Famed sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live—responsible for launching the careers of generations of comedians and writers—is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The occasion will be marked by a Homecoming Concert of past musical guests and a live Anniversary Special looking back on beloved sketches and joined by cast members and guest hosts.
Over these five decades, the show has had a deep influence on comedy, late night television, and popular culture. Whether you're a devoted fan or have dipped in and out over the years, you may enjoy these titles about the show's behind-the-scenes history as well as memoirs by some of its indelible cast members and writers.
Lorne
by Morrison, Susan
Lorne Michaels has become a revered and inimitable presence over his 50 years at the helm of Saturday Night Live, and this volume provides unprecedented access to Michaels and SNL for the definitive story of how he created and maintained a comedy institution.
Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live
by Shales, Tom
A lavish history of the seminal, long-running television series draws on backstage anecdotes and uncensored reminiscences to create an entertaining oral history of Saturday Night Live from the perspective of its stars, guests, and writers.
Wild and Crazy Guys : How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever
by De Semlyen, Nick
Wild and Crazy Guys opens in 1978 with Chevy Chase and Bill Murray taking bad-tempered swings at each other backstage at Saturday Night Live, and closes 21 years later with the two doing a skit in the same venue, poking fun at each other, their illustrious careers, triumphs and prat falls. In between, de Semlyen takes us on a trip through the tumultuous '80s, delving behind the scenes of some of the biggest comedies of the day and chronicling the larger-than-life antics of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, John Candy, and Rick Moranis.
Memoir & Biography
A Very Punchable Face
by Jost, Colin
In a collection of humorous essays, the Saturday Night Live head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor tells the story of his life so far. From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school, to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, to working at SNL and touring as a stand-up comedian, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump.
Leslie f*cking Jones
by Jones, Leslie
Introducing the woman behind the laughs, this audacious memoir reveals what it took to for Leslie Jones to become one of America’s most beloved and plain-speaking superstars, encouraging others to let go of the fear and self-doubt holding them back to live a bigger life than ever imagined.
Bossypants
by Fey, Tina
From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon, comedian Tina Fey reveals all, and proves that you're no one until someone calls you bossy.
Yes Please
by Poehler, Amy
The actress best known for her work on Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live reveals personal stories and offers her humorous take on such topics as love, friendship, parenthood, and her relationship with Tina Fey.
Hello, Molly!: A Memoir
by Shannon, Molly
Hello, Molly! sheds new and revelatory light on the life and work of one of our most talented and free-spirited performers. The memoir spans Molly’s time on Saturday Night Live—where she starred alongside Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Cheri Oteri, Tracy Morgan, and Jimmy Fallon, among many others. At the same time, it explores with humor and candor her struggle to come to terms with the legacy of her father, a man who both fostered her gifts and drive and was left with the impossible task of raising his kids alone after the loss of her mother.
Based on a True Story
by Macdonald, Norm
Wild, dangerous, and flat-out unbelievable, here is the incredible memoir of the actor, gambler, raconteur, SNL veteran, and one of the best stand-up comedians of all time. Macdonald tells the story of his life from his origins on a farm in the-back-of-beyond Canada and an epically disastrous appearance on Star Search to his account of auditioning for Lorne Michaels and his memorable run as the anchor of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live.
God, if You're Not Up There, I'm F*cked: Tales of Stand-Up, Saturday Night Live, and other Mind-Altering Mayhem
by Hammond, Darrell
Darrell Hammond, the longest-tenured cast member of Saturday Night Live, takes us on a deeply personal journey through his life. He begins with his traumatic childhood, marked by physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother. Hammond's coping mechanism was to mimic the voices of those around him, a skill that would later propel him to comedic stardom.