The New 50th Anniversary Edition of Saturday Night “It reads like a thriller, and may be the best book ever written about television.” — Associated Press “A chilling real-life cliffhanger.” — Washington Post “An anthropological masterpiece.” — Vanity Fair Discover the intimate and original history of Saturday Night Live in Saturday Night . From its rebellious beginnings as an outlaw comedy program produced by an unruly band of renegades to becoming a TV institution, this book captures it all. Learn how SNL created stars like John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Joe Piscopo, and Eddie Murphy. This groundbreaking book reveals what really happened behind the scenes during the first ten years of Saturday Night Live . From battles with NBC to internal conflicts within the cast and crew, you'll uncover love affairs, betrayals, rivalries, drug problems, overnight successes, and bitter failures, all intertwined with the creation of some of the most original and outrageous comedy ever. The reissue features nearly fifty photographs of the cast, crew, and sketches, providing a visual journey through the show's early years. Written by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, seasoned television journalists who have contributed to The Associated Press , The New York Times , New York Daily News , New York Post , TV Guide , Broadcasting/Cablecasting , and Advertising Age , this is the ultimate insider’s look at one of television’s most iconic shows. “In this riveting account of the people, pressures, and sometimes bizarre process that produced the hit show, the authors explain Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About SNL.” -- Newsweek “A splendidly informative and entertaining book [that] succeeds admirably from a multiplicity of perspectives: critical, historical, sociological… Hill and Weingrad even meticulously trace the show’s genesis and sometimes precarious survival amid the treacherously conservative jungle of NBC's corporate politics.” -- Washington Post Book World “The best reported book I've ever read about a TV program.” -- Philadelphia Inquirer “The book is packed with the kind of behind-the-scenes information that reveals the world behind the hoopla.” -- New York Times Book Review “An anthropological masterpiece.” -- Vanity Fair “A fascinating analysis not only of a mercurial bunch of ‘wild and crazy guys’ but of the evolution of American television… Amid all the turmoil emerges an absorbing study of how corporate money and personal talent converged in a comedy-creating crucible that was unique in TV history.” -- Boston Herald “Thorough and nonpartisan… a paradigmatic morality tale.” -- Frank Rich, The New Republic An absolute 'must' for the legions of SNL fans, and in an updated edition to celebrate Saturday Night Live's enduring pop culture television legacy, "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" is a unique and especially recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library television history/comedy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. ― Midwest Book Review “In this riveting account of the people, pressures, and sometimes bizarre process that produced the hit show, the authors explain Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About SNL.” -- Newsweek “A splendidly informative and entertaining book [that] succeeds admirably from a multiplicity of perspectives: critical, historical, sociological… Hill and Weingrad even meticulously trace the show’s genesis and sometimes precarious survival amid the treacherously conservative jungle of NBC's corporate politics.” -- Washington Post Book World “The best reported book I've ever read about a TV program.” -- Philadelphia Inquirer “The book is packed with the kind of behind-the-scenes information that reveals the world behind the hoopla.” -- New York Times Book Review “An anthropological masterpiece.” -- Vanity Fair “A fascinating analysis not only of a mercurial bunch of ‘wild and crazy guys’ but of the evolution of American television… Amid all the turmoil emerges an absorbing study of how corporate money and personal talent converged in a comedy-creating crucible that was unique in TV history.” -- Boston Herald “Thorough and nonpartisan… a paradigmatic morality tale.” -- Frank Rich, The New Republic An absolute 'must' for the legions of SNL fans, and in an updated edition to celebrate Saturday Night Live's enduring pop culture television legacy, "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" is a unique and especially recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library television history/comedy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. ― Midwest Book Review Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad are seasoned television journalists who have contributed to The Associated Press , The New York Times , New York Daily News , New