From Powells.com
"Live from New York is described as 'an uncensored history of Saturday Night Live' and that is exactly what you get: no mincing of words, no glancing blows....See the hatred that Jim Belushi still bears for Bob Woodward for writing about his brother. Feel the love that the original cast had for Gilda Radner. Learn about the reverence with which the later members of the cast look up to Lorne Michaels. Experience the one thing that seems to unite the entire cast, old and young, past and present: an overriding hatred of Chevy Chase." Erik Beck, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)
Synopses & Reviews
Just in time for the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, a rollickingly updated edition of LIVE FROM NEW YORK with nearly 100 new pages covering the past decade.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 a fourth decade has 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.
Review
"An engaging oral history and a gold mine for serious SNL fans, Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live is also compelling reading for those with a casual curiosity about the show, its battles with censors, the backstage addictions, the drunken hosts, and the perpetual cycle of creative boom (John Belushi), bust (Gary Kroeger), and boom (Will Ferrell)....Live From New York's only real fault is that it takes SNL so seriously, which shows in the book's length (nearly 600 pages), coming in at roughly 100 pages too long. Oral histories are tricky for authors, since they give up substantial control in order to allow people to speak in complete paragraphs....Of course, oral histories are all about recollections, and Live From New York captures page after page of witty and wonderful ones..." Eric Boehlert, Salon.com
Review
"[T]he juiciest treasure trove of backstage gossip, sex and drugs since The Andy Warhol Diaries....[S]terling anecdotes that are alternately hilarious, touching, upbeat and scathing....Scandals, infighting and plenty of showbiz dirt make this a guilty-pleasure page-turner from start to finish." Publishers Weekly
Review
"[A] revealing and often riveting oral history of how a few renegades reinvented late-night television." Belinda Acosta, The Austin Chronicle
Review
"A guilty pleasure of the highest order....Funnier, sadder, seedier, more moving, more alive than Saturday Night Live....Live From New York shines." Lev Grossman, Time
Review
"A sharp-clawed, incisive account of how nearly three decades' worth of comic talent has emerged from a single television show." Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Review
"It's revealing, it's funny, it's mesmerizing, it's Live From New York, a behind-the-laughs history of Saturday Night Live." Entertainment Weekly
Review
"Much has been written about the tumultuous history of SNL....Live From New York is, by far, the most comprehensive look at the show....No question, the pell-mell commentary pace will keep readers turning pages far into the night." Dusty Saunders, Rocky Mountain News
Review
"[E]ven those who think they have heard all the stories will be impressed by the work Shales and Miller have done....[L]ike the proverbial box of chocolates, this is full of tasty tidbits and hard to put down." Ilene Cooper, Booklist
Review
"Tremendous fun." Rob Walker, Newsday
Review
"A patchwork of back-biting, humor, intelligence, backbiting, gossip, backbiting, and backbiting." Newsweek
Review
"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
Review
"A perfectly woven memoir....You'll have as much fun as Wayne and Garth at an Alice Cooper concert." Jennifer Wulff, People
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling oral history of Saturday Night Live that finally reveals what really went on backstage, on the set, in the writers' offices and on the town is now in paperback! Expanded with new interviews.
Synopsis
James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales's definitive oral history of Saturday Night Live, hailed as "incredible" (Vulture) and "required reading" (People), rollickingly updated with nearly 100 new pages covering the decade since the book's original release. 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 a fourth decade has 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.
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
In their own words, a galaxy of stars including Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Martin, Dana Carvey, Tina Fey, Molly Shannon, Al Franken, and other members of Saturday Night Live's extended family recall a quarter-century's worth of great backstage stories, behind-the-scenes gossip, feuds, foibles, drugs, sex, struggles, and calamities. The result: a page-turner that reveals how and why SNL has become the longest-running television comedy of all time.
About the Author
Tom Shales is the Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic of the
Washington Post. His books include
On the Air and
Legends.
James Andrew Miller has written for The New York Times, Life, and Newsweek and wrote the book Running in Place.