From \The rapists,"" to ""The bass-o-matic,"" from ""We're from France"" to ""Strategery,"" the vocabulary and characters of ""Saturday Night Live"" have become an integral part of the American lexicon. Propelled to television greatness by the vision of producer Lorne Michaels and a vastly talented cast and staff of writers, SNL's brand of sketch comedy has had immense influence on American pop culture, politics and humor since its premiere in October 1975.
With ""Live from New York: An Oral History of Saturday Night Live,"" Tom Shales and James A. Miller have compiled the holy grail for comedy historians and SNL-addicts alike: a compilation of interviews with the writers, performers and producers who made the show possible. Shales and Miller present an intimidating and thorough account of the show's creative process and the return of live television.
While many fans may be more interested in Mike Myers' inspiration for ""Wayne's World,"" or the brotherly bond between Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley and David Spade, some of the most fulfilling information comes not from those onstage, but those off. Writers like Al Franken (who would later perform as Stuart Smalley), Michael O'Donnaghue, Rosie Schuster and passers-through like Carrie Fisher shed a lot of light on how and why things worked, as well as provide lots of juicy gossip.
Much of the gossip surrounds many of the original performers, writers and Lorne Michaels himself. While it's been an ongoing debate whether or not the old casts were superior, they were certainly more colorful off-camera. Drug problems abounded among former cast members. Early performers and staff writers relied heavily on illegal substances like cocaine and marijuana to fuel their comedic drives.
The interpersonal dynamics were more interesting as well. There were more feuds between cast members (especially Nora Dunn, Jan Hooks and Victoria Jackson in the '80s), writers and Lorne Michaels, as well as more sex between such seeming unlikely couples as Gilda Radner and former band leader G. E. Smith. If the recent casts are honest, such activities are practically nonexistent today, but then again, it may take another quarter century for those stories to get out.
Some of the best tidbits, however, do not come from tales of the writers and performers alone, but from their interaction with the hosts. From the brouhaha over Andrew Dice Clay (Nora Dunn refused to perform with him) to Milton Berle unleashing his ""anaconda"" on an unsuspecting writer, hosts have added just as much personality to the show as anyone. Recurring hosts like Paul Simon, Tom Hanks and Steve Martin are also brought in to share their perspectives.
While incredibly detailed, ""Live"" still has a few gaps. Eddie Murphy, who shot to fame with such characters as Velvet Jones and Gumby, is noticeably absent. Of course, there are also those who died too young: Belushi, Radner, Farley and Phil Hartman. Fellow cast members' memories of them are invaluable, as many fans still grieve for their loss. Bill Murray's account of the last time he saw Gilda Radner is especially poignant.
Where the book exceeds itself, however, is in its depiction of the relationship between the show and Lorne Michaels. From the point of view of many interviewed, the two are practically inseparable. It sheds a great deal of light on why the show developed the way it did and the kind of power that Michaels still manages to exercise.
""Live From New York"" manages to be both an important historical document on the evolution of American television and an extremely entertaining read. Shales and Miller have painstakingly chronicled more than 25 years of sometimes brilliant, sometimes forgettable but always creative American comedy. It is a reminder of why we love it, and why most would give their right eye to yell ""Live from New York--it's Saturday Night!""
""Live From New York: An Oral History of Saturday Night Live"" is published by Little, Brown & Company.
