Archive FM

Ian Talks Comedy

Kiki Kazanas Steele (Script Supervisor, Saturday Night Live 1985 - 1990)

Kiki Steele joins me to discuss getting hired at SNL at the tail end of Dick Ebersol's regime and the beginning of Lorne Michaels second; watching the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show; going to Emerson College; being mentored by Norman Lear; Andy Kaufman wanting to hang out in the ladies room at Fridays; working with Paul Miller again on Norman's Corner and Madame's Place; The Hollywood Cubes; Lorne Michaels; messing up timing at the SNL 15th anniversary and being bailed out by Robin Williams; SNL being like a family; her typical week: clean up on Monday; host pitch meeting; typing up scripts Tuesday night and Wednesday morning; putting together the read through packet; timing sketches in read through; waiting for the sketch cards to go up; asking writers for changes; bound scripts delivered on Thursday; counting down musical guest; rehearsals Friday; Herb Sargent delivering baked goods Saturday morning; dress rehearsal; live show; favorite writers: Robert Smigel, Jack Handey; Franken & Davis; the 86 - 90 cast; Bronson Pinchot worst host; Tom Hanks and John Lithgow favorites; Sigourney Weaver gave the pa's gifts;  Buster Poindexter had a song ready every week; Francis Ford Coppola episode; William Shatner; Prince; 15th Anniversary show; Comedy Channel lures her away but she works two jobs; working with Marc Maron, Alan King, and Bob Hope; finding the movies for MST3K; Higgins Boys and Gruber; Alan Zweibel; women writers; Andy Breckman; first job when hired in 1985 was to clean out old scripts from all the way back to first episode; has her SNL jacket; Lorne got her a clock when she left; working with Will Durst; leaving Comedy Central; doing a pilot with Dave Attell; seeing the moonwalk for the first time; Liberty Weekend; Waylon Jennings saves her life; Terry Sweeney; Danitra Vance; Randy Quaid; Victoria Jackson; Paul Simon; Andrew "Dice" Clay; Sam Kinison; her three daughters, two work/worked at SNL; college admissions consultant

Broadcast on:
11 Mar 2023

Kiki Steele joins me to discuss getting hired at SNL at the tail end of Dick Ebersol's regime and the beginning of Lorne Michaels second; watching the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show; going to Emerson College; being mentored by Norman Lear; Andy Kaufman wanting to hang out in the ladies room at Fridays; working with Paul Miller again on Norman's Corner and Madame's Place; The Hollywood Cubes; Lorne Michaels; messing up timing at the SNL 15th anniversary and being bailed out by Robin Williams; SNL being like a family; her typical week: clean up on Monday; host pitch meeting; typing up scripts Tuesday night and Wednesday morning; putting together the read through packet; timing sketches in read through; waiting for the sketch cards to go up; asking writers for changes; bound scripts delivered on Thursday; counting down musical guest; rehearsals Friday; Herb Sargent delivering baked goods Saturday morning; dress rehearsal; live show; favorite writers: Robert Smigel, Jack Handey; Franken & Davis; the 86 - 90 cast; Bronson Pinchot worst host; Tom Hanks and John Lithgow favorites; Sigourney Weaver gave the pa's gifts;  Buster Poindexter had a song ready every week; Francis Ford Coppola episode; William Shatner; Prince; 15th Anniversary show; Comedy Channel lures her away but she works two jobs; working with Marc Maron, Alan King, and Bob Hope; finding the movies for MST3K; Higgins Boys and Gruber; Alan Zweibel; women writers; Andy Breckman; first job when hired in 1985 was to clean out old scripts from all the way back to first episode; has her SNL jacket; Lorne got her a clock when she left; working with Will Durst; leaving Comedy Central; doing a pilot with Dave Attell; seeing the moonwalk for the first time; Liberty Weekend; Waylon Jennings saves her life; Terry Sweeney; Danitra Vance; Randy Quaid; Victoria Jackson; Paul Simon; Andrew "Dice" Clay; Sam Kinison; her three daughters, two work/worked at SNL; college admissions consultant