I just finished reading Tom Shales new book about Saturday Night Live -- Live From New York. It was very interesting -- a behind-the-scenes look at what went on at Studio 8H before the light went on at 11:30.

First, I like Tom Shales and his take on television. As tv critics go, he's one of the best. I actually saw his desk at the Washington Post when I was visiting D.C. years and years ago. There were a few desks I wanted to see, actually (the tour was after most people went home). I was working with a group of young, minority journalism students from colleges across the country during the American Society of Newspaper Editors convention, and the tour was part of the conference for the kids. This was before Ben Bradlee retired and we had a chance to meet him, along with about 100 Pulitzer Prize winners.

I remember when NBC's Saturday Night debuted (Howard Cosell had Saturday Night Live locked up for his show on ABC).

What I remember most about SNL was how it demonstrated to me how much different my sense of humor was from that of my parents.

I was a senior in high school when it debuted, and I remember having friends over to watch it -- with my aprents sitting around watching, too, of course.

Of course, my parents had no idea what was funny about George Carlin, the first host. And Richard Pryor left them in a stupor. A humorless stupor, for that matter.

But I think the defining moment came during one of SNL's earliest commercial parodies -- for Col. Lingus, the chicken that takes a lickin'.

It was so out of left field, so bawdy and unexpected, that my friends and I laughed until we had tears in our eyes. Then we realized my parents just didn't get it. They had no clue what we were laughing about. Now, some of it is simply the fact that my sense of humor had to have been adopted. It never could have come from these two people genetically. Still, it pointed out vividly that this was a new generation -- for those of us at the tail end of the Baby Boomer Generation.

I don't think you could define this generation without references to John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Dan Ackroyd or Gilda Radner. Chevy Chase doing pratfalls as Gerald Ford were a defining moment -- even if Chevy Chase, the person, is a flaming asshole. John Belushi doing Samurai whatever, was seminal. And his side-by-side impression of Joe Cocker, with Joe Cocker, was transcendental. Same with his Duelling Brandos with Peter Boyle and Ackroyd's dead-on Tom Snyder. And Gilda was in a class all by herself (My favorite was Emily Latella and her commentary about excessive violins on television).

There were times when SNL sucked. But as many times as it sucked, it soared to new heights and broke new ground. Thankfully, it's going to be around forever. Even though Gilda and Belushi are gone. And even though Chevy Chase is STILL an asshole. The genius of a generation was captured once a week. At 11:30. Live, from New York.

More soon.