Lorne Michaels, creator and producer of Saturday Night Live (SNL), has found a new home for his personal archive at the University of Texas at Austin’s Harry Ransom Center. The collection, which spans over five decades of SNL’s history, will join other celebrity archives at the library and museum.
The Lorne Michaels Collection includes behind-the-scenes documents, such as rehearsal notes and annotated scripts from Mean Girls. Once cataloging is complete, students, researchers, and visitors can view these materials, providing a unique insight into the social, political, and cultural history of our time.
The collection will be displayed in a major exhibition titled Live From New York! The Making of Lorne Michaels, running from September 20, 2025, to March 15, 2026. This showcase will explore how SNL’s skits have reflected history on TV over the years.
Lorne Michaels has no official ties to UT or Texas but is the latest in a group of entertainment bigwigs to select the Ransom Center for their archives. Robert De Niro donated his archive in 2006, and Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner also donated the show’s archive in 2017.
The university’s president, Jay Hartzell, welcomed Lorne Michaels and SNL to Texas, stating that the collection will create unique learning and research opportunities for future generations. This donation enhances UT as a destination for the arts and aligns with the institution’s vision and goals.
Source: https://www.chron.com/culture/tv/article/lorne-michaels-ut-archive-snl-20035844.php