
Lorne
The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live
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Narrated by:
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Kristen DiMercurio
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Susan Morrison
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By:
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Susan Morrison
About this listen
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The definitive biography of Lorne Michaels, the man behind America’s most beloved comedy show
“The kind of biographical monument usually consecrated to founding fathers, canonical authors and world-historical scientific geniuses.”—The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)
“Readers are treated to the Holy Grail for any journalist hoping to crack the show: a warts-and-all week in the life of SNL, where Morrison gets to see the real process of putting the thing together.”—Variety
Over the fifty years that Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live, he has become a revered and inimitable presence in the entertainment world. He’s a tastemaker, a mogul, a withholding father figure, a genius spotter of talent, a shrewd businessman, a name-dropper, a raconteur, the inspiration for Dr. Evil, the winner of more than a hundred Emmys—and, essentially, a mystery. Generations of writers and performers have spent their lives trying to figure him out, by turns demonizing and lionizing him. He’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Tracy Morgan), the “great and powerful Oz” (Kate McKinnon), “some kind of very distant, strange comedy god” (Bob Odenkirk).
Lorne will introduce you to him, in full, for the first time. With unprecedented access to Michaels and the entire SNL apparatus, Susan Morrison takes listeners behind the curtain for the lively, up-and-down, definitive story of how Michaels created and maintained the institution that changed comedy forever.
Drawn from hundreds of interviews—with Michaels, his friends, and SNL’s iconic stars and writers, from Will Ferrell to Tina Fey to John Mulaney to Chris Rock to Dan Aykroyd—Lorne is a deeply reported, wildly entertaining account of a man singularly obsessed with the show that would define his life and have a profound impact on American culture.
©2025 Susan Morrison (P)2025 Random House Audio
Interview: Susan Morrison has penned the definitive biography of SNL’s man behind the curtain
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“Beautifully written—a model of research, narrative structure, concision and observation . . . a dense, entertaining read that marvels at an invisible yet hugely influential career while never stooping to valorize it . . . If you take nothing else from Lorne, it’s that Lorne Michaels is Saturday Night Live.”—The Washington Post
“A towering achievement, the definitive portrait of a cunning and creative genius responsible for cultivating a half-century of comedy’s biggest stars.”—The Toronto Star
“A biography that’s both enlightening and entertaining . . . The detail that unfurls in the book’s 600 pages is a testament to [Morrison’s] commitment to her task and the depth of her research.”—BookReporter
Editorial Review
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- Unabridged
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New York Times bestselling author Bill Janovitz explores the musical, cultural, and commercial impact of The Cars, one of the biggest and most influential bands of the 1970s and 80s. With roots in Maryland, Ohio, New York, and New England, eventually convening in Boston, The Cars were journeymen musicians, all forming and performing in a series of bands before finding each other along with the right sound at the right time. It turned them into Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. Janovitz reveals the stories of each member of the band, and of the band as a unit, with great care and understanding.
By: Bill Janovitz
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Live from New York
- An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live
- By: Tom Shales, James Andrew Miller
- Narrated by: Christopher Burns, Eric Conger
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Abridged
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A history of Saturday Night Live that finally reveals what really went on backstage, on the set, in the writers' offices, and on the town. Dozens of stars, writers, and guest hosts recall the backstage gossip, feuds, foibles, drugs, sex, struggles, and calamities of the show that changed television.
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Interesting inside look, so-so presentation
- By Tim on 12-22-02
By: Tom Shales, and others
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39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss
- The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There
- By: Tom Davis
- Narrated by: Tom Davis
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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i>39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss is a seriously funny, offbeat, and irreverent memoir that chronicles the early days of Saturday Night Live and features some of its greatest personalities---Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Michael O'Donoghue, and Chris Farley.
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GREAT MEMORIES!!!
- By Ruth R-Evans on 08-21-12
By: Tom Davis
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Carson the Magnificent
- By: Bill Zehme, Mike Thomas
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2002, Bill Zehme landed one of the most coveted assignments for a magazine writer: an interview with Johnny Carson—the only one he’d granted since retiring from hosting The Tonight Show a decade earlier. Zehme was tapped for the Esquire feature story thanks to his years of legendary celebrity profiles, and the resulting piece portrayed Carson as more human being than showbiz legend. Shortly after Carson’s death in 2005 and urged on by many of those closest to Carson, Zehme signed a contract to do an expansive biography.
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Meh
- By Pklinkne on 11-08-24
By: Bill Zehme, and others
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It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time
- The Worst TV Shows in History and Other Things I Wrote
- By: Bruce Vilanch
- Narrated by: Bruce Vilanch
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Bruce Vilanch is known as a go-to comedy writer for award shows, sitcoms, and top-heavy variety specials, but he has also been responsible for quite a few of the worst shows ever put on television—legendarily bad productions. It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time is a lifetime reflection of what Vilanch has experienced, learned, forgotten, dismissed, and embraced in decades of working in show business
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For show biz lovers
- By Sarasota on 03-07-25
By: Bruce Vilanch
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So Many Steves
- Afternoons with Steve Martin
- By: Steve Martin, Adam Gopnik
- Narrated by: Steve Martin, Adam Gopnik
- Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
- Original Recording
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Steve Martin met his good friend Adam Gopnik three decades ago, and in that time, Gopnik has always marveled at Martin’s ability to flourish in a wide variety of artforms: magic, comedy, art collecting, writing, and music. In So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik creates a new type of profile: a year’s worth of conversations with Martin where Gopnik pulls back the curtain on his friend’s illustrious career.
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Perfection
- By M on 05-05-23
By: Steve Martin, and others
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Spare Me
- By: Anthony Cumia, Johnny Russo - foreword
- Narrated by: Anthony Cumia
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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You won't want to miss the explosive insights and unfiltered perspective in legendary broadcaster Anthony Cumia’s latest book. In his much-anticipated second book, Spare Me, radio personality and podcaster Anthony Cumia returns, unleashing a scorching and unapologetic commentary that spans the spectrum from politics to entertainment, while sparing no particular individual deserving of his legendary wrath.
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great listen!
- By free thinker. on 02-19-25
By: Anthony Cumia, and others
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Cleavage
- Men, Women, and the Space Between Us
- By: Jennifer Finney Boylan
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Jennifer Finney Boylan
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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What is the difference between men and women? Jennifer Finney Boylan, bestselling author of She’s Not There and co-author of Mad Honey with Jodi Picoult, examines the divisions—as well as the common ground—between the genders, and reflects on her own experiences, both difficult and joyful, as a transgender American.
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Someday there may be no gender
- By stacey a shapiro on 03-26-25
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Presidents at War
- How World War II Shaped a Generation of Presidents, from Eisenhower and JFK Through Reagan and Bush
- By: Steven M. Gillon
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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World War II loomed over the latter half of the twentieth century, transforming every level of American society and international relationships and searing itself onto the psyche of an entire generation, including that of seven American presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. The lessons of World War II, more than party affiliation or ideology, defined the presidencies of these seven men.
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Bias
- By E.A.BRYLA on 03-06-25
By: Steven M. Gillon
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When I Was Your Age
- Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown
- By: Kenan Thompson
- Narrated by: Kenan Thompson
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Kenan Thompson is Saturday Night Live’s longest-ever-serving cast member and a star of such pioneering sketches as “Black Jeopardy” and is hugely beloved thanks to a tidal wave of nostalgic fans who grew up on early 2000s classics All That, Good Burger, and Kenan & Kel on Nickelodeon. He’s also a dad (to two girls) in his mid-40s living in suburbia, and whose universal, relatable, family-friendly humor has created unbelievable appeal and engagement from fans from middle America to coastal elites. Becoming a dad sucked the cool right out of him—and he's OK with that!
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An incredible storyteller
- By K. Brown on 01-07-24
By: Kenan Thompson
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When the Going Was Good
- An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines
- By: Graydon Carter, James Fox - contributor
- Narrated by: Graydon Carter
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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When Graydon Carter was offered the editorship of Vanity Fair in 1992, he knew he faced an uphill battle—how to make the esteemed and long-established magazine his own. Not only was he confronted with a staff that he perceived to be loyal to the previous regime, but he arrived only a few years after launching Spy magazine, which gloried in skewering the celebrated and powerful—the very people Vanity Fair venerated.
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A lucky man
- By Dassha1 on 03-30-25
By: Graydon Carter, and others
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On the Hippie Trail
- Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer
- By: Rick Steves
- Narrated by: Rick Steves
- Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In the 1970s, the ultimate trip for any backpacker was the storied “Hippie Trail” from Istanbul to Kathmandu. A 23-year old Rick Steves made the trek, and like a travel writer in training, he documented everything along the way: jumping off a moving train, making friends in Tehran, getting lost in Lahore, getting high for the first time in Herat, battling leeches in Pokhara, and much more. The experience ignited his love of travel and forever broadened his perspective on the world.
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Nice but a bit tame
- By Carl on 02-16-25
By: Rick Steves
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Martin Short with Dick Cavett at the 92nd Street Y
- By: Martin Short
- Narrated by: Dick Cavett
- Length: 1 hr and 25 mins
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Martin Short, one of today's most inventive and popular comic actors, is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, SCTV, and in the films The Three Amigos and The Father of the Bride. The creator of such memorable characters as Jiminy Glick, Ed Grimley, and Irving Cohen, Short returned to Broadway in the "alternate autobiography" Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. Here he talks with Dick Cavett.
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I Want My 99 Cents Back!
- By Casey Keller on 10-11-14
By: Martin Short
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The Story of Grunge
- By: Michael Stewart Foley, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael Stewart Foley
- Length: 3 hrs
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You can’t truly understand the last decade of the 20th century without a look at the muddy, electrifying rock music that would come to define it: grunge. For such a short-lived genre—at least in the mainstream—grunge had a lasting impact on American music and culture. It also provides a unique lens through which to examine the post-Reagan, pre-internet America of the 1990s. In the six lectures of The Story of Grunge, you’ll explore the rise and evolution of the genre, tracing it from Seattle subculture to MTV and the Billboard charts, all the way to its decline and evolution into new forms.
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A Scholarly Study of Grunge
- By Mark on 03-07-25
By: Michael Stewart Foley, and others
What listeners say about Lorne
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- Michael Henby
- 03-15-25
An entertainment legend
a very rich story of the history of snl and how it all came to be and continually survived and thrived..
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- GrishHam
- 03-19-25
Hard to listen to the narrator
I was so looking forward to listening to the whole book, but the narration is so distracting that I can't get through it. I skipped ahead to the first five years of SNL and that's all I could do. I thought I might get used to her delivery. But doing "male" voice for all men is so ridiculous. It's like she's reading a bedtime story to a child. I agree with another review that this is a great example of how an excellent book is ruined by a bad audio reading. And the reader’s imitation of Lorne’s voice is so bad it is very distracting. And the quick 'catch breath' she does every single time after she does the bad imitation of Lorne and then "Michaels__said." Normal people don't talk that way. We get that his last name ends in an "s" and the word "said" starts with the same letter. Oy.
On to the next book.
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- Sandra K. Fluharty
- 03-10-25
It leaves you feeling like you’re in on the secret…
GREAT BOOK!!! Your heart shines through in your writing! I loved it so much! It truly makes you feel like you alone are in on the secret that makes the show keep going after all these years!
I had the pleasure of watching last night’s show (March 7, 2025) after devouring the book…it sure made the show hit different! Thank you!can’t imagine the time you poured into this masterpiece!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Brandon Russell
- 04-18-25
Good inter-stitching of 50 years of history with 1 week of current production. I
The narrator trying to do a Lorne impression was a little off putting, but it happened so frequently, it starts to blend.
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- Lucille A.
- 04-19-25
Reality at its finest
learning about Lorne Michaels' past and how it impacted the evolution of SNL was an amazing ride through history. also facing the realities of TV entertainment was enlightening to a lay person. I knew it was not easy to accomplish this weekly live feat, so it came as no surprise when this was confirmed. overall I enjoyed this biographical story of a very determined man to achieve his goals.
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- Bridgette
- 03-03-25
Don’t listen to the bad audio reviews!
I listen to probably 5-8 books a month. I have been an Audible member since it first started. I am always cautious when I see “bad audio” reviews. I listened to the sample and thought it was fine— I’m so glad I did! This narrator is excellent and in general I think it’s authentic to the work since the author is a woman as well.
It’s very common for female narrators to change their voices for male dialogue, especially in romance novels. Lorne’s voice is very deep and kind of strange anyway so even her impersonation is on point. This was not distracting or even an issue at all for me in my listening experience. Though, i can understand how that is not everyone’s experience.
In any case, I thought it important to point out that the people who likely didn’t like the narrator don’t listen to many books or don’t know the benefits of speeding up a narration to help improve your listening experience. (I listened to this on 1.5)
It’s a great format— the current day mixed with the history— it’s also a long book —696 pages! — so I’m glad I listened to it!
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- Craig Bryan
- 03-27-25
Excellent
A well told story of Lorne Michael across his 80 year life. One of the strongest biographies I’ve read.
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- A&K
- 04-18-25
Superb, insightful and well-paced
As a teenager when the first episode of SNL aired, I was witness to all fair amount of the professional output of Lorne Michaels. This biography wonderfully gives the context of his life, the times, the people and the process by which he, SNL and his other ancillary projects evolved. A great listen.
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- James Foreman
- 03-27-25
Great Job
Loved the book. But I couldn't figure out if it was read by AI or by the worst reader I've ever heard. I have never heard SO MANY mispronunciations in one book. You would never publish written book with this many "typos".
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- wildbillhagy
- 04-02-25
All the Chaos of Making SNL Great
If you are an SNL fan, you have heard some of the mythos of how frantic the pace of making each episode can be. The writers, set designers, costuming, talent and so much more. But Susan Morrison really takes the show's idiosyncrasies and brings them together in this biography of Lorne Michaels.
If you are looking for funny anecdotes of backstory, you won't necessarily get it. Instead you get a feel for how Lorne Michaels was made - even more so than how Lorne Michaels made SNL. The man was young and talented for comedy in the TV media in the 1960's and into the 1970's when it counted. His search for perfect comedy is admirable, but he seems to learn well from an uncanny ability to deflect, charm and survive. You get a first hand feel for how he has built SNL to become an American cultural comedy icon.
My one issue with the audiobook is that of the primary narrator Kristen DiMercurio. She uses accents for British quotes of the likes of Paul McCartney and that was fine. But then, she does her own Lorne voice. I mean, if you listen to "Fly on the Wall," a podcast with Spade and Carvey, they have their own imitations. Most of the staff in the book have their own Lorne impression. Ms. DiMercurio's impression just took away from the narrative. Leave it to the comedians. She also mispronounced several names of people and characters of SNL lore. In writing this review I remember off the top of my head her misprouncement of Mary Katherine Gallagher and Tim Herlihy's last name. Maybe not a big deal, but I would have hoped the narrator would have been a fan or had notes on pronouncements of names.
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