The Midnight Show - behind the scenes of a live, late-night television comedy show in the early ’80s.

Madeline Cohen from Rolling Stone Magazine is eager to write her first cover story. After an unsuccessful stint as a comedian and a fan of The Midnight Show, Madeline decides to explore the challenges women comedians have had working on the successful late-night show. The 40th anniversary of the death of Lillian Martin, one of the show's original cast members, becomes the focus of her story. Speculation continues about what truly happened to Lillian when she vanished from the Williamsburg Bridge on February 19, 1983. Was it suicide, an accident, or murder? Madeline conducts interviews with members of the cast, writers, and the show's creator. The accounts vary and often contradict each other. What emerges is a clear picture of a difficult environment for women. 

The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne is written as a series of interviews with the significant people in Lillian's life, including her friends, rivals, and romantic interests from the show. This behind-the-scenes look at the early days of a Saturday Night Live-inspired TV show, which became a cultural phenomenon, is both a drama and comedy and is enhanced by the mystery surrounding Lillian's death. Fans of the early days of SNL will find this book especially appealing as well as those who enjoyed the New York City club scene during the 1980s.

Many thanks to Crown Publishing for the advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Adult Fiction | Historical Fiction | Mystery.

Publication Date: April 7, 2026.

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