Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live

This is not a book

This is a collection of very short interviews and comments, with no narrative thread holding them together. Very disappointing.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Gets Stale

There are some interesting stories and accounts but the style the book was written really stagnates the story. The book is told through an endless stream if first hand accounts that sometimes seem to contradict the account before. There are some very interesting parts and sections, though. I would recomend this, not as a main book, but as a reading break from something heavy.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

SERIOUSLY

what a waste of money and time!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Absolutely Loved This Book

When I first ordered this book I didn't know what I was in for. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I even found myself laughing out loud during parts of this book, which rarely happens when I'm reading. I love Saturday Night Live, I watch it all the time, and on DVD's too. But I imagine someone who doesn't know the show as well might not enjoy it as much as me, because all of the names they wouldn't reconize, but I still reccomend it to everyone. The preface was good, I quite like the authors way of summing up the story. I loved the book. I really did, I can't say much more because I don't want to ruin it... I found some of the quotes really funny, did anyone else? I wasn't expecting to be laughing so hard. The way everybody has their own memories, I just loved hearing about what they thought of it. Some of my favourite skits were mentioned, and some of my favourite people talked or were talked about. It was a really enjoyable book. Saying that, Live From New York, is probably my favourite book, I definately enjoyed it the most, and you know what, yeah its for sure my favourite book. I don't think I've ever read for so many consecutive hours. So in conclusion, I reccomend to any SNL fan, and everyone else, become an SNL fan and then read this book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Read

Short but sweet: this book was a wonderful read. If you a SNL fan of any kind, you will enjoy this book greatly.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Saturday Night Live in the Raw

This is a great look at the inner workings of the nation's best comedy/ music tradition of all time. If you're an SNL fan, and even if you're not, you'll enjoy hearing about the ups and downs of SNL from those who were there through it all.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not what I expected

Thought this would be a fun read. Did not really like it. Just a bunch of thoughts from past cast members. I think I skipped as much as I read. Giving it 1-star due to the maybe 40 pages I thought were interesting.

It's like knowing the man behind the curtain.

great overview of the insanity that births the hilarity.

Very telling

Confirms decade of sick, self absorbed, irresponsible, writers,producers, actors who have no remorse for the damage they do to others and to this contry in the name of comedy. Shame on you all. People wake up!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Meh.

This review isn't of the book but of the Nook. Not as easy to use as I had hoped. I had downloaded this book and though it shows up on my computer it doesn't in my Nook library. Somewhat like buying a paperback and finding all of the pages to be empty.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Still A-Live...but not in this book

I read this book thinking it would be about the show, how it's progressed over the years, and so on. But what I got instead was a broken record of former cast members talking about how certain sketches didn't make it "past dress" over and over again. I did like the retelling of the Andrew Dice Clay situation from all the people involved. But again, very few major or minor sketches were even discussed, just the whole idea of making it past rehearsal with a sketch. Don't bother reading Chapter 7--it's all about Lorne Michaels--from all the past and present cast members. Talk about Chapter Brown Nosing... Ugh!

Very Good

I am a big fan of SNL, and I've been watching it ever since I can remember. I even watch all of the re-runs on Comedy Central and E!. So I decided to go out and buy this book as soon as I heard about it. I do admit that it's a little spendy, but it's worth it. There is a lot of things I didn't know and I read it all from former cast members themselves! That's what makes it even better! Plus the fact that you get to read a lot from the man, Lorne. I was very pleased with the book and hope you are too if you choose tho buy it.

Funny. Insightful. SNL castmembers portrayed with dignity.

Lorne Michaels helped put this book together. Anyone who is a SNL fan will truely enjoy this backstage look into OUR cast members lives. Very well written!

If you like interviews, you like this book

Basically, its a compilation of interviews of almost everyone from the cast of SNL. You get to read some dirt, but not much that you already know. So it was so so. I wouldnt give it as many stars as almost everyone else put. But if you wanna know how hard it is to make a show, read this book.

Wow what a book.

I can't believe this book. First, I thought it was a book. Then, I read it. It was filled with pages and words. After reading this book, I can honestly say it was a book.

good read

Being a long time fan of SNL, I enjoyed reading a lot of the behind the scenes scoop. However, I was somewhat disappointed in the fact that as the chronological time moved closer to the present, the real dirt on people seemed to subside or people were unnamed and you had to guess who they were talking about. The first 10 years or so of cast members, the authors had a "no holds barred" attitude. This cutting and biting edge waned as the book went on. But overall I enjoyed the read.

I began reading with much anticipation, but......

I preordered this book because I was so excited to read about a program I've been watching since its inception. There are some interesting anecdotes, behind-the-scenes information, etc.; however, about halfway through the book the bits of conversation taken from interviews was starting to sound like whinning and back-biting. I would have preferred more of a story format, with more background on the players.

Live From New York

This book was awesome. I loved it. It was so funny what happens behinde the scenes. What the cast, writers, and hosts have to say about the show that started a 1000 laughs.

On Life Support From New York

Frankly, I am disappointed in this book. It is nothing more than a compilation of interviews that the authors conducted with SNL cast members, hosts, writers and staff. This would have been a much better book had they used their writing skills to turn those interviews into a flowing account of the show. The book lacks pace.

Brilliant, Powerful,Uprising and Suspenseful

An elegant insightful writer. Classically contructed. Expertly executed.