A solid read on a number of milestone television series of the modern era
352843
Full disclosure: I've only read the series I've followed start to finish, as each individual section potentially contains spoilers for the series in question.  These include: The Wire, Buffy, 24, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men. (I'm still in the middle of BSG.  Really need to get back to that.)

However, for those shows, Alan Sepinwall delves into the history of each series and the people involved in getting it off the ground, generally from origin to present.  For The Wire, for example, he covers how David Simon's and Ed Burns' association, and how each of the series they'd worked on--notably The Corner and Homicide--helped build into being able to release the show in question.  Using interviews and quotes with the people in question (or archival quotes when certain people, generally from showrunners who are still in the middle of production, are unavailable), Sepinwall's essays create a vivid history--undoubtedly mildly rose-colored but still authentic--of the production of each of the series, and he very clearly defines what he believes makes each of the series listed so important to how television is viewed now.

Each essay is self-contained, thankfully; while other shows are discussed in each chapter, it's typically used in a historical context (as a lot of the show creators involved worked with one another previously) one can avoid most spoilers for a series by not reading the chapter involved.  This doesn't work for all of them; there was a mention of a character death in The Sopranos, but without context I can't figure out how important it is.  (The book may take for granted that one knows about most of the plot points in The Sopranos.)  Aside from that, however, the chapters I read were limited to coverage of the shows themselves.

Sepinwall makes a good argument for the shows listed as to how they've influenced modern television.  I can't argue that it manages it 100% (one of the arguments for Friday Night Lights was the DirecTV distribution deal that came with the third season, and Sepinwall acknowledges that it was previously done with the NBC soap Passions) but his arguments are worth reading anyway just to hear the industry side as to how a lot of these series managed to be so successful (or survive by the skin of their teeth).

If you're a modern television enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to give this a read.
1938233
This "Star Trek FAQ" was clearly very well researched and would be a great starting point for anyone interested in the creation of, arguably, the most influential Science Fiction series of all time. Yes, I am a bit of Star Trek "Fan Boy" since I grew up in the late 1960s and this was the only TV show that my father approved of me watching (over at a neighbor's house because we didn't own a TV). My father was a NASA contractor (and even presented to Wernher von Braun on occasion) and my family has had several NASA employees, so all of this space Sci-Fi seemed just a few years away to me. That being said, and my perspective disclosed, here are my observations:

While most of this information was not new to me since there have been literally hundreds of books, articles, and TV documentaries covering all aspects of Star Trek, as the author observed early in the "Foreword". What makes this iteration very worthwhile is the author's obvious enthusiasm for the series and the amount of information included on the important details. This is focused on "The Original Series", with occasional mention of the subsequent series and movies when in context to and actor or plot thread.

The layout is not like a standard FAQ (typically presented as a series of "Questions & Answers"), but rather is presented as a narrative that starts with a fairly detailed look at Gene Roddenberry's background, the concept ideas and evolution that lead to the creation of the series, the assembling of the cast (very much in flux in the beginning), and of course, the interesting and complicated personality dynamics of cast and crew.

This is one of the most complete works on Star Trek's original series and it was a very fun read as well.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Note: A review copy was provided by the publisher, but that in no way influences my rating or comments.
1319459
In the same vein as Tom Shales' great account of SNL, this book examines NBC's rise to TV dominance in the 1980s and 1990s, starting with Cheers and going through the Seinfeld years.  There are some great stories told here by the people integral to the development of, and performances in, the great lineup of shows NBC put on the air.  Friends, ER, Mad About You, Law and Order, Cosby, Family Ties, and many others are talked about.  If you're a fan of broadcast TV history, or any of the shows mentioned, you'll probably enjoy this book.
4535972
Larry Tart's Freedom Through Vigilance series will appeal to two main audiences: Former U.S. Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) personnel and those with an interest in the history of signal intelligence. (I happen to fall into both categories.) The scope is extensive; these books represent a veritable encyclopedia of names, units, and places. In all, the series totals five volumes and over 3,000 pages. As the author acknowledges, formatting the series was a challenge. In the end, he elected to use essentially a geographical approach, grouping individual unit histories according to the part of the world in which they were stationed. (Volume I being the exception:  a general history of USAFSS and a section on female contributions over the years. Volume II covers Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East while Volume III addresses Alaska and the Far East. The remaining two volumes are devoted to airborne operations worldwide.)

Throughout the Cold War, USAFSS manned dozens of ground intercept sites around the globe, ranging from the well-known FLR-9 "elephant cage" stations to some very obscure "operating locations."  Virtually all these are discussed; the amount of detail is generally proportional to the number of USAFSS veterans who served in a particular location and who could or would share their stories and photos. Of equal or greater interest and importance were the numerous USAFSS airborne units which flew the Airborne Communications Reconnaissance Program (ACRP) missions around the periphery of the USSR, the Warsaw Pact nations, and "Red" China for the better part of 40 years. ACRP and other airborne missions, including tactical SIGINT support in the Korean and Vietnam wars, are covered in the last two volumes.

Although there is nothing of the "now it can be told" variety, occasional operational details, some of them quite interesting, will be found in these volumes. (All sources are unclassified.) But the detailed unit lineages, a few of them spanning from World War II to the 21st century, are themselves valuable pieces to the puzzle for anyone trying to make sense of the enormous SIGINT effort mounted by the United States over the past seventy years or so. The SIGINT researcher should also benefit from descriptions of numerous USAFSS programs and "projects", the names of which are readily found in the extensive indices. The work understandably focuses on the USAFSS era (1948-1979) but both predecessor and successor organizations are examined to a lesser degree.

Freedom Through Vigilance is clearly a labor of love as well as a product of much dedicated research. The down side, if there is one, is that some of the material is of the "you had to be there" nature, which may make it less appealing to those who have not served in the military. Nonetheless, given the near paranoia which seems to pervade the intelligence community when it comes to declassification of even the most mundane facts relating to SIGINT since 1945, this is apt to be as close to the definitive history of USAFSS as we'll see. Every USAFSS veteran should render a heart-felt salute to Larry Tart for telling "our story."
2693117
From the A&P Gypsies to the Ziegfield Follies of the Air, the entire  spectrum of radio in its heyday (1930's 40's, 50's) is all here, with as  fabulous a cast of characters as were ever gathered into one industry.
  The 1500 entries detail the broadcast history of each show (including  dates, times, network, and sponsors), cast members major and minor,  announcers, musicians and singers, producers and directors, sound effects  technicians, and more.
 Shows of special significance, such as  "Gunsmoke" (1952-61) are treated in extensive essays describing  their history and development, with background information derived from  numerous interviews and meticulous research. There are also special  categories, or "umbrella entries", covering concert, news, and  religious shows, and the remote broadcasts of the great bands, such as  Glenn Miller and Woody Herman. For hardcore radio buffs and collectors  information on the availability of tapes of old shows will be a special  treat.  With its fine bibliography and generous index, Dunning's work is a  first rate production, essential for anyone interested in old time radio.
 (The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature  of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)
3442810
Gets back to the originality of the show and characters
4178524
Ah, the seventh Doctor. Loved by some and hated by many, the dying days of Doctor Who (1986-1989) were undeniably full of hits and misses. "Remembrance of the Daleks" remains one of the better stories of this era, stronger in dialogue and plotting than many of the others. The outstanding performance of Sylvester McCoy, who at last keeps the pantomime to a minimum, the impressive action sequences, and the emphasis on drama over comic book melodramatics also help to make this a respectable outing. Unfortunately, the story relies so heavily on continuity from the past that it will be inscrutable to non-fans. There's also some predictable story elements and cliches (Davros escapes in an escape pod again?) that make for a lackluster conclusion, but overall, this is a satisfying adventure.
Tremendous credit is due as always to The Doctor Who Restoration Team for the extra features. In addition to commentary from the lead actors, there's also some amusing outtakes and fascinating deleted scenes (though the latter might have been better if included in the program). And with production information text, alternate camera angles, and episode trailers this disc, like all Doctor Who DVDs, is an outstanding value.
2308441
In his highly readable book Mixed Nuts, author Lawrence Epstein tracks the history of the comedy team from its origin in minstrel shows, through vaudeville, radio, and film, to its current incarnation in television sitcoms. Along the way Epstein discusses a host of old favorites--from Burns and Allen to Laurel and Hardy, Hope and Crosby to Martin and Lewis--as well as many teams readers will probably never have heard of. The book provides brief accounts of the teams' backgrounds and history, sometimes quoting material from their acts (Epstein provides, for example, a version of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First," which was a pleasure to read), and explaining the teams' appeal given the social milieu of their eras. Gracie Allen's likeable character, for example, a non-threatening woman who maintained her dignity despite her trademark illogic, was "a perfect symbol for women caught between Victorian morality and modern mores." Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden, struggling to afford the accoutrements of middle-class life in the post-War period, appealed to an audience that was striving for, or had only recently achieved, similar goals. Comedy teams were affected not only by the historical circumstances of their times, of course, but more specifically by technological change. The advent of radio, free entertainment for the masses, is said to have killed vaudeville, but old vaudeville stars who could adapt to the new medium--whose rate of delivery was right for performance on air, whose humor did not depend on visual cues and appealed to a broad audience--teams such as Burns and Allen, thrived in radio.

Epstein's account of the comedy team is a quick and absorbing read. Though it is the product of a mountain of research, including dozens of interviews (with the likes of Jerry Stiller, Sid Caesar, and Soupy Sales), the book wears its erudition lightly. Mixed Nuts is filled with interesting bits of information, from the poignant--the tragic death of Lou Costello's infant son--to the just plain neat: Homer Simpson owes his "D'oh," for example, to Laurel and Hardy. Most importantly, however, in tracking the development of the comedy team, and in identifying for readers the strands that link current comedy teams--such as Frasier and Niles Crane of the sitcom Frasier--to their comic forbears, Epstein enriches our appreciation of comedians present and past.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece
3173581
A great read, and a pleasure to find again. Being a big (and technically-minded) fan I could have enjoyed even greater details, but this is not intended to be exhaustive, more a fond remembrance of a unique show and the people who made and stared in it.
3515200
This is a beautifully put-together book, full of excellent artwork and some fascinating glimpses at the design process that goes into making Doctor Who. The frame-worthy art cards in the back are a wonderful bonus, including some images not included in the book, as well as concept art of a "Zygon Cave" for an upcoming episode in the new season.

However, some of the organization is a bit of a jumble, and one would have liked to see more images of the designs as they appeared on-screen. There is also a typo on the very last page, where a "New Earth" hospital scene is labeled as a generic "fantasy world" and said fantasy world image is labeled "New Earth."  It's also VERY tilted towards the post-2005 series in ways that make the "50 Years" claim feel a bit of a stretch. True, there's a huge amount of high-quality artwork readily available from the new series, but there are a LOT of classic series designs and blueprints still extant whose absence seems a real shame.

This is a wonderful trove of artwork, but the short shrift it gives the original series makes it fall far short of being a definitive collection. Get this, but hang onto your copy of "Doctor Who: The Early Years" if you want a better look at some of the original icons of the series like the TARDIS and Dalek blueprints, or "The Barry Newberry Signature Collection" that covers some of the best designs the 60s and 70s.
4822184
I found this book while looking for a copy of "The Twilight Zone Companion" at a local bookstore. With it's unassuming cover (and lack of any official Paramount endorsement) I picked it up and thumbed through it. This is a refreshing look (if such a thing can be said about a TV show that is almost 50 years old) at an old favorite of mine.

There's been a lot of Star Trek since the original series premiered in 1966, but I didn't really care for anything after The Next Generation. And my favorite is the original, I have a soft spot in my heart for that show from the '60s that is dated in many ways and all-too-relevant in others. This book covers the original series and the time after it, leading up to the announcement of the first Star Trek movie. I was pretty young back then, and not a fan of the show until around the time the movies were out, so I've been fascinated by that "in-between" period when all there was were reruns and a growing fan movement.

The author covers a lot of topics in this book. It's not just the history of the show -- he also focus on certain aspects. For example, there's a chapter on little-known contributors to the show; one on feuds between people involved with the show; one on the technology in the show and how feasible it is; one on "what went wrong with Season 3"; one on the projects that Gene Roddenberry undertook after the show was cancelled; and many more. There are some things in this book I'd never known before (for example, one of our local independent stations in the Philadelphia area (the now defunct WKBS, Channel 48) had been the first to show the series in syndication) and there are many pictures from back-in-the-day that I'd never seen before. Another thing the author does well is not spending too long on any one topic. Each chapter is just the right length.

If there's one thing negative to say about the book it's that there are some inaccuracies, but none of them are major and shouldn't dissuade you from buying this book. For example, the book states that Shatner's role in Airplane II was that of the spaceship captain (he was actually commander of the moonbase -- no big deal) and the date given for George Takei's autobiography is about a decade later than it actually came out (probably no big deal to anyone other than George!). Still other facts are somewhat off. For example, it's noted that James Cameron acknowledged the works of Harlan Ellison in creating The Terminator: technically true, but Cameron did this begrudgingly just to avoid a lawsuit from Ellison; it's stated that Shatner considers "The Devil In The Dark" to be the high point of the show along with "City On The Edge of Forever", but that's not exactly true: Shatner states that "Devil" is a favorite of his because of the support he received while filming the episode due to the death of his father. The book also claims that Roddenberry and Robert Wise clashed during the making of "The Motion Picture", though I'm pretty sure the author meant that Roddenberry clashed with screenwriter Harold Livingston, as their conflicts are well known in the making of that film. It's also mentioned that the Talosians wanted Pike and Vina to breed slaves in "The Cage", which I'm not 100% sure but I think is wrong. None of these are very significant, but they're worth noting.

The bottom line is that I found this big to be a very enjoyable read. From the wide range of subjects it covers, to the vintage (and often new-to-me) pictures, to even just the layout and presentation of the book, this book succeeds. I was glad to have found it, and recommend it to any Trek fan.
4235457
Not just a 'Remember When' collection of articles. I read a lot of recaps and reviews of my favorite tv shows. I do this for 2 reasons: 1. To relive the episode I have just seen and 2. To get another (professional?) opinion of what I just saw. Did I miss something the writers intended? A sly cultural reference perhaps? Most critics give you the former, the 'remember when' review. To paraphrase Tony Soprano, 'remember when' is the lowest form of criticism. The really good ones (like Mr. Seitz & Alan Sepinwall) give you the latter. In Mad Men Carousel Mr. Seitz gives you the latter in spades. Broken down into chapters that mirror the seasons, each chapter features a self contained discussion of each episode. The book is full of natural stopping points that make it easy to pick up/put down in a busy life, though putting it down will prove difficult. There are also copious amounts of footnotes that expound on what you are reading (the most recurring being 'The Wheel' S1E13). Other of my favorite footnotes are regarding character actors and what else they have been in. It is like when we see someone we recognize in a show and immediately our inner moviepoopshoot.com* kicks in. "Oh yeah, she was in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle."

Reading this book was a great way to relive the experience of seeing the show for the first time because you were learning things about characters, development, story, and production for the first time. The book is part novelization, part analysis, and part film school textbook. The creators as well as the characters of the show are characters in the book. When I first heard of this book I had a very small idea of what it would probably be, and I was ok with that. What I got instead was a book I didn't want to put down because it allowed me to occupy space and time with these characters I care so very much about. It allowed me to get to know them better than even two viewings of the complete series had done. Unfortunately, it also meant that when I finished the book I would feel that subtle sadness and emptiness in knowing I would not be sharing any more time with them.

*IMDB as seen through the eyes of Kevin Smith, writer/director/star of Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back
2114432
"The Lost Chronicles" is a nice look inside the making of the hit TV show.  The book tells how the pilot of the show was conceived and then filmed; has lots of pictures and interviews with the cast and crew; and a recap of every episode in the first season. There's also an in-depth report on the day by day filming of the episode "In Translation". Also included is a DVD with a behind the scenes look at how they prepared the plane used in the pilot episode; interviews with some of the cast; and some deleted scenes.

For the most part, this is a great companion guide to the TV Series "Lost". The behind the scenes details are fascinating including how they planned to initially kill off Jack and why the producers decided not to do so. The explanation of why they used certain plot devices was also interesting.  The interviews with the actors and actresses were fun to read. Especially fascinating was the chapter the covered the filming of one episode - it's amazing how much work is done to film one episode.

Unfortunately, the weakest part of the book is the episode guide. It's written in diary form, but no one person on the island would be able to know what was going on in other character's minds. I was hoping for a more detailed recap with an explanation of both what happened in "real" time and what happened in the flashbacks. I was also hoping for a mention of the "Easter eggs" that happen in most episodes (i.e. Sawyer being taken into custody while Boone is at the police station looking for Shannon).  These Easter eggs are an integral part of the show and I was disappointed that they weren't even mentioned in the book.

Other than the episode recaps, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to Lost fans.
4619878
Before "The Early Show" CBS launched a number of morning programs to compete with NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America". Of them, none lasted longer or fell harder than "CBS Morning News". Peter McCabe, a producer there in its last days, explains what it was like watching the ship go down in 1986.

Published in 1987, "Bad News At Black Rock" may cover events dating back a quarter-century, but it is a worthwhile read for media buffs and entertaining for anyone else. McCabe's background as a feature writer comes in handy as he spends a lot of time focusing on the day-to-day life in "the fishbowl", a large room where producers and bookers traded gossip and compared battle scars, worrying if one of the other shows might book a prize guest first.

"It was amazing at times to see a group of men and women with years of accumulated journalistic experience among them fretting because 'Today' had featured the girl scout who sold the most cookies, while we had not", he writes.

McCabe describes several of the personalities in colorful detail, including recognizable ones like Bill Kurtis and Phyllis George (co-anchors of the show when McCabe came aboard, and the foci of much machination). Head producer Jon Katz is a particularly colorful character as painted here, alternately wise and pig-headed as he embodies television's best and worst excesses.

McCabe is warned early on about the danger of thinking he is going to change anything, and to his credit he doesn't seem a crusader. He's more an amused observer who understands the program and just wishes it was less sizzle and more steak. Watching George, a former beauty queen, fussing over her hair and make-up while ignoring the notes for her next interview, makes him cringe: "If there was one thing Phyllis did not need to worry about, it was how she looked."

McCabe's book is very much of its time, the mid-1980s, with references to events then quite huge but largely forgotten today. The book is dated in other ways. It was okay back then to introduce females by calling them "attractive", as McCabe does, without being labeled sexist. I actually enjoyed this sort of political incorrectness. The 1980s feel very long ago all of a sudden, but this book brings back some of what made them fun.

The only real drawback is when McCabe broadens his focus to take on CBS News as a whole. The news division was having problems, but McCabe was an outsider to all but one small part. McCabe even quotes excessively from the movie "Network" to make his points. It is only when McCabe focuses on his comrades at "Morning News" that the book makes its strongest impressions.

The news business has changed a lot since the 1980s, but I'm sure there are many in and out of media who will enjoy reading about what it was like working a constant battery of 12-hour days in a place of such myopic misery and, in the end, still managing to resent the people responsible for shutting the place down.
2306537
Very pleasant compilation of clips from the Mike Douglas Show with reminiscences recorded in 2007 from Mike's wife Gen, Billy Crystal, Bill Cosby, Della Reese, Mariette Hartley and a TV critic.

This DVD brings back lots of good memories of when TV talk/variety shows were worth watching.

Most of the shows best years and highest ratings were done in Philadelphia 1965-1978 though the DVD fails to make that clear.

Wish that the clips were identified by year but they are not.

Technical quality shows the amazing evolution of TV technology from 1961 black and white and the relatively new medium of videotape (then just 5 years old) to super sharp broadcast color done in Los Angeles.  It's also curious to watch how the show developed from a very low budget local show in Cleveland to a nationally syndicated program shown in 170 markets and watched by at least six million people 5 days a week.

Worth buying.
4455503
I bought this for a class I was taking in college. There is a lot of good information about the shows from the late 90's to the present. It is great to hear the show creators talk about what went on behind the scenes to get the shows made. If you love television and want to see the backstories behind some of your favorite shows, I would recommend this book.
3573674
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest cult TV shows of all time, Titan Books and author Marcus Hearn have produced "The Avengers: A Celebration". Titan and Hearn are responsible for a number of fine books on the history of Hammer Films. This book has the same high standards of layout and design. This is not really an "ultimate" history of the British spy show. It is more of a photographic trip through the show's original 1961-1969 run. Most of the photos have never been published before, and they look like they were taken yesterday. The highlights are the many pictures of "The Avengers" leading ladies: Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, and Linda Thorson.
The book is divided into chapters representing each of the original show's seasons. Each season gets a brief write-up concerning various details, and then photos from episodes of that season fill out the chapter. The book also has a foreword written by series star Patrick Macnee.
Unfortunately not every episode is given a photo, and there is not a complete episode guide listed. This book is more of a pictoral "celebration" of the show, instead of a nuts and bolts history. But the incredible images (especially of Blackman, Rigg, and Thorson) more than make up for any shortcomings. Any "Avengers" fan would love to have this book.