Lorne | Daily Mail Online

Fascinating portrait of the man who’s been behind Saturday Night Live for half a century

Year: 2026

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Sky

In a TV comedy industry that’s always shifting, there are some constants. One is the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live and another is the man who’s kept it going for more than 50 years: Lorne Michaels. He’s remained largely an enigma to anyone outside the show, keeping his private life private – until now. For whatever reason, Michaels has let a filmmaker into his life. But not just any filmmaker, the Oscar-winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom).

Neville follows Michaels behind the scenes as he produces SNL, wearing his power lightly and not saying much. Thankfully, the laundry list of stars who’ve worked for him down the years fill in the blanks: Martin Short, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Maya Rudolph, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Chevy Chase and his friend Paul Simon, who’s hosted SNL four times. That’s just a small slice of those going on the record about him. 

Michaels never really lets Neville in, not in any kind of significant personal way, but that adds to the film’s appeal. ‘People have this idea that they know me,’ observes the comedy legend. ‘But I don’t know myself.’ You can’t get more elusive than that, but as a portrait of the importance of routine in making TV, this film is peerless. Michaels has had the same routine for half a century, eating the same food at the same tables at the same three restaurants each day as the show is produced. (101 minutes)