Lorne Michaels, the man behind the curtain at ‘Saturday Night Live,’ has been minting comedy gold for nearly 50 years
- Written by Chris Lamb, Professor of Journalism, Indiana University
On April 24, 1976, Lorne Michaels[1], the creator and producer of the late-night NBC comedy program “Saturday Night” – it had not yet changed its name to “Saturday Night Live[2]” – appeared on camera in hopes of luring the Beatles to reunite on the program.
The Fab Four’s last concert had been eight years earlier in San Francisco, and the band had stopped recording together in 1969[3].
Michaels addressed[4] the band members by name – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – and then acknowledged rumors that the group might get back together.
“It’s also been said that no one has yet to come up with enough money to satisfy you,” Michaels said. “Well, if it’s money you want, there’s no problem here.”
Michaels then held up a check.
“Here it is right here. A check made out to you, the Beatles, for $3,000. All you have to do is sing three Beatles songs,” he said. “‘She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.’ That’s $1,000 right there. You know the words – it’ll be easy.”
Among the 22 million viewers was Lennon.
Lennon had watched the program from his home a few miles away from the NBC studio. A week later, he was watching the next episode with McCartney and told him about Michaels’ recent proposal.
“So John said, ‘It’s a hoot[5], you know what would be great, we can go down there now.’” McCartney later recounted in an interview.
“For about five minutes, we were going, ‘We’ve got to do it.’ Then it was like, ‘Are you kidding, let’s stay in and watch the show,’” McCartney recalled. “It would be a great story, but we decided against it.”
‘It’s like he created Yale or NASA’
No television program in history has chronicled American politics, culture, fads and tastes like “SNL,” which has mirrored and critiqued society over its half-century run by mocking it. “Caricatures,” Ralph Waldo Emerson[6] said, “are often the truest history of the times.”
Tina Fey[7], who appeared on the program from 1997 to 2006, reportedly might succeed Michaels[8] as its producer when he retires.
“Lorne created a show that’s impacted culture for decades,” Fey said of the man who has been the program’s producer, showrunner and mastermind for most of the program’s nearly half-century run. “No one has ever really successfully been able to replicate it.”
Comedian Mike Myers[9], who served as a cast member on “SNL” from 1989 to 1996, is another big fan. “It’s like he created Yale or NASA.”
SNL’s ‘needs more cowbell’ spoof of the band Blue Öyster Cult is among its most-watched sketches.Unmatched track record
Michaels grew up in Toronto[10] before immigrating to the U.S., where he first worked as a writer[11] for “Laugh-In” and “The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show.” He has received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement – Canada’s highest honor in the performing arts. He also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom[12], the highest civilian honor in the U.S.
He’s also been nominated for 102 Emmy Awards[13], setting a show business record[14], and he’s won more than 20 of them. “SNL” has won more Emmys[15] than any other TV show.
Michaels’ long list of awards[16] includes the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, two Peabody Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors.
“SNL”‘s skits[17] and its humorous “Weekend Update[18]” news segments have tracked America’s politics, fads, foibles and scandals from the era of disco fever through the COVID-19 pandemic and today’s trepidation about artificial intelligence[19].
Whether it was John Belushi[20] gruffly taking orders at a dive that’s only serving cheeseburgers at breakfast time, Fey impersonating Sarah Palin[21] or James Austin Johnson[22] caricaturing Donald Trump, “SNL” has served as the nation’s laugh track through the last half-century.
That’s in large part because Michaels recruited some of the best comic minds and actors[23] of the last half-century to work for “SNL,” including, but hardly limited to, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, Will Ferrell, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson.
“There has never been anything in show business like his track record for discovering stars[24],” said Doug Hill, the author of “Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live.”
Gilda Radner as Emily Litella, a recurring character, and Chevy Chase, the original Weekend Update anchor.No reunion necessary
Michaels’ enduring success is like that of a top college football coach who remains successful year after year even though his players frequently have to be replaced. But then again, how many college football coaches[25] have remained at the top of their game for a half-century?
At some point, Michaels, who turns 80 on Nov. 17, 2024[26], will retire.
When asked about retirement rumors in January 2024, he said he intended to remain with the program for at least another year.
“We’re doing the 50th anniversary show in February of '25,” he told “Entertainment Tonight[27].” “I will definitely be there for that, and definitely be there until that, and sometime before that we’ll figure out what we’re going to do.”
No matter when Michaels retires, his legacy is secure. So are his contributions to comedy, beginning with the original cast[28], known as the Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players. The roster included Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin and Garrett Morris.
A movie about the behind-the-scenes mayhem before the show first went on the air, “SNL 1975[29],” is in the works.
It was near the end of the first season of “SNL” when Michaels offered the Beatles $3,000 to appear on the program.
Former Beatle Harrison[30] did make an appearance later that year. McCartney later made several appearances[31], and Starr[32] hosted an episode in 1984. But neither “Saturday Night Live” nor Michaels, as it turned out, needed a Beatles reunion to make their mark on popular culture.
References
- ^ Lorne Michaels (www.imdb.com)
- ^ Saturday Night Live (www.imdb.com)
- ^ band had stopped recording together in 1969 (www.thebeatles.com)
- ^ Michaels addressed (www.youtube.com)
- ^ It’s a hoot (www.theglassonionbeatlesjournal.com)
- ^ Ralph Waldo Emerson (www.humanitiesforwisdom.org)
- ^ Tina Fey (www.imdb.com)
- ^ reportedly might succeed Michaels (www.eonline.com)
- ^ Comedian Mike Myers (www.youtube.com)
- ^ grew up in Toronto (horatioalger.ca)
- ^ first worked as a writer (walkoffame.com)
- ^ Presidential Medal of Freedom (obamawhitehouse.archives.gov)
- ^ 102 Emmy Awards (www.emmys.com)
- ^ setting a show business record (www.nbc.com)
- ^ “SNL” has won more Emmys (www.imdb.com)
- ^ Michaels’ long list of awards (www.kennedy-center.org)
- ^ “SNL”‘s skits (screenrant.com)
- ^ Weekend Update (www.nbc.com)
- ^ trepidation about artificial intelligence (youtu.be)
- ^ John Belushi (youtu.be)
- ^ Fey impersonating Sarah Palin (www.youtube.com)
- ^ James Austin Johnson (www.youtube.com)
- ^ recruited some of the best comic minds and actors (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
- ^ like his track record for discovering stars (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ college football coaches (sports.yahoo.com)
- ^ turns 80 on Nov. 17, 2024 (www.famousbirthdays.com)
- ^ he told “Entertainment Tonight (www.eonline.com)
- ^ beginning with the original cast (www.nbc.com)
- ^ SNL 1975 (www.imdb.com)
- ^ Harrison (www.imdb.com)
- ^ McCartney later made several appearances (www.nbc.com)
- ^ Starr (www.imdb.com)
Authors: Chris Lamb, Professor of Journalism, Indiana University
