"Although [Lorne] Michaels would become famous as a father figure, [Saturday Night Live writer] Anne Beatts considered his management style as being 'maternal': if he saw talent in people, he created the conditions for them to flourish. His businesslike calm was a counterbalance to the whirling egos and animosities that drove his employees. When he held forth about the principles of comedy, some found him mesmerizing . . . She pegged him as the type of comedy professional who, instead of laughin...

I always thought Saturday Night Live was overrated. Even at its peak, with its best cast, the sketches dragged on and were always politically correct. Lorne Michaels, the puppet master behind it all, started out as a wannabe Canadian comic himself. He moved to L.A. and struggled to find his place writing jokes for Phyllis Diller, Flip Wilson, and Laugh In. When NBC needed to fill a late-night slot and reach a younger demographic, he finally got his shot. The problem is, it became an institution,...

4.5 stars Lorne Michaels (born 1944) is a Canadian and American television writer and film producer. He's probably best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live (SNL), which has been on the air from 1975 to the present.Lorne Michaels This biography of Michaels toggles back and forth between Lorne's life and career, and the step-by-step preparations for the SNL episode that aired on November 3, 2018 - with host Jonah Hill and music guest Maggie Rogers.Jonah Hill Maggie RogersAs always...

I devoured this 600-page book like it was nothing, and I'll definitely be re-reading "Lorne Michaels: The Genius Behind Saturday Night Live" again soon, so I can soak up every last detail. The best biographies, for me, are the ones where learning about someone else's life and world helps me make sense of my own. "Lorne Michaels: The Genius Behind Saturday Night Live" was one of those books. Susan Morrison's portrait of Lorne works on so many levels – as a celebrity biography, as a business book...

I've been a fan of Saturday Night Live since the very first show back in 1975. As Susan Morrison details, and Lorne Michaels himself readily admits, the show has definitely had its ups and downs over its impressive 50-year run on TV. I really appreciated this more in-depth look at Lorne Michaels: The Genius Behind Saturday Night Live and the peek behind the curtain at how SNL is produced each week. It's a great read for any fan looking for a good **book review** about **Lorne Michaels**.There wa...

I suppose the creator of a 50-year institution deserves a biography, but something this massive feels like a peculiar choice. It's strikingly unfunny, which is odd for a book about the man behind Saturday Night Live. The few genuinely funny moments—like when Henry Kissinger actually calls the show trying to snag tickets for his son, and Al Franken tells him he could *have* had them if he hadn't bombed Cambodia—almost feel accidental, they're so few and far between.Susan Morrison's Lorne Michaels...

This really didn't need to be a 23-hour audiobook. While it had some entertaining moments, the lack of a clear timeline was a major drawback for me. If you're looking for in-depth celebrity biographies, there are better options than "Lorne Michaels: The Genius Behind Saturday Night Live" by Susan Morrison. Check out other audiobook reviews before committing!

I don’t read them often, but I do enjoy a good behind-the-scenes showbiz story. When an early review copy of *Lorne Michaels: The Genius Behind Saturday Night Live* became available, I thought it might be a breezy, superficial cash-in of a book marketed to coincide with SNL’s 50th anniversary year. Since I’m not above a quick perusal of a breezy, superficial cash-in of a book, I figured it might be worth a look. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this is a substantial, deeply-resea...

When it kicked off 50 (wow, has it been that long?) years ago, Saturday Night Live reveled in its reputation as totally out-there TV, and somehow, under Lorne Michaels's guidance, it's kept that vibe while actually becoming respected. This seriously well-researched biography does a fantastic job of laying out Michaels's story and how he molded the show around the kind of humor he loves. For me, the most captivating bits were about how the show is put together, the sheer creative energy needed to...

This is exactly what you want in a celebrity biography – or any biography, for that matter. Deep reporting. Stories you haven’t heard a million times. Clean, incisive writing. And the feeling that you never quite know what to think about the subject, your assessment constantly shifting with the evidence presented. Lorne Michaels is a source of constant fascination for anyone who crosses his path. It seems every *Saturday Night Live* alum has a theory about him, and they literally can't stop thi...