Saturday Night

By Doug Hill, Jeff Weingrad,

Book cover of Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live

Book description

Saturday Night is the intimate history of the original Saturday Night Live, from its beginnings as an outlaw program produced by an unruly band of renegades from the comedy underground to a TV institution that made stars of John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman,…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Saturday Night as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller’s oral history Live From New York (published in 2002, updated and expanded a decade later) is probably the most popular book on sketch comedy giant Saturday Night Live, but I’m more partial to Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad’s 1986 record of the show’s historic but tumultuous first ten years on the air. Unlike Live From New York, the vibe is less “hanging out with comedy giants” and more “I can’t believe these coked-out maniacs were able to stay alive, let alone create something that’s still going strong.” As SNL approaches its 50th…

From Marcus' list on pop culture primers.

If you love Saturday Night...

Ad

Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

Want books like Saturday Night?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Saturday Night.

Browse books like Saturday Night

Book cover of Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation
Book cover of Mike Nichols: A Life
Book cover of The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,735

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Saturday Night Live, pop culture, and alchemy?

Pop Culture 166 books
Alchemy 77 books