Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Live From New York and over 300,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle � Amazon�s new wireless reading device. Learn more

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

328 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Share with Friends

See all product images

Share your own customer images

Search inside this book

Start reading Live From New York on your Kindle in under a minute. Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live (Hardcover)

by Tom Shales (Author), James Andrew Miller (Author) "Lorne Michaels arrived in my life before puberty, let's put it that way..." (more)
Key Phrases: Saturday Night Live, New York, Chevy Chase (more...)

3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (142 customer reviews)

List Price:	$40.00
Price:	$32.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save:	$8.00 (20%)
	Special Offers Available

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Wednesday, July 15? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

73 new from $2.40 241 used from $0.01 14 collectible from $40.00

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book)		$9.99
Paperback (Bargain Price)			18 used & new from $8.60
Paperback (First Edition)	$15.95	$10.85	99 used & new from $2.44
Audio Download (Audible.com)	$36.95	$19.40
Audio CD (Abridged,Audiobook)			14 used & new from $7.59
Audio Cassette (Abridged,Audiobook)	$34.95	$26.56	20 used & new from $0.01
Unknown Binding (Abridged)	$39.99	$39.99	Order it used!
Show more editions and formats
Show fewer editions and formats

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Purchase this entertainment book and get 12 issues to either Rolling Stone, Men's Journal or Us Weekly for $2.95 each. That's less than $0.25 an issue. Here's how (restrictions apply)

Frequently Bought Together

Price For All Three: $54.86

Show availability and shipping details

This item: Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
Gasping for Airtime: Two Years In the Trenches of Saturday Night Live by Jay Mohr
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

by Steve Martin

4.4 out of 5 stars (232) $11.70

The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts

by Jr., Tom Farley

4.5 out of 5 stars (49) $10.88

Saturday Night Live - The Complete First Season : 1975-1976

DVD ~ Dan Aykroyd

4.4 out of 5 stars (148) $27.99

Saturday Night Live - The Complete Third Season

DVD ~ Dan Aykroyd

4.8 out of 5 stars (24) $27.99

Saturday Night Live - The Complete Second Season

DVD ~ Bill Murray

4.5 out of 5 stars (41) $27.99

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This oral history of NBC's Saturday Night Live is the juiciest treasure trove of backstage gossip, sex and drugs since The Andy Warhol Diaries. With almost three decades' worth of memories from cast members, celebrity hosts, writers, crew and network execs, readers get first-hand reports (often contradictory) on the volatile, competitive, grueling and often drug-fueled process of creating a weekly, 90-minute, live comedy show. While the cast and writers changed over the decades there were two constants: the universal loathing of guest host Chevy Chase and the power of producer Lorne Michaels ("I think he picked the right profession," assesses Jane Curtin, "because he gets to lord over people who want to kneel at his feet and he doesn't acknowledge them-which makes them work harder."). Regulars like Dan Aykroyd, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Billy Crystal, Bill Murray, Al Franken, Martin Short as well as guest hosts like Tom Hanks, Penny Marshall, Alec Baldwin, Carrie Fisher, Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin contribute sterling anecdotes that are alternately hilarious, touching, upbeat and scathing. With the exception of Eddie Murphy (who's positively portrayed), virtually the only missing voices are of those who have passed away (the editors use only interviews conducted for the book and not vintage interviews with John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Phil Hartman or Chris Farley). Scandals, infighting and plenty of showbiz dirt make this a guilty-pleasure page-turner from start to finish. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Given access by Lorne Michaels himself, two journalists with TV connections Miller has produced two TV series, Shales is TV critic for the Washington Post recount this show's 25-year history.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Hardcover: 566 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (October 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316781460
ISBN-13: 978-0316781466
Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (142 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,692 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#13 in Books > Entertainment > Humor > Comedy
#22 in Books > Entertainment > Television > History & Criticism
#49 in Books > Entertainment > Television > Shows

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Lorne Michaels arrived in my life before puberty, let's put it that way. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Saturday Night Live, New York, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Jim Downey, Second City, Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, John Belushi, Tom Davis, Dana Carvey, Michael O'Donoghue, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Blues Brothers, Joe Piscopo, Lily Tomlin, Martin Short, Nora Dunn, Fred Silverman, Los Angeles

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 17 books:

Saturday Night Live (1977) by Dan Aykroyd on 6 pages
John Landis by Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan on page 200 (1), page 200 (2), and page 200 (3)
Running in place: Inside the Senate by James A Miller in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Magnificent Seven (Montana Mavericks) by Cheryl St. John on page 200
Stevie Wonder: Rhythms of Wonder by Sharon Davis on page 200

See all 17 books this book cites

2 books cite this book:

Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company by John Kenneth Muir in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever by Josh Karp in Back Matter

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Total Television by Alex McNeil

Discusses:

The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, Seventh Edition by Tim Brooks

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	91% buy the item featured on this page: Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live 3.9 out of 5 stars (142) $32.00
	3% buy Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live 4.7 out of 5 stars (12)
	2% buy The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts 4.5 out of 5 stars (49) $10.88
	2% buy Gasping for Airtime: Two Years In the Trenches of Saturday Night Live 3.8 out of 5 stars (46) $11.16

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

comedy(2)

improvisation(2)

my library(2)

new york(2)

1970s(1)

historical dimensions and perspectives(1)

impro(1)

improv(1)

improvisational theatre(1)

late night(1)

lorne michaels(1)

See all 20 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Customer Reviews

142 Reviews

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(5)

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (142 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you loved the show, you'll love the book, September 26, 2002

By	Karl Miller "kemspeaks" (Phoenixville, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book feels like a reunion of old friends, telling their stories at a dinner party that you are fortunate ewnough to overhear.
There is so much history in the years of SNL that there is an anecdote for every fan, but this book recognizes Loren Michaels as being the true genius behind the creation and development of the show. He's not universally loved by the cast (but also not nearly as despised as Chevy Chase, who seems to beeveryone's favorite whipping boy), but his genius is acknowledged by one and all.
A lot of favorite skits and characters are discussed, as well as some legendary battles with censors, advertisers and network executives. The mix of radical comedy with revenue concious TV executives makes for fascinating reading.
The chapters dealing with the deaths of cast members and behind the scene staff members are incredibly poignant, especially Belushi's and Chris Farley's, bit of whom were known to be dancing with trouble.
This book also goes a long way to humanizing Chris Rock, who emerges as one of the most thoughtful and career minded members of all SNL casts. His intelligence shines through in his tales of making it by way of the show.
There is a great story on almost every page of this book, and having grown up with this show, it made the memories all the more pleasant.
This is a great Christmas present for any 30-50 year old who has spent their Saturday night in front of a TV.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Face it: It's as "inside" SNL as you or I will ever get, November 12, 2002

By	John S. Harris "The Voice of Reason" (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

The curtain is pulled back on SNL in this book to reveal (not surprisingly) that Lorne Michaels was, is, and always will be the Wizard who always kept SNL ticking. Decades of drug use, debauchery, infighting, sleeping around, desperation, and show-biz chutzpah are related courtesy of first-hand accounts of the writers, stars, agents, TV executives, staff members, and guests of the show.

Not all comments are complimentary, and not all that went on behind the scenes was funny. But it all makes for a fascinating read, despite the fact that a few notable surviving cast members chose not to participate in these oral interviews. "Live From New York" is as much a evolutionary history of the business of television over the past three decades as it is an oral history of the show itself. Perhaps SNL isn't as consistently cutting edge and counter-culture as it was in its earliest years. But nowadays the show IS the pop and showbiz culture it lampooned in the past. It cannot ever really return to its fabled glory days of 1975-1979 because the entire showbusiness landscape has changed so dramatically since then. One must credit Michaels for recognizing that and still plodding ahead with the show for most of the years since the days of The Not Ready For Prime Time Players.

Read this book to find the origins of many of the standard conventions and favorite moments of the show: why the band always dresses in tuxedos, the inspiration of Danny Aykroyd's buttcrack-exposing refrigerator repairman, the inhuman writing schedule, etc.

This is better than an "E! True Hollywood Story" any day.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Dish from the People Who Lived It., October 14, 2002

By	--corinne-- (North Georgia) - See all my reviews

This book is chockful of juicy gossip and backstage dish with interviews from cover-to-cover of SNL cast, writers, producers, and hosts. Interviews with SNL insiders are offered in a linear fashion from surviving "Not Ready for Prime Time Players", writers, producers, and hosts to current cast members and staff.
This isn't the authors' take on SNL, but the history of Saturday Night Live from people who lived through it.
Tom Shales and James Miller in a smart, smart move chose to have everyone speak for themselves. And how telling it is. : ) The editors keep introductions and explanations to a minimum.
I was surprised about how candid many of the SNL stars and hosts were about themselves and the show.
If you have ever watched Saturday Night Live, you'll enjoy this book. With its insider stories,
you'll find this book hard to tear yourself out of. It's apparent that many stories of SNL players' behavior outside of 30 Rockefeller Center are not in this book, but what's there is more than enough.
So get your hands on this book-- you'll find it definitely lives up to the hype.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 142 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a Pretty Place to Work
My problems with this "Live From New York" book is that the authors Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller seem to favor certain actors over others, as in a previous backstage... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Hamlet Miss

3.0 out of 5 stars interesting
I bought this bok when it came out. While some of the things it contains are indeed quite unique, the way it is written is also very frustrating. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Lovblad

5.0 out of 5 stars Live From New York...It's a Good Book
I read the book when it first came out but wanted to reread it. Instead of reading the original I decided to get the paperback version since it was expanded. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Jason D. Farr

2.0 out of 5 stars Get it from the library
This book is okay if you just want to read a 500 page transcript, but I would just get it from the library.

Published 6 months ago by S. Willman

4.0 out of 5 stars Do You Like The Behind-The-Scenes Low Down?
I usually write reviews of books that deal with theology and Christian apologetics and other really side-splitting kinds of subjects that, I suspect, provide endless amusement and... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Daniel L. Marler

5.0 out of 5 stars Saturday Night Live
Book is a great source of commentarys from the people who worked on the shows over the years. It does not deal in a narrative form, only blocks of comments by people. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Kortick

5.0 out of 5 stars A dense history of SNL
Virtually everything that has ever happened on SNL is contained within this book. A brilliant narrative assembled almost entirely of interview fragments from people involved with... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Matthew Wilding

4.0 out of 5 stars Live from New York: An Interesting behind the scenes look
Background:
The authors interview most of the living cast and crew from SNL and gather/mold the various responses into a kind of oral history of what went on behind the... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Morgan Cahall

4.0 out of 5 stars Live from New York
This is a big sprawling nonfiction book told in highly readable "sound-bites" more than 25 years after the heyday of the ground-breaking television show Saturday Night Live. Read more

Published 18 months ago by OrnateBirdGarden.com

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
I loved the book. Living in the mid west, you're not privy to rumors and stories in the local paper about SNL. I loved reading inside stories and such. Read more

Published on July 8, 2007 by Otto

› See all 142 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
humor Is there anything else available to listen to like 'A Prairie Home Companion', but without the sleepy monologues/stories?	3	28 minutes ago
humor I would like to offer my new novel to people looking for a funny book	14	3 hours ago
comedy the big lebowski - favorite line	24	5 hours ago
comedy Have You Written A Funny Book - Come Tell Us About It	23	5 hours ago
comedy Good non-disney G rated movies for the whole family ?	50	5 hours ago
comedy Worst Casting of all time.	7	9 hours ago
humor what is the funniest book/books you have ever read?	288	20 hours ago