Add art and music while you're at it, don't you think? Read more

David Spade had a solid track record when he was on the show and funny enough, when NBC executives complained about some of those cast members during his time there, it wasn't about him, it was about Adam Sandler and Norm McDonald. Read more

The sketch that Chevy Chase did with Richard Pryor — word association — is often cited because he showed that SNL was the country's top delivery system was the kind of humor you couldn't find anywhere else. It was controversial and shocking at the time. And let's face it, that sketch doesn't get on the air today. Read more

It's all about being organized, and when I am it's good, and when I'm not, it's a freaking disaster. Some interviews are longer than an hour and there's so much material to triage, and if you don't keep up with it, you get snowed under. Read more

It would have to be the one that didn't air that Robert Smigel talks about in the book, that candidate Obama told Lorne he wasn't comfortable with being on the show he was on. That sounded like an all time great. Read more

I think SNL should be age proof. There's 90 minutes to appeal to all sorts. The show is still in somewhat of a transition after the loss of so many MVP's in recent years — Hader, Forte, Armisen, Wiig, Meyers, et. al. I do think the Chris Rock show was strong, and Woody Harrelson put a lot into his show. Read more

Thanks. There's 200 more pages in the new book which covers the last 12 years and includes interviews with more than 75 cast members, writers and hosts. Probably a lot more hosts this time around, including Justin Timberlake, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Louis Dreyfus, some more Will Ferrell, et. al. Read more

Not along the lines of ripping up a picture of the Pope. If there's someone who says they could have predicted that, they are on crack. Read more

SNL does very well for NBC and I really can't see it getting cancelled in the near future — certainly not as long as Lorne Michaels wants to do the show. Once Lorne says he's had enough, then we will see what NBC thinks of the show's future. Read more

Steven Segal keeps coming up in interviews as the least favorite host the cast had to deal with, and my vote for most loved would be Gilda. People on the show with her, and those that knew her after, all talk about her like no one else. Read more

Part of the reason is simple: Jim Downey, creator of many of SNL's best political sketches, doesn't think in terms of left and right and is himself, probably more conservative than most in entertainment. Jim thinks in terms of funny; Jim thinks in terms of using real life events and statements as a vehicle not just… Read more

Did not know that. Had never heard it. Read more

Terry Sweeney told me a couple Chevy stories which will make you carsick. A couple are in the book. Maybe Chevy was just having a bad decade. Read more

If you're not Bill Hader it's easy to say he left too early because he was certainly one of the best cast members in recent memory. But from Bill's perspective, he had done his time, and there were too many opportunities out there for him. You get burned out on the show. It's a grind, and you want to branch out.… Read more

There is not an heir apparent, at least who is apparent to anyone but Lorne. There are really smart people at the show who supervise various elements of the show, but I really don't know of anyone who looks at the entire picture like Lorne does. Read more

McDonald? Read more

Afraid the WWE isn't in my wheelhouse, but I bet you are right — there's probably a lot of gold in those characters, and maybe some real skeletons if you follow the money. Read more

There's too many years to cover in that question, but I was hoping that Derek Jeter would have hosted right after retiring, or that Bill Murray would have hosted this season in connection with St. Vincent. Read more

I would have to say Gerald Ford. Early in the show's history they were able to get the prez. Short of Lassie or the Pope, it doesn't get any bigger. Read more

There's a great biography of Phil out now by Mike Thomas. Try and read it. I think it confirms what you're thinking on one level, but offers context and exceptions that are really cool. Read more