4.5 stars

Lorne Michaels (b. 1944) is a Canadian and American television writer and film producer. He's probably best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live (SNL), which has been on the air from 1975 to the present. This biography of Michaels toggles back and forth between Lorne's life and career, and the step-by-step preparations for the SNL episode that aired on November 3, 2018 - with host Jonah Hill and music guest Maggie Rogers.

As always, the Writers' Meeting for the Hill-hosted show took place on the Monday before - October 29, 2018 - at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where SNL is based. The Writers' Meeting is where writers pitch ideas for sketches, and the following six days - during which the skits are tested and rewritten and rehearsed and winnowed - culminates in a live broadcast on Saturday night at 11:30, before a worldwide audience of millions. Preparations for the November 3 episode, under the eagle eye of Lorne Michaels, are described in great detail, and should interest fans of the show.

It seems like Lorne Michaels was destined for show business from the get-go. The SNL creator was born Lorne Lipowitz in Toronto, Canada, to parents Florence and Henry Lipowitz. The Lipowitz family loved the entertainment industry, and they would watch movies and TV shows, and talk about the actors and actresses. Lorne daydreamed about acting, writing, and directing, and he put on musicals in summer camp, wrote funny items for his high school newspaper, contributed comedy sketches to the school's 'Frolics', acted in school shows, etc.

Teenage Lorne's friend (and later his first wife) Rosie Shuster was the daughter of comedian Frank Shuster, and Frank taught Lorne the fundamentals of television production. Lorne also steeped himself in culture: Victorian novels, Romantic poets, Shakespeare, newspapers, plays, comedy revues, comedy recordings, etc. Lorne and a friend would also take the bus to New York to sit in studio audiences and meet people working in the industry.

At the University of Toronto Lorne majored in English, and co-wrote and directed the University College Follies, a well-regarded theatrical revue. 'Lorne had organizational skills, a grip on the technical aspects of mounting a show, a knack for spotting talent, and a temperament that allowed people to flourish creatively.' Lorne was honing the talents he'd later need for SNL. After college, Lorne spent time in Europe, especially London, then returned to Canada in 1966, determined to succeed in the entertainment industry. Lorne and his friend Earl Pomerantz formed a comedy team called Lipowitz and Pomerantz, and performed in local clubs and on radio and television shows.

Along the way, Lorne changed his name to Lorne Michaels and married Rosie Shuster - who was also a comedy writer. Lorne had originally planned to stay in Canada, but went to Los Angeles at the age of 24, to write for 'The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show'. Going on to write for 'Laugh-In', and with his knack for fraternizing, Lorne met all the right people: talent agent Bernie Brillstein; variety TV eminence Bob Finkel; sitcom writer Bob Schiller; producer George Schlatter; and more.

Lorne soon moved on to other aspects of show business, cultivating his skills. One of Lorne's triumphs is a hilarious skit on 'The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour' called 'The Puck Crisis'. This is a mockumentary about an invasive species that spread Dutch Puck Disease, which devastated the crops of Canada's hockey puck farmers. "Over grim footage of lab-coated scientists examining shriveled pucks drooping from branches, a dead-serious voiceover explains the blight's origins: puck pests, or puctococci, were accidently carried over on the sticks of a touring Dutch hockey team." This skit - and numerous others - stood Lorne in good stead as he pursued future endeavors.

Lorne's ascent up the entertainment industry ladder is thoroughly documented by author Susan Morrison. Starting early on, Lorne worked with talents like Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Teri Garr, Candace Bergen, Neil Young, James Taylor, Garrett Morris, Albert Brooks, Lili Tomlin, Buck Henry, Richard Pryor, Molly Shannon, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Pete Davidson, Norm Macdonald, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, and on and on - creating many symbiotic relationships with show business folk. Lorne also became close friends with famous people like Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, and Paul McCartney, which added to his glittery image.

On the subject of SNL, the book covers every aspect of the show, from conception, to creation, to birth pangs, to success, to Lorne leaving for five years, to good and bad shows, to sketches, to political philosophy, to budgets, to drug dealers on the set, to awards, to Lorne's management style, to props, to everything else you can think of. If you're interested in the people connected with SNL - producers, directors, writers, assistants, actors, actresses, comics, mimics, musicians, guest hosts, costume designers, supporters, detractors, critics, what have you - this is the book for you.

SNL has been on the air for half a century, and is the parent of a huge 'family'. Morrison writes, "When graduates of the show reunite for anniversaries, they feel a kinship across the decades. They are an elite tribe, like astronauts." And producer/comedian Paula Pell remarked, "It's like Lorne had a hundred children with nine wives. It blows your mind, the amount of connective tissue he's created in the world of comedy."

Part of Lorne's legacy includes show business ventures beyond SNL, and Morrison writes about these as well. The author also discusses Lorne's personal life: his mother, father, extended family, wives (Rosie Shuster, Susan Forristal, and Alice Barry), friends, lifestyle, homes, favorite restaurants, vacations, parties, gift-giving (Lorne has a knack for thoughtful presents), and so on. (Note: Lorne and his third wife Alice Barry have three children, Sophie, Henry, and Edward)

Morrison did an enormous amount of research for this 600+ page biography, which tells us a lot about Lorne Michaels. It would seem Lorne's most important legacy is the 'healing laughter' provided by SNL, which can draw a smile, and help us go on, even after a disaster or bad news.

It feels like every famous person in the modern western world is mentioned in this book, which I'd recommend to readers interested in the entertainment industry, especially fans of SNL.

Thanks to Netgalley, Susan Morrison, and Random House for a copy of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House and PRH Audio for an e-ARC and audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have been a massive Saturday Night Live fan for pretty much my entire life so, when I received an invite to read and listen to this ARC, I immediately jumped at the opportunity! This extensive biography takes the reader through the lifetime of Lorne Michaels, arguably one of the most important and influential television people in our current history, and his story was absolutely fascinating.

From Lorne’s early days growing up in Canada to his start in the entertainment industry at 14 years old to his climb up the entertainment ladder to the creation and inception of Saturday Night Live, Susan Morrison takes us on a deeply and intricately researched journey into a notoriously private man’s life and shows us the lengths that he's gone to to achieve his dreams. We learn about what influenced Lorne to create this behemoth of a show, how he strives to strike a balance between tough love and encouragement with his cast and crew and how he is feared by some but loved by many. If you’re a Saturday Night Live fan, do not hesitate to pick this book up!

🌟I loved all of the interviews that Morrison had access to to pull Lorne’s life together in the book. I thought it was so interesting to read/listen to the many perspectives surrounding the type of person Lorne Michaels is.

🌟No surprise here, but my favorite part was listening to the history of SNL from its first episode to its current season. I thought it was compelling to use a single episode (Jonah Hill/Maggie Rogers) to build the book’s story and enjoyed learning about Lorne’s life and then tying it back to the episode that they were following with documentary-like precision.

🌟Read this if you like books that take you behind the scenes!

It was great fun to get a peek into the production side of SNL, something that has long been mysterious to me. Star-studded and informative, I enjoyed this book very much. My critique would be that Lorne’s career is so long and so is this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

I love SNL. I also know that it often isn’t very good.

For all its self-mythologizing about punk rock origins, SNL has only ever been a tired cultural institution during my lifetime.

With that background in mind, I was really excited to read Susan Morrison’s "Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live"—to understand a little more about the mind behind the show.

Unfortunately, Lorne Michaels remains the least interesting part of SNL, and arguably the least interesting part of "Lorne."

While reading, I was reminded of Benjamin Moser’s "Sontag," a book that justifies its expansive scope with a careful curatorial hand and incisive exploration of a great thinker. "Lorne" suffers because it shares that book’s reverence but lacks its critical eye. Morrison mentions other people’s criticisms, but she seems unwilling to present any of her own interpretation. As a result, Lorne is a void at the center of the book, and I finished feeling like he is probably what holds the show back from being great.

This is a well-researched book, but it never rises above the anecdotal, resulting in little more than a collection of fun facts and interesting tidbits for superfans. If that sounds appealing, readers should know that they’ll need to slog through an endless supply of details at the level of, “Lorne stopped for a glass of orange juice on the way into New York for the first time.” Rather than texturing the subject’s life into a rich narrative, this information canonizes him as the patron saint of white middle class mundanities.

It’s little surprise that Michaels has been complicit—or proactive—in platforming some of the worst figures in the 21st century. He has nothing to lose from allowing Donald Trump or Elon Musk to host the show because he views his milquetoast political positioning as punk rock in and of itself. In 2025, that mindset just doesn't work, but the book tries laboriously (and unsuccessfully) to spin privilege as a burden.

Perhaps it feels unfair to criticize the subject of a biography in a review of the book, but the lack of interiority in "Lorne" seems to leave little choice. It depicts an ego barely held in check by the comedy greats surrounding it, and it overstays its welcome by hundreds of pages.

If you enjoy SNL, you’re probably going to get more out of rewatching a sketch for the hundredth time, and I can’t think of a more damning criticism for a book.

Lorne is a fascinating and well written look at the man who created SNL and revolutionized comedy tv for the foreseeable future. This biography is not just about the show but also Lorne Michaels and the ways that his life influenced the show as well as himself.

Fascinating insight on the life of the creator of SNL and how he got to where he could create a show to begin with

What a great look into the life of Lorne Michaels, arugably one of the most well-known producers of this century. What I expected to be a quick fluff of a story - a quick bio and how-did-he-do-it of SNL, timed for the 50th anniversary - ended up being a well-researched look into Lorne Michaels himself, followed by how SNL plays a role in his life, instead of the other way around. Fans of SNL, of New York, of comedy, and of history will love this rich biography of one of the funniest non-comedians of our day.

This book took me ages to read! The author follows two main timeframes, one current week (2017, it think) leading up to Saturday night. It is an inside look at the writers meetings, the hosting duties and a close look at Lorne Michaels throughout. The other timeline flows chronologically through Lorne Michaels life. This is a well written and thorough book. Personally, I’m sorta sick of reading about rich men at the moment which may be why it took a couple of months to read. For anyone interested in Saturday Night Live or pop culture, this is a must read. I received a digital arc of this book via NetGalley.

I'm ashamed to admit I had only heard of Lorne Michaels a couple of times before reading this book and didn't understand the magnitude of this man - from not only the creation of but his daily involvement with SNL. The book is long, but it never felt boring, which is a hard feat with long non-fiction. Because it was chock full of celeb mentions and encounters, it almost read like fiction, because for a girl who's never been to Hollywood (albeit, SNL is produced in NYC) or met a celebrity, stuff like that feels unreal to me. 4 stars for several instances of convoluted sentence structure; sometimes sentences felt confusing or too long.

I appreciated the depth of detail the author went into and I loved how each chapter was broken out into the days of the week leading up to the show. I literally felt like I was sitting in the SNL studio, shadowing Lorne and the show staff as they went about the production of an episode.

Thank you so much to Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A long and fascinating story not only about Lorne but the magnitude that is SNL. The author did her job, conducted interviews, shadowed the job. This book was a long time coming and a great edition to all the works about SNL and its stars. Without Lorne there is no SNL.

It's a long book with a thorough history and journey of the legend behind the mastermind of SNL. There are really no other shows like it and it has lasted the test of time! I love biographies because you see people at their success points but you don't know the journey and hardships they've gone through to get to where they are. This book was no different and it was interesting to see the journey he went on, the SNL process, as well as a behind the scenes into all the big names that have been part of SNL.

With that said, it was long, felt like a history book, and I struggled to keep going to the end.

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 portrait of a man who is both brilliant and relentless, someone to admire and, at times, 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 obsessive or just someone curious about the inner workings of TV, Lorne is well worth the read.

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

Lorne is about more than Lorne Michaels, it is a look back over the decades of our own lives. As you read the pages and learn how he created and discovered great success, sentiment for your personal memories of where you were that night the particular episode aired, and appreciating a time before streaming or clips instantly flowing into your Instagram feed. Lorne reflects pop culture history. It’s a lengthy tome but one you can set down for a bit and then look forward to picking up again. If you love SNL or comedy today where many got their big break on the show, this book is for you!

Lorne was a completely fascinating and engrossing read. I’m a few years younger than Saturday Night Live and while I don’t tune in as much nowadays, I’ve watched it for many years.

I’ve know Lorne Michaels as a man behind the show but knew very little about his background and personal life. Amazingly this made be simultaneously respect and appreciate him more while also thinking he’s a little bit of an entitled jerk. I think that’s a sign of a very well rounded and comprehensive portrait.

I really enjoyed how the book was structured too. I loved beginning each section with the day of the week and diving into the process of putting the show together and then going back and recounting Micheal’s career worked really well.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Lorne by Susan Morrison!

A life well lived tends to make for a long book. I've known the name Lorne Michaels for my whole life. My folks were SNL fans from the beginning and it was often discussed at our house. He's got quite the history and this book lays it all out in a very well-researched bio. I enjoyed the history and its nostalgia this book evokes. Keeping a show running for 50 years is an incredible feat for a guy with a purpose.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I'm not an avid SNL watcher, but I have always been curious about Lorne Michaels. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to those interested in the backstory of the man and the show.

4.5, rounded up. Even though this is 650+ pages, it went quickly for me. Susan Morrison is adept at situating the cultural zeitgeist within Lorne's lifetime, so it wasn't just a slog through one man's decades in TV and film. It's also not as much of a hagiography as I was expecting; Morrison points out Lorne's vulnerabilities, professional mistakes, and personal failings in a balanced way.

It was very fun to read this alongside all the buildup to SNL50. While Lorne Michaels is definitely a divisive figure in the comedy world (normalizing Trump in 2015 being one of the worst things he's done), it's still fascinating to read a well-written and researched book about a man who has maintained and spearheaded a cultural institution for so long. The interviews were woven well into the narrative throughout and I really enjoyed the history of the evolution of the show, as as well the medium of TV itself. Watching the SNL50 coverage reminded me of how singular SNL is, despite dud sketches (or seasons, or years) and the singular role it's played in the comedy ecosystem over the decades. The book could certainly be laudatory, but it did ultimately portray Michaels as a complicated person who I would not like to work for myself. This book is THOROUGH, but I personally loved all the detail.

I've been an avid SNL watcher for decades and this was an extremely well-researched peek behind the curtain of the show and also Lorne himself. I saw a review that mentioned the show may not always be funny but you can't doubt that it's influential - I completely agree with that sentiment. It's been a jam-packed few months of SNL fun between this book, the 50th anniversary show, and the film 'Saturday Night' (we loved it!). Thanks so much to Random House for reaching out via e-mail with a free download of this book. Pub day was 2/18/25 - it's out now!