Saturday Night Scandalous

Last week, in his interview with Jim Breuer, Editor Greg Veis confused the Saturday Night Live alum by asking if former cast member Will Ferrell was a "bitch." Aside from the assurance that he did not, in fact, "take it," Breuer wasn't too keen on dishing the dirt on his fellow SNL-ers.

Lucky for us, not everyone that has been involved with the legendary show is as tight-lipped, and the seamy underbelly of sketch comedy is but a page-turn away. Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live ends up being a surprisingly comprehensive collection of tell-all interviews with the show's stars, writers and guest hosts.

In its 27-year history, SNL has had its fair share of scandal and behind-the-scenes rumor-milling, and compilers Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller omit nothing--the drugs, the parties, the cast rivalries and romances. From the highly publicized reckless lifestyles of John Belushi and Chris Farley to the vocal dissatisfaction of Janeane Garofalo and Chris Rock, readers are treated to a no-holds-barred retrospective. Writers such as Al Franken and Conan O'Brien and cast members as diverse as Jane Curtin and Adam Sandler offer a personal take on what makes the show so successful--and volatile.

It's all in here: a firsthand report from Dan Aykroyd admitting that Beldar Conehead "consumed mass quantities" of blow in the 70s, a candid admission from Julia Sweeney that she had no idea what sex the androgynous Pat was and a disappointing confirmation that Mike Myers and Dana Carvey didn't get along.

Wayne and Garth weren't really friends?! No way! Way.

In fact, the manner in which Live from New York unravels the seemingly unstrained group dynamic is the most interesting aspect of the entire book. It's not always evident from the light-hearted finished product that shows up onscreen every Saturday night, but SNL has always been a breeding ground for comedic egos, and inevitably some have clashed in a big way. What caused Bill Murray to punch host Chevy Chase or Billy Crystal to walk out the night of the 1975 premiere? Is executive producer Lorne Michaels more like a supportive dad or a suppressive despot? It all depends on whom you ask, and this book provides some entertaining answers.