Lorne Michaels has remained one of the most influential figures in television comedy, shaping generations of performers through his work at Saturday Night Live. That kind of career deserves the documentary treatment, and now more fans have a chance to see it.
Lorne, the feature-length documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Morgan Neville, arrives on Peacock on June 5 following a limited theatrical release earlier this spring. The film offers an expansive look at Michaels' journey from aspiring television producer to one of the most important voices in entertainment.
Rather than focusing solely on Saturday Night Live, the documentary traces Michaels' career from his early years working in Canadian television on The Hart and Lorne Terrifc Hour through the creation of NBC's legendary sketch comedy institution. It also examines some of the less celebrated chapters of his career, including his departure from SNL in the early 1980s and the short-lived variety series The New Show, which struggled to find an audience.
The documentary combines archival material with contemporary footage to paint a detailed portrait of the notoriously private producer. Cameras also follow Michaels in the present day as he continues to oversee Saturday Night Live, covering recent episodes hosted by Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, and Shane Gillis among others.
A number of cast members past and present appear in the documentary, including Fred Armisen, Chevy Chase, Tina Fey, Bill Hader, Colin Jost, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig, and Bowen Yang. Writers such as Conan O'Brien, John Mulaney, Jim Downey, and Paula Pell also share their thoughts. Former cast member Chris Parnell, who had the honor of being fired by Michaels twice, serves as the narrator.
The documentary hit theaters back in April, and it currently holds a 72% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans have been much more approving of Lorne than critics, earning the film a 93% on the Popcornmeter.
The documentary follows the 2024 movie Saturday Night, which offered a dramatized retelling of the Saturday Night Live premiere in 1975. Clearly, the show's 50th anniversary brought a renewed interest in Michaels and just how he put together such an enduring and lasting creation like SNL.
For fans of Saturday Night Live, the documentary Lorne serves as both a history of the show and a study of the man whose fingerprints are on nearly every era of its success. With its streaming debut now set, a much wider audience will soon get an inside look at one of comedy's most influential figures.
Add us as a preferred source on Google