First published 2012
Warren Littlefield served as NBC President of Entertainment during the network's most profitable years. He chronicles how NBC transformed from last place to a billion dollar operation between 1993 and 1998. The network's Thursday night lineup drew 75 million viewers and earned more money than the other six nights combined. Littlefield presents an oral history featuring interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and other stars from shows like Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, ER, Cheers, Law & Order, and Will & Grace. The book explores risky programming decisions and creative challenges. Seinfeld tested poorly as a pilot yet became a massive hit despite network conflicts and executive dysfunction. Littlefield reveals casting decisions, programming strategies, personal rivalries, and substance abuse problems behind the scenes. The account shows how creative passion and bold choices created Must See TV during NBC's peak years.
Genres: business, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, creative-passion
Period: 1993-1998
326 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday
Content warnings: substance-abuse