Lorne

The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live

By: Susan Morrison

Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio, Susan Morrison

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

LONGLISTED FOR THE PEN/JACQUELINE BOGRAD WELD AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The New Yorker, Elle, Kirkus Reviews, Denver Public Library

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 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.

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!

his entire ride was riviting

Lorne in California working tv and
soaking up the old California show biz lore and file it. with wisdom that would serve him well the rest of his NY career.

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.

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.

Amazing and Inspiring

Incredible, riveting, and enjoyable. Long but worth the read or listen. I enjoyed the book handsomely. Highly recommended.