Top of the Rock

 Book 24 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from Feb. 24 - March 7

Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV

by Warren Littlefield

Summary (via Goodreads)

Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment who oversaw the Peacock Network’s rise from also-ran to a division that generated a billion dollars in profits.  In this fast-paced and exceptionally entertaining oral history, Littlefield and NBC luminaries including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Noah Wylie, Debra Messing, Jack Welch, Jimmy Burrows, Helen Hunt, and Dick Wolf vividly recapture the incredible era of Must See TV. 

From 1993 through 1998, NBC exploded every conventional notion of what a broadcast network could accomplish with the greatest prime-time line-up in television history. On Thursday nights, a cavalcade of groundbreaking comedies and dramas streamed into homes, attracting a staggering 75 million viewers and generating more revenue than all other six nights of programming combined. The road to success, however, was a rocky one. How do you turn a show like Seinfeld, one of the lowest testing pilots of all time, into a hit when the network overlords are constantly warring, or worse, drowning in a bottle of vodka?   

Top of the Rock is an addictively readable account of the risky business decisions, creative passion, and leaps of faith that made Must See TV possible. Chock full of delicious behind-the-scenes anecdotes that run the gamut from hilarious casting and programming ploys to petty jealousies and drug interventions, you’re in for a juicy, unputdownable read.

My Opinion

4 stars

It's pretty clear what this book will be about so if you're interested in the material you won't be disappointed.  The fact that this book was written (or co-written) by Warren Littlefield, the NBC President of Entertainment at the time the book covers, gives the book credibility.  There were lots of details and inside information both by Littlefield and by the actors and executives interviewed.  It was also nice to have everyone listed in a guide at the beginning instead of under their quotes; I didn't have to refer to it often but it was easily accessible when I did.

I think it helped that I was mostly in my teen years during this time so I watched a lot of the shows and had a familiarity.

It was written in 2012 so it was quaint to read their opinions about Donald Trump's Apprentice ruining Must-See TV.  If they only knew what else the show would generate...

Quote from the Book

"Seinfeld had different rules. Apparently, you can masturbate at nine but not at eight." ~ David Crane [talking about the censor differences between Seinfeld and Friends]