For now, it seems like every other month there’s a new event celebrating the legacy of “Saturday Night Live.” Last year, the late-night variety show celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star-studded show featuring cast members old and new, plenty of celebrities, musical performances, nostalgic returning characters, and plenty of jokes at the expense of the show’s creator and producer, Lorne Michaels. To coincide with the special, Peacock aired a four-part documentary series, “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,” which delves into aspects of the show that fans may not know much about. And then there was Ladies and Gentlemen . . . 50 Years of SNL Music, a feature-length documentary directed by Questlove about the show’s truly iconic and completely unique musical performances. And for the 2024 narrative feature “Saturday Night,” a host of young actors and comedians stepped into the shoes of the not-yet-ready-for-primetime players from the series’ first season, documenting in real time the lead-up to its first-ever episode.<\/p>\n
Director Morgan Neville’s new documentary about the man, the myth, the legend, Lorne Michaels, is aptly titled Lorne, and the Talking Heads muse says, “There are few things on television that are as in-depth as the first season.” [of \u2018SNL\u2019]\u201d And Michaels himself seems to agree, especially when Neville was mic’d up when he wasn’t trying to run the camera. Neither Michaels nor Neville seem particularly interested in making this documentary a rehash of the early days of “SNL.” (The documentary, however, revisits some of the material covered in a recent documentary series about the show.) Rather, they’re keen to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the series’ extensive, storied production process to highlight why “SNL” has stood the test of time in a way that NBC-sanctioned media hasn’t always been able to offer viewers. It’s not exactly graphic, but there’s no room for shame. A more authentic and suitably ridiculous look for the only show of its kind to last this long.<\/p>\n
(Featured feature)<\/span> Lorne Michaels appears in Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Loan’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cLoan\u201d speeds through horror stories of late-night writing and overworked employees. All of these stories are par for the course at this point. This film does not condone such harsh working conditions, but it is also not an exaggeration. Instead, Neville seeks to convey his subjects’ belief that the best, strangest, and most interesting ideas come from the most unexpected places.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Loan” portrays Michaels as a caring but stoic presence, a difficult yet kind person. More critically, the film questions how and if SNL can continue without Michaels, highlighting him as a key element of the show’s success. At times, it feels like a victory lap, the most unflattering portrait possible of a man who may be toying with the idea of \u200b\u200bgetting out while still on top. But when Neville digs deep into the heart of an issue, when he lets Michaels do the talking or points the camera in the right direction at the exact moment, he captures the spirit of “SNL.” This is more than just a late-night comedy variety show, and it’s not good enough to be considered a major cultural institution. Because “Saturday Night Live” focuses on writers, it still sparks imaginations and encourages conversation all these years later. It’s a series bursting with ideas and risks in equal measure. The show lives and dies by the people behind the camera, not in front of it. And in a culture so obsessed with idolatry and tired discourse, where every flaw is glossed over and vilified, “SNL” still offers us something raw and raw. No wonder we can’t seem to stay away, no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n Even those familiar with the process on “SNL” will find Neville’s portrayal fascinating and even somewhat innovative. \u201cLoan\u201d takes viewers through the Monday-through-Saturday schedule, interspersed with past and present reminiscences from cast members, writers, producers and NBC executives. This movie emphasizes the vital importance of daily routine without seeming as stressful as it is known. \u201cLoan\u201d speeds through horror stories of employees working late into the night or overworked. All of these stories are par for the course at this point. This film does not condone such harsh working conditions, but it is also not an exaggeration. Instead, Neville seeks to convey his subjects’ belief that the best, strangest, and most interesting ideas come from the most unexpected places. It’s often on Tuesday writing nights, and writers usually work until sunrise. “The unconscious takes over,” says Michaels. When the movie cuts to a page of sketches in progress and approaches the words “VFX: Moderate Fart,” one wonders whether that fart was a risk that Michaels was ultimately happy with, or whether it was cut in the case of thousands of other sketches.<\/p>\n The truth about “SNL” is that until a sketch gets in front of an audience, there’s no way to really know if it’ll be well-received by the audience. For many people, that will never happen. At one point, cast member Mikey Day did some rough math and estimated that Michaels had read 28,350 sketches. For Wednesday’s table read, Michaels cuts the initial 60 sketches down to 40 and spends the next four hours reading each sketch aloud with the cast and that week’s host. It’s a physically draining process, but Michaels admits that no matter how old he gets or how much he wants to, he can’t let go. It’s rare for someone of Michaels’ caliber to see someone as attentive to the details of his work as he is. He could easily cash the check and go. But as Neville and those interviewed for the film emphasize, “SNL” wouldn’t be the same without Lorne’s invisible touch. “A good producer doesn’t leave fingerprints,” says Michaels. While that may be true, Michaels’ influence remains in every frame of every episode.<\/p>\n Want to know more about culture than just the latest trends? Swell highlights art that’s made to last.<\/i> That’s always something I feel is unique. How many TV shows do fans know about the habits and tendencies of the show’s producers? Many don’t come to mind, but ask any avid “SNL” viewer about Michaels and they’ll likely tell you some fun facts. His undying love of popcorn. his favorite restaurant. The fact that he hates it when the cast takes breaks during skits, even if viewers like it. These are all aspects of Michael that are covered in the documentary, but I learned them way back in my Tumblr days, when I was a teenager live blogging episodes with my friends online.<\/p>\n From the late 2000s into the new decade, “SNL” is revered as one of the show’s greatest shows. Viral sketches and digital shorts appeared as often as new fan-favorite characters. The show was firing on all cylinders, and watching it live every Saturday night with my family and the anonymous crowd I knew online was a unique experience. To me, it felt like a piece of history. (During the 2008 election season, when Tina Fey was expected to play Sarah Palin, it truly became history, as evidenced by Julianne Moore being cast as Palin in the underrated HBO movie Game Change.) When you can make viewers in any part of the country feel connected to the world in this way, it’s a special experience. And no matter how many people argue that “SNL” is a show for coastal elites, “Lone” rightly argues that Michaels understands middle Americans, even if not every sketch is necessarily tailored to their interests. For what it’s worth, this former North Dakotan certainly loved the island.<\/p>\n Lorne Michaels and Steve Martin in Morgan Neville’s documentary “Loan”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But it hasn’t always been that way since then. I’ve cringed at SNL countless times over the past decade, not only because I was offended by Michaels’ willingness to provide Donald Trump with a platform to humanize a man who had the unique qualities of a fascist in training, but because the humor just wasn’t as funny as it used to be. I was surprised to see “Loan” touch on both of these elements, but I was even more surprised to see Michaels honoring his reluctance to apologize for his decisions. There are bad sides and good sides. Michaels berated Norm MacDonald on Weekend Update, encouraging MacDonald to continue pursuing O.J. Simpson, despite how much NBC producer Don Ohlmeyer, one of Simpson’s closest friends, hated him. Michaels didn’t just support the writers. He risked the longevity of the show.<\/p>\n Watching live music every Saturday night was an experience like no other. To me, it felt like a piece of history. In this way, if we can make our viewers feel connected to the world no matter where they are in the country, it will be a special experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If a sketch is not interesting, its longevity is always at risk. If you tune in to “SNL” these days, you’ll notice that you can hear laughs during perhaps a third of the night’s sketches. It’s not just that humor often feels too topical or dependent on pop culture, it’s that the culture it relies on is pandering to younger audiences. It’s a move that feels unnecessary for a show that could be leading the conversation rather than following it.<\/p>\n (Featured feature)<\/span> Eric Kenward, Steve Higgins and Lorne Michaels appear in Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But watching “Loan” made me think that maybe this was my reaction to “SNL” in any era. After all, nothing lasts half a century without changing with the times. And surprisingly, not all of them are special to me. We may be firmly in the technological age, but even though “SNL” ushered in early viral videos with digital shorts, the show is still finding its footing as it tries to figure out how much of what’s considered “funny” fits into a culture that takes place on screen. A new series across the pond, Saturday Night Live UK, initially seemed like the answer to tired viewers looking for a refresher, but even that show has stumbled. However, it’s not exactly fair to write it off either. As Neville’s documentary reminds us, not everything went so well in the first few episodes of “SNL” back in 1975. Any creative needs a little breathing room to establish themselves, and the same is true in this era of “SNL.” And just when I think every part of the internet base is disgusting, I’m reminded that when Sarah Sherman, dressed as Betty Boop and the monkey mother Punch with a Jersey girl accent, comes along and “SNL” gets completely stupid, it brings me a unique joy that few others can.<\/p>\n This is what “SNL” does best. As Michaels says in the film, sketches are like candy. We don’t always have what we want, but when we feel like eating something delicious, we tend to indulge, no matter how fleeting the pleasure or how much we blame ourselves for losing. What Michaels and “SNL” are doing is catering to America’s sweet tooth. They give us candy-coated comedies with surprisingly diverse centers, full of unexpected twists. It’s enough to satisfy your taste buds until you’re craving another treat next week. No matter how much you try to resist it, curiosity remains. Sometimes, just the memory of the experience is enough to make you want to come back.<\/p>\n read more<\/p>\n About recent documentaries<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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