A dozen years ago, James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales published the definitive book about “Saturday Night Live,” entitled “Live From New York.” It was an oral history of the show, as told by its performers, producers, and writers.
Now, as “SNL” is about to embark on its 40th season, Miller has revised and updated the book with interviews with the people who have worked on the show since then. Both the original and new version are fascinating reads, so I invited Miller to join me on KTRS to discuss:
- how these 12 years were different from the 27 that preceded them;
- what role Lorne Michaels has in the production of “SNL,” considering he’s now also overseeing “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers”;
- why Conan O’Brien didn’t want Lorne involved during his brief stint as “Tonight Show” host;
- why “SNL” depends so much on recurring characters;
- the addition of Michael Che as Weekend Update co-anchor;
- whether Weekend Update has lost its relevance in the era of “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report”;
- the impact of Tina Fey and other women on the show’s recent history;
- why “SNL” has so many cast members, considering they can’t possibly all get airtime.
Listen to our conversation here.