Lorne Michaels

“The only way you can do a show is if you've got a cast that you're in love with.”

“The show doesn't go on because it's ready; it goes on because it's 11:30.”

“We look for people who are not quite ready.”

“The show has changed, but the sensibilities are the same.”

“I think the good thing about the show is that it's a meritocracy.”

“I think the highest-level comedians are always the ones who are just a little bit sad.”

“Comedy is so hard to do, and it's so easy to miss.”

“Part of the discipline of being a writer is to learn to be patient.”

“It is a writers' show. And the head writer is the person who's in charge of the show.”

“My life is a series of deadlines.”

“If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative.”

“You can't be a legend in your own lifetime.”

“There's an innocence to the moment you're playing a song for the first time.”

“I'm not in the business of nostalgia.”