Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars

This book is structured as just a series of responses from an interviewer's questions that weave together to tell an almost 3 decade long story. At first I was skeptical but once you are into it you find how seamlessly the editors piece it all together, you enjoy the fresh format. At times it is a bit repetitive because it is a lot of people telling the same stories from different angles but it proves to give a fuller picture of events than a single viewpoint.
I would definitely recommend this to any fan of SNL.

Great insight into behind the scenes, and also provides alot of the history of the show. Especially like the focus on the early days and the shows inception. One caveat however, Eddie Murphy did not participate, it would have been nice to hear his thoughts on the show.

Reading about the early years was kind of interesting since I wasn't around during that time period. I was surprised about the Chevy Chase stories and how Eddie Murphy turned his back on the show. I also enjoyed reading about now-famous characters that were thought up on the show that people didn't think would succeed (i.e. Wayne's World, Billy Madison,Mary Catherine Gallagher etc..) The last chapter was completely unnecessary and disappointing, it was basically everyone kissing Lorne's butt, why even bother with that chapter? Most of them were sucking up to him throughout the rest of the book as well.

Fascinating inside look at the people and personalities that made SNL the institution it is today. The book is almost entirely a collection of interviews, tied together with a sparse narrative. Thoughts and opinions are straight from the people involved, not just through the filter of the narrator.

So many interesting stories from the past, but yet, continues the saga. I only wish it would have included more years. I really could not put it down as I have been a part of the show (as a fan) from day one. Got a tad long in the tooth towards then end, but yet I did not really want it to end. I highly recommend the book for SNL lovers, or even occasional watchers.

Hits every high and low point of SNL. Awesome read, that details everything from the genesis of the show, to Michaels relationship with the talent, hosts, and musical guests. For a show I love, it really pulled back the curtain and showed me the bare bones. Loved this read.

Hits every high and low point of SNL. Awesome read, that details everything from the genesis of the show, to Michaels relationship with the talent, hosts, and musical guests. For a show I love, it really pulled back the curtain and showed me the bare bones. Loved this read.

I agree with whoever wrote that this book was way too long and unorganized. I was hoping to learn more about the behind the scenes works, and boy, did I. Drugs, partying, sexism, racism, it's all here and more. There are some great gems among all the trivia people already know.
But it's all quotes from the different actors, writers and producers. There are some photos to break things up, but nothing else. No cute little sidebars or anything. Heck, if it's good enough for my school textbooks, why not put some in here. I don't have ADD, but it got tedious after awhile.
The format makes for an odd read. You get things like someone rapsodizing about what a "beautiful person" John Belushi was a couple paragraphs after someone reminiscing about the time he set stuff on fire and passed out in a drunken stupor. Oh well.

Have read this 4x since purchasing. This is probably the equivalent of the Bible for SNL fans. It is a great and seemingly honest breakdown of each generation of SNL performers, as well as the staff (director, producers, writers) who brought the broadcasts to life. The way the authors take the testimonials of cast members, writers, hosts, producers, and other support staff- and make into a coherent read is amazing. It also does a great job discussing from the start to the Bill Hader/Fred Armisen/Kristen Wiig era which is a significantly large time frame to cover. It was difficulty to put this book down, but the great thing was is that it was easy to pick back up and resume due to the style of writing/interview. If you are a fan of SNL- this is a must read!