Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live

Every week at Saturday Night Live follows a remarkably similar pattern: intense work, backstage drama, and the challenge of managing a new guest host—often someone inexperienced with live television. Since creating the show in 1975, Lorne Michaels has served as its steady architect, refining SNL’s formula without fundamentally changing it. He likens the show to a Snickers bar: dependable and comforting, even through cultural shifts. Audiences feel a strong personal attachment to SNL, often believing the show’s best years coincide with their youth. Michaels’s longevity and influence have prompted debate: Some see him as a singular genius in television history, while others view him as an enigmatic figure who simply facilitates the talents of others. Regardless of interpretation, his presence remains inseparable from the show’s identity and its ability to evolve over decades.

“Monday” follows the start of a typical Saturday Night Live production week, offering a behind-the-scenes look at Michaels’s leadership style and the pressures of mounting a live show. The chapter begins with Michaels attending a tea for Tom Stoppard and managing a crisis involving a death threat against Jimmy Fallon. It moves into Monday’s Topical Meeting, where Michaels and his senior staff brainstorm ideas in the lead-up to the week’s show, hosted by Jonah Hill.