10 Things We Learned about SNL from the Lorne Documentary

10 Things We Learned About SNL from the Lorne Documentary

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at details we learned about “SNL” from the documentary, “Lorne.” Spoilers for the film.

Everyone Does a Lorne Impression

At this point, it’s no longer a secret that Dr. Evil is essentially Mike Myers’ impression of Lorne Michaels. Of course, some would argue that the genesis of Dr. Evil started with Dana Carvey’s impression of Lorne. In all fairness, Lorne impressions aren’t exclusive to one person. In the “Kids in the Hall” movie “Brain Candy,” former “SNL” writer Mark McKinney brought his Lorne impression to the character of Don Roritor. While some are better than others, pretty much everyone who’s worked on “SNL” does a Lorne Michaels impersonation, from Seth Meyers to Maya Rudolph. You can debate who came the closest to nailing Lorne, but to Conan O'Brien, the most inaccurate impressions of his old boss are oftentimes the funniest.

Why The Bees Were Brought Back

The Killer Bees are among the most famous recurring characters from the first season of “SNL.” Ironically, if there’s one element from the premiere episode that most agreed didn’t work, it was the initial Bees sketch. Lorne Michaels even got a note from the higher-ups saying, “Nice effort, but drop the Bee thing.” So naturally, Michaels doubled down. Maybe he was determined to make the Bees work. Maybe he simply wanted to troll the network and the audience. Either way, the Bees kept coming back, becoming an in-joke of sorts. It was an unlikely case of a joke few people found funny at first suddenly becoming a highlight of the show, so much so that Michaels got another note from the network saying, “More Bees.”

The Network Warned Lorne What Would Happen If He Left

With every member of the original cast leaving by the end of Season 5, Michaels felt ready to sign off as well. At the very least, Michaels wanted to take a break. NBC made it clear to Michaels that the show wouldn’t take a break, however. They broke down what would happen if Michaels left. The show would get bad. Perhaps not immediately, but it would become worse over time. The audience would jump ship, and once that happened, “SNL” would be cancelled. While “SNL” would endure, virtually every other part of that premonition came to fruition. Michaels did leave, and “SNL” suffered. Even with that foresight, the network didn’t make much of an effort to keep Michaels on board.

Why “The New Show” Failed to Recapture “SNL’s” Spark

Some assume that Lorne Michaels completely disappeared from the industry during his five-year “SNL” sabbatical. Many forget that a year before he returned to “SNL,” NBC convinced Michaels to produce a new show called… “The New Show.” The show was similar in nature to “SNL” with sketches and a revolving door of special guests, from Steve Martin, to John Candy, to Catherine O’Hara. Unlike “SNL,” though, “The New Show” was pretaped, which proved to be its greatest detriment. It lacked the energy of a live show, with too much time spent in the editing room. The show also went over budget, and the network held Michaels financially responsible. Michaels didn’t have “SNL” money to fall back on either, as he stopped collecting paychecks after leaving.

Why Lorne Started Wearing Suits

With “The New Show” only lasting nine episodes, Lorne Michaels returned to “SNL” for its eleventh season. This was a new Lorne, as evidenced in his wardrobe. In the earlier days of “SNL,” Michaels was more open to dressing casually. During a Tom Snyder interview promoting the first episode, Michaels wore a sweater and jeans. Throughout those initial five years, Michaels could be seen in a sports coat, but it was in Season 11 that he started regularly suiting up. With the OG cast, Michaels had been a peer. Now, he was the boss and had to convey that image. Being the boss also meant that Michaels would have to do things he hadn’t in the past, such as firing people.

How Many “SNL” Sketches Has Lorne Read Through?

For all of the “SNL” sketches that have aired over the decades, there are far more that never saw the light of day. As the documentary details, a show will typically start with about 60 to 40 sketches. That number will inevitably be whittled down to about ten or twelve by the time they go live. Whether a sketch makes it to air or dies before even reaching rehearsal, the script still passes by Michaels. So, exactly how many sketches has Michaels read through during his more than 45 years with “SNL?” We’ll likely never get a definitive number, but based on the math done in the documentary, it’s over 28,000.

Lorne Loves to Book Controversial Hosts

From edgy comedians like Andrew Dice Clay, to CEOs like Elon Musk, to infamous socialites like Paris Hilton, “SNL” is no stranger to controversial hosts. While some protested giving these guests a platform, Michaels likes to keep the show balanced. As such, he’s open to booking guest stars who will rock the boat. According to Colin Jost and Michael Che, Michaels once suggested having Michael Vick as a host. And yes, this was after the dog-fighting scandal. Martin Short recalled Michaels once saying that if given the opportunity, he’d have Richard Nixon on the show. While that never materialized, “SNL” would of course give Donald Trump the spotlight shortly before he won the presidency.

Don Ohlmeyer’s Negative Effect on “SNL”

By the mid-90s, critics were turning on “SNL,” but the show’s biggest enemy was perhaps NBC West Coast President Don Ohlmeyer. Not only did Ohlmeyer supposedly have the show’s popcorn budget cut, but he also instructed Michaels on how to do his job. Ohlmeyer wasn’t a fan of Adam Sandler or Chris Farley. It wasn’t long until they were gone, along with most of the cast and writers at the time. Norm Macdonald managed to stick around, but Ohlmeyer allegedly had a grudge against the “Weekend Update” host for joking about his buddy, O.J. Simpson. After Farley’s funeral, Ohlmeyer ordered Michaels to fire Macdonald. Michaels reluctantly complied with his boss, but years later, Ohlmeyer is one of numerous executives no longer around. Lorne is.

What Lorne’s Office Tells Us About Him

Even with a feature-length documentary about him, Lorne Michaels is still something of an enigma. Yet, we learn a little more about him simply by browsing his office. While Michaels has produced several movies, he only has posters for two: “Wayne’s World” and “Three Amigos,” the latter of which he co-wrote. “Three Amigos” helped rejuvenate Michaels after “The New Show” was cancelled, perhaps boosting his confidence as he returned to “SNL.” As the documentary ends, Michaels is asked what his “Rosebud” is. Michaels points to the nameless fish in his office. Maybe Michaels was joking, but this isn’t the only time he’s mentioned his fish. In a Hollywood Reporter interview, he said, “The fish don’t think they’re that important,” a quality Michaels seemingly admires.

Why Lorne Will Accept Scripts From Strangers

In one of the documentary’s funniest and most disturbing stories, John Mulaney recounts how a stranger once presented Michaels with a script at dinner. Michaels said he’d take a look at it. While Michaels likely had no intention of doing so, he wasn’t just being polite either. Michaels told Mulaney about Terry Melcher, the record producer who refused to sign Charles Manson. This was supposedly the catalyst that led to the Tate–LaBianca murders at Cielo Drive, where Melcher once resided. Knowing what rejection can drive some to do, Michaels isn’t one to get on a random person’s bad side. Michaels had his own Manson family experience, receiving a sinister letter with a smiley face after making fun of the criminal.

What did you think of the “Lorne” documentary? Let us know in the comments.