Lorne Michaels was born in
Toronto,
Ontario, as Lorne Lipowitz on November 17, 1944.
While attending the
University of Toronto, he worked as a
producer for the
Canadian Broadcasting Company. He and his partner,
Hart Pomerantz, hosted a
political satire show called "
Five Nights a Week at This Time." Eventually, they were given their own show, "
The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour." Lorne also made a short film entitled "
The Great Hockey Puck Crisis." After
graduating, he moved to
England and sold
Jeeps. He then returned to Toronto in 1966, where he and Pomerantz appeared on CBC radio and TV.
At the end of '66, they moved to
New York City where they did
improv and wrote for stand-up comedians, including
Woody Allen,
Dick Cavett, and
Joan Rivers. In 1968, they moved to LA to write for NBC's "
The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show." After just six weeks, the show was canceled, although Lorne and Hart weren't told. They found out when they showed up for work one day to find their
parking spaces gone. He was able to get another job writing monologues for "
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In"
but after realizing that he wanted to do more producing, accepted an offer from the CBC to write and produce four TV specials a year. After several other small projects, NBC asked Lorne for a pilot to fill the a spot on Saturday night. After Lorne had submitted some ideas, they suddenly decided that they wanted the show, which became
Saturday Night Live, in early 1975. The show first aired in 1975, with Lorne as executive producer. He left in 1980, but came back to save the show from a ratings slump five years later, and has been producing the show ever since. In 1979, Lorne founded
Broadway Video, the company responsible for
Kids in the Hall. He is also the chairman of
SNL Studios, a production company that writes for NBC and Paramount.
Movies Produced by Lorne Michaels:
Emmys won by Lorne Michaels:
- Best writing in comedy-variety, variety or music - 1974
Lily • Lorne Michaels Writer • CBS
- Outstanding special - comedy-variety or music - 1975
Lily • Lorne Michaels Producer • ABC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy-variety or music special - 1975
Lily • Lorne Michaels Writer • ABC
- Outstanding comedy-variety or music series - 1976
NBC's Saturday Night • Lorne Michaels Producer • NBC
- Outstanding special - comedy-variety or music - 1976
Lily Tomlin • Lorne Michaels Producer • ABC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy-variety or music series - 1976
NBC's Saturday Night • with Host Elliott Gould • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy-variety or music special - 1976
Lily Tomlin • Lorne Michaels Writer • ABC
- Outstanding comedy-variety or music series - 1977
NBC's Saturday Night • Lorne Michaels Producer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy-variety or music series - 1977
NBC's Saturday Night • with Sissy Spacek • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy-variety or music series - 1977
Saturday Night Live • with Elliott Gould • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding comedy-variety or music series - 1978
Saturday Night Live • Lorne Michaels Producer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy-variety or music series - 1978
Saturday Night Live • Host: Steve Martin • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy-variety or music special - 1978
The Paul Simon Special • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding comedy-variety or music program - 1979
Saturday Night Live • Lorne Michaels Producer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a comedy or comedy-variety or music series - 1979
Saturday Night Live • Host: Richard Benjamin • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a variety or music program - 1980
Saturday Night Live • Host: Teri Garr • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a variety or music program - 1987
Saturday Night Live • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding variety, music or comedy program - 1989
Saturday Night Live • #569 • Lorne Michaels Executive Producer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a variety or music program - 1989
Saturday Night Live • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding variety, music or comedy series - 1990
Saturday Night Live • Host: Alec Baldwin • Lorne Michaels Executive Producer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a variety or music program - 1990
Saturday Night Live • Host: Alec Baldwin Show #637 • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding writing in a variety or music program - 1991
Saturday Night Live • Host: Roseanne Barr • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding individual achievement in writing in a variety or music program - 1992
Saturday Night Live • series • Lorne Michaels Writer • NBC
- Outstanding individual achievement in writing in a variety or music program - 1993
Saturday Night Live • Host: Harvey Keitel • Lorne Michaels writer • NBC
- Outstanding variety, music or comedy series - 1993
Saturday Night Live • Host: Harvey Keitel?? or the Presidential Bash?? • Lorne Michaels Executive Producer • NBC
- Outstanding variety, music or comedy series - 1994
Saturday Night Live • Guest: Helen Hunt • Lorne Michaels Executive Producer • NBC
- Outstanding variety, music or comedy special - 2000
Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special • Lorne Michaels Executive Producer • NBC