that were involved in the making of SNL over the years. You can feel the emotions and relationships that existed and the stress and frustrations that came with the territory of producing a live television show.

Regardless of who you are, I strongly recommend this book for anyone that is interested in modern culture and/or history, but doesn't want to be bored with another politics book or story about the Kardashians.

Check it out, it is fun and interesting at the same time.
12 people found this helpful
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Eboucher
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, an in depth comprehensive look at the real SNL
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2002
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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.
11 people found this helpful
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Kyle
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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This is a pretty entertaining book. it is accounts from writers, actors, executives, directors, producers, etc. It is nice to have insight from those within the SNL machine, so you can really see what is going on behind the scenes.
One person found this helpful
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Josh Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars Gift for a SNL fan
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
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I bought this as a gift for a family member who has loved SNL for decades. He was very excited when opening it and recently sent me the following: I wanted to tell you I am really enjoying the SNL history book you gave me. I’m 2/3 through it and every page brings back memories! Thanks again!
One person found this helpful
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zfhindbrain
5.0 out of 5 stars SNL From Beginning to End (or present really)
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
Was pledging a frat house in 1975 and the cool brothers were watching some TV show at 11:30 on Sat Nights and I just assumed it was something that people did. Had no idea that this was brand new or revolutionary TV or that it came about b/c Johnny Carson after many years finally put his foot down and said "no more Tonight Show reruns on Saturdays". Another early tidbit: One night Loren Michaels is meeting with NBC Exec Dick Ebersol to brainstorm this late-night Saturday show they want to produce and this really hot girl comes along with Loren (Sue Denim) and she is very friendly. With Ebersol. And he is getting increasingly enamored with "Sue" as the evening goes on and after about 3 hours Loren and Sue finally fess up that the woman is Loren's wife, Rosie Shuster--who does pranks like that? Al Franken and his wife have the first "SNL baby" which swaddled baby he brings to the baby shower but he bumps a table, stumbles badly and the baby goes flying and crashes and the screaming, the screams you would not believe! Well, for any SNL aficionado young or old, there's a hundred other bits and behind the scenes stories, each worth the price of this hefty yet compact, wonderful paper back.

This is my new bible: I read it every night (sorry Jesus). 'tis a book to be savored over time.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Mr Moth
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for fans of comedy at any level
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
As an Englishman with global curiosity, SNL has been as enlightening as our own Python, Peep Show, Yes, Minister and countless other treasures. This book is long, compelling, endearing, and unflinching, a series of interviews put together in such a way that they flow into each other, forwards and backwards, and compel the reader to dig deeper. From Chevy Chase to Kate McKinnon, it doesn’t quite bring the book bang up to date (2023) but it’s close enough. Lorne Michaels’ enduring creation is utterly influential on the world stage. Read it.
One person found this helpful
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Kathya Patricia
5.0 out of 5 stars Ñ
Reviewed in Mexico on December 28, 2018
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Llego un día antes y en perfectas condiciones, además que el contenido es invaluable (para un fan de SNL), muy divertido y entretenido.
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d.b
5.0 out of 5 stars ... my brother as I had read the ESPN book like this one and loved the format
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
Bought this for a gift for my brother as I had read the ESPN book like this one and loved the format. He seemed to love this one as well as finished it in a day and a half! Even without being a die-hard SNL fan, I think this is a great read. Will have to pick up the CAA one now!
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Gaby
5.0 out of 5 stars the history of revolutionary television
Reviewed in Italy on August 2, 2017
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Very intersting and funny. Recomended not only to those who lived in those years but also to comedians of all ages.
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Sven R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive look behind the scenes of SNL
Reviewed in Germany on September 8, 2016
Verified Purchase
Very comprehensive look behind the scenes of SNL, with a whole lot of people that where involved in the making of the show, talking about there experiences. This includes former (and current) cast members, guests, writers, producers and NBC executives. I still don't have any idea, how the authors got all of those people to talk to them.

If you care about the last couple of seasons, be sure to buy the right version of the book (the updated version)!
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