AUSTIN, TX.- Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of Saturday Night Live, has donated his archive to the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. The Lorne Michaels Collection documents Michaels's career in television from his earliest writing for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show up through and including the nearly 50-year history of Saturday Night Live, the most Emmy Award-nominated show in television history.
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The Lorne Michaels Collection provides insight into the creative and production processes behind Saturday Night Live, which, since its debut in 1975, has made a lasting imprint on American culture through its satiric, comedy sketches and memorable performances. The show has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedic performers of their generation, including Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Bill Murray and in so doing left an indelible impact on our cultural landscape.
“Lorne Michaels has kept us up late and laughing for 50 years,” said Ransom Center Director Stephen Enniss, “and I'm confident for years to come his archive will be studied by students and researchers looking for insight into the social, political, and cultural history of our time. We are deeply grateful to him for entrusting this rich legacy to us.”
Founded in 1957, the Harry Ransom Center is internationally recognized as a premier institution for humanities research and learning. The Lorne Michaels Collection will complement the Ransom Center's existing holdings in literature, film, television, and the performing arts. When cataloging is complete, researchers, students, and anyone interested in learning more about Michaels' career will have access to a wealth of materials documenting the production and cultural impact of SNL and his other works.
“Live from New York and now home in Austin has a great ring to it,” said UT President Jay Hartzell. “Lorne Michaels changed entertainment and shaped generations of American culture, and we could not be more grateful and excited that he has selected UT and the Harry Ransom Center as the home to much of his life's work. Having five decades of Saturday Night Live on our campus creates unique learning and research opportunities for future generations, and especially our students. It also enhances UT as a destination for the arts, consistent with our vision and goals. We welcome Lorne and SNL to Texas.”
The Center is preparing a major exhibition, opening in Fall 2025, to offer the public a preview into this remarkable and socially relevant collection. Live From New York! The Making of Lorne Michaels will highlight key moments from SNL's history and its role in reflecting and shaping societal discourse on politics, culture, and identity. Within the collection are items such as the behind-the-scenes rehearsal notes for SNL, Coneheads dailies, and annotated Mean Girls scripts, showcasing iconic moments of Michaels's career. The public will be able to get a closer view of the production process through drafts, correspondence, audiovisual materials, photographs, artifacts, and more. The exhibition will be on view from September 20, 2025, through March 15, 2026.
The Ransom Center's dedication to preserving and promoting the arts and humanities ensures that the legacy of Saturday Night Live and Michaels's broader career will continue to inform and inspire future generations. Through meticulous cataloging, conservation, teaching, and public programming, the Center will facilitate a deeper understanding of the significant contributions of Lorne Michaels and his many collaborators. The collection is expected to be fully available for research in January 2026.
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