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Under the Influence

Lorne Michaels believes fatigue fuels funny

It's all about the "inner editor."
CBC Radio ·
A white-haired man wearing a black tuxedo holds an Emmy Award statue.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 19: Lorne Michaels, winner of Outstanding Variety Sketch Series for "Saturday Night Live", poses in the press room during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images) (Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Under the Influence27:26Bookmarks 2025

This year, a biography of Saturday Night Live producer, Lorne Michaels, was released, titled: Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, by author Susan Morrison.

For 50 years, Michaels and his team put an episode of the sketch show together in just one week – every week. The SNL writers pitch rough ideas to Michaels on Monday, then they work around the clock on Tuesday night writing scripts to present to Michaels on Wednesday morning. But here's the interesting part:

Lorne Michaels says when you're tired, it wears down "critical faculties." In other words, it stops that "inner editor" that would otherwise squash ideas, so the humour flows more easily.

Working his writers into the wee hours preserves ideas. But Michaels feels working that late serves another purpose, too. He believes the comedy created during those late hours will eventually have to work during the same wee hours – on Saturday nights.

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