Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live [Book Review]

Lorne by Susan Morrison is a must-read for SNL fans! It’s packed with behind-the-scenes stories, industry secrets, and a fresh look at the man behind the comedy empire.

Lorne Michaels is basically the reason late-night comedy exists as we know it. Love him, hate him, or just endlessly fascinated by him, there’s no denying his impact. In Lorne, author Susan Morrison delivers a deep look into the man behind Saturday Night Live. His rise, his quirks, his insane work ethic, and all the behind-the-scenes drama that comes with running an institution like SNL for decades. It’s packed with stories about the writers, cast, musicians, and the madness of keeping the show afloat week after week. If you’ve ever wanted to know what really goes on at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, this book is your backstage pass. My four-star review is below!

What is the book about?

Over the fifty years that Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live, he has become a revered, inimitable, and bewildering 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), or “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 readers 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. [Goodreads.com]

My thoughts

If you’re even a little bit curious about how Lorne Michaels built Saturday Night Live—or if you’re a full-on SNL superfan—Susan Morrison’s Lorne needs to be on your radar. This biography doesn’t just cover his decades running the show; it also digs into the career that got him there in the first place.

Fair warning: this book is dense. But in the best way. It’s loaded with behind-the-scenes stories, surprising details, and plenty of insight into not just Lorne, but the entire SNL machine. Morrison doesn’t just focus on the famous faces in front of the camera. She gives equal attention to the writers, producers, musicians, and everyone else who keeps the show running week after week.

The biggest takeaway? Lorne Michaels isn’t just an iconic producer with a razor-sharp wit—he’s a fully fleshed-out human being. Morrison paints a fascinating picture of a man who is both brilliant and relentless. He is someone to admire and, at times, someone to be completely baffled by.

And while this book is packed with information, Morrison keeps things moving at a steady clip. Whether you’re a longtime SNL fan or just curious about the inner workings of TV, Lorne is worth your time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader’s copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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