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Based on the wildly popular comic by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead is a riveting drama about experiencing a zombie apocalypse—and living to tell the tale. It explores the survivors’s fate and questions who poses the greater threat: the mindless zombies or the desperate living. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead examines the evolution of zombie “culture” from its beginnings on the big screen in the films of George A. Romero to the recent explosion of literary adaptions and the small screen ratings-winner The Walking Dead.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
David Simon’s The Wire, hands down, has been described by critics and fans alike as simply the best television show, ever. More than just your typical cop drama where the heroes and the villains are easy to define, The Wire took television storytelling to a whole new level when it premiered in June 2002. Audiences faced the seedy underbelly of Baltimore, Maryland and questioned what makes a city work—or what makes it fail. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead investigates the ups and downs of a show so compelling that, “even when it was hard to watch—the violent crime, vicious attacks or characters behaving badly—it was even harder to look away.”
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
Emmy Award-winning Downton Abbey brings to life the trials and tribulations of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants as they struggle to maintain their place in the rapidly changing world of the early 20th century. Rich with period costumes, schemes, intrigue, and affairs of the heart, Downton Abbey is a vivid portrait of a now-vanished way of life. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead examines the unlikely popularity of this character-driven period drama and its relevance to today’s audience.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-set stories about the cast and crew.
Based on Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire series, True Blood brings to life a rich fantasy world in which vampires, telepathic barmaids, and old-world Southern charm all manage to co-exist. Dark, edgy and sensual, the series takes the vampire trend to a new level of sex and violence. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead investigates the ups and downs of the wildly popular show in which outcasts come in many shapes and sizes, and danger lurks around every corner.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
Beloved by fans and critics alike, Mad Men, Matthew Weiner’s intense, clever series about the world of 1960s advertising, followed an intriguing path from script to screen. Flat-out rejected by HBO, the show found a home at AMC and has gone on to great success, gaining countless fans and sweeping numerous awards shows in its wake. More than just a nostalgic romp through an idealized past, the series explores recent American history through the lens of Madison Avenue ‘mad men’ like Don Draper and Roger Sterling with unparalleled intelligence and exciting storytelling.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
Honest, compelling and full of heart, Friday Night Lights brought small-town Texas football into the lives of television viewers across North America. From book to movie to the small screen, Friday Night Lights struggled against the odds to survive on television, finally doing so through an innovative deal with Direct TV and NBC, as well as the support of an intense fan base. Anyone hearing the rallying cry of “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose” knows that to love Friday Night Lights is to adore an ensemble drama that tests the limits of the art form while offering a glimpse into the lives of people who eat, sleep, and breathe American football culture.
Kathleen Olmstead’s ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
With definitions for each of the major and minor arcana, A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot: Your Guide to the Cards has everything you need to understand and interpret the meaning of each of the cards.
For centuries, people have turned to tarot to discover more about their friendships, their careers, their love lives, and themselves. Tarot can help you forge deeper relationships with those who are important to you, understand why patterns repeat in your life, and discover how you can take hold of your future.
With easy to follow instructions for readings that you can do on your own or with others, A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot: Your Guide to Spreads has everything you need to select and complete spreads for yourself and for others.
For centuries, people have turned to tarot to discover more about their friendships, their careers, their love lives, and themselves. Tarot can help you forge deeper relationships with those who are important to you, understand why patterns repeat in your life, and discover how you can take hold of your future.
Boardwalk Empire is an unflinching portrayal of life in Atlantic City at the height of Prohibition. Starring Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, the crime drama seamlessly blends fiction and historical realism, exploring vice, greed and blind ambition during a time when America was still defining itself. Over the course of its five-season run, Boardwalk Empire garnered forty Primetime Emmy nominations, going on to win seventeen Primetime Emmy awards.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
For centuries, people have turned to tarot to discover more about their friendships, their careers, their love lives, and themselves. Tarot can help you forge deeper relationships with those who are important to you, understand why patterns repeat in your life, and discover how you can take hold of your future.
With definitions of each of the major and minor arcana as well as easy to follow instructions for readings that you can do on your own or with others, A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot has everything you need to get started. And for those who are ready to go further, this guide also contains detailed instructions on how to create your own cards and spreads to further explore the potential of tarot.
With easy to follow instructions for readings that you can do on your own or with others, A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot: Your Guide to Spreads for Special Occasions has everything you need to select and complete spreads for special occasions.
For centuries, people have turned to tarot to discover more about their friendships, their careers, their love lives, and themselves. Tarot can help you forge deeper relationships with those who are important to you, understand why patterns repeat in your life, and discover how you can take hold of your future.
This ebook bundles includes eight Untold History titles: Breaking Bad, Downtown Abbey, Freaks and Geeks, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, The Wire, and True Blood.
Bolstered by the successes of shows like The Flintstones, The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Beavis and Butt-head and South Park, animated television shows aimed at audiences outside of the Saturday morning cartoon crowd are growing in popularity. Fox Television’s Bob’s Burgers and FX’s Archer are just two examples of the increasing presence of animated shows on network television and the growing size and diversity of the audiences captivated by these cartoon comedies. Archer and Bob’s Burgers share more than just a lead actor; they also rise from a shared history—one that is based on a foundation created by the crass and witty cartoons that came before them.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of both series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
A short-lived cult classic, Freaks and Geeks proved that a television show about teenagers could reach beyond the superficial by confronting—and redefining—high school stereotypes. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead investigates the ups and downs of the show “that pushed the beautiful people aside and gave us stories about those usually ignored by television.”
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot: Tarot DIY contains easy to follow instructions for designing your own spreads, your own cards, and your own tarot journal.
For centuries, people have turned to tarot to discover more about their friendships, their careers, their love lives, and themselves. Tarot can help you forge deeper relationships with those who are important to you, understand why patterns repeat in your life, and discover how you can take hold of your future.
A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot: Your Guide to Caring for Your Tarot Deck contains everything you need to know about picking your deck, storing your deck, and clearing your deck. And, for those ready to take the next step, this guide also includes instructions to design your own deck.
For centuries, people have turned to tarot to discover more about their friendships, their careers, their love lives, and themselves. Tarot can help you forge deeper relationships with those who are important to you, understand why patterns repeat in your life, and discover how you can take hold of your future.
The X-Files was a risky choice for network television when it premiered in 1993, but the show’s seemingly niche premise immediately captured a large, loyal fanbase that continued on even after the original series ended. With its heavy focus on aliens, monsters, and government conspiracies, The X-Files can be credited with bringing the paranormal into the mainstream.
During its nine-year run, The X-Files won numerous awards, including Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAG awards. In 1997, both lead actors, Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, were awarded Emmys for their performances.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
At Olivia Pope & Associates, scandal rules the day. The highly respected crisis management firm is the go-to for the high-profile political elite whose reputations are under threat. Scandal touches on political intrigue, covert spies, and international conspiracies, all with more than a dash of romance. Exploring not only the cultural significance and success of the show, The Untold History of Television: Scandal also examines the meteoric rise of Shonda Rhimes, and how her vision has changed the landscape of network television forever.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
Comedy has been a staple of broadcast television since the inception of the medium. And from Lucille Ball to Carol Burnett to Mary Tyler Moore, women have proved themselves more than adept at delivering a joke. But women's contribution to comedy goes far beyond perfect timing—the women who have advanced comedy on television have developed, produced, written, and starred in the shows that are now considered comedy classics.
30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are just two of the many modern comedies in which women have played key roles—although in this case, a single woman, Tina Fey, is the creative genius behind both. Through the voice of Liz Lemon, 30 Rock tackled topics ranging from race to politics to age, and over the course of its seven seasons won an impressive ninety Emmy nominations. Fey continues to tackle difficult subjects in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, this time through the lens of the enthusiastically naive Kimmy, a kidnapping victim who refuses to let her past experiences define her.
The ebook contains information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.
As a TV Producer and host of the smash late night show Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen has a front row seat to an exciting world not many get to see. In this dishy, detailed diary of one year in his life, Andy goes out on the town, drops names, hosts a ton of shows, becomes codependent with Real Housewives, makes trouble, calls his mom, drops some more names, and, while searching for love, finds it with a dog. We learn everything from which celebrity peed in her WWHL dressing room to which Housewives are causing trouble and how. Nothing is off limits – including dating. We see Andy at home and with close friends and family (including his beloved and unforgettable mom). Throughout, Andy tells us not only what goes down, but exactly what he thinks about it. Inspired by the diaries of another celebrity-obsessed Andy (Warhol), this honest, irreverent, and laugh-out-loud funny book is a one-of-a-kind account of the whos and whats of pop culture in the 21st century.
Carol Burnett is one of the most beloved and revered actresses and performers in America. The Carol Burnett Show was seen each week by millions of adoring fans and won twenty-five Emmys in its remarkable eleven-year run. Now, in This Time Together, Carol really lets her hair down and tells one funny or touching or memorable story after another.
In engaging anecdotes, Carol discusses her remarkable friendships with stars such at Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, and Julie Andrews; the background behind famous scenes, like the moment she swept down the stairs in her curtain-rod dress in the legendary “Went With the Wind” skit; and things that would happen only to Carol--the prank with Julie Andrews that went wrong in front of the First Lady; the famous Tarzan Yell that saved her during a mugging; and the time she faked a wooden leg to get served in a famous ice cream emporium.
This poignant look back allows us to cry with the actress during her sorrows, rejoice in her successes, and finally, always, to laugh.
When first published to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, LIVE FROM NEW YORK was immediately proclaimed the best book ever produced on the landmark and legendary late-night show. In their own words, unfiltered and uncensored, a dazzling galaxy of trail-blazing talents recalled three turbulent decades of on-camera antics and off-camera escapades. Now a fourth decade has passed---and bestselling authors James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales have returned to Studio 8H. Over more than 100 pages of new material, they raucously and revealingly take the SNL story up to the present, adding a constellation of iconic new stars, surprises, and controversies.
Melissa has been entertaining audiences most of her life; when there were no girls named Melissa on her favorite show, the forceful four year old decided she'd get on television her way. From that moment on, Melissa has shown a singular determination and focus-whether it's for booking three national commercials so her dad would build her a tree house or for nailing the audition for Clarissa.
From her first commercial to her current starring role in ABC Family's hit Melissa and Joey, Hart never let fame go to her head. She always had one foot in Hollywood and one foot in reality-and still does. Melissa makes us laugh along with her as she talks about:
--guest appearances in shows like Saturday Night Live and The Equalizer
--auditioning for Punky Brewster and Clarissa
--her early Broadway days
--wacky parties she's thrown and attended
-- the actors who influenced her and whom she befriended, worked with and competed against
--her experiences both on and off-set-with Sabrina's Salem the Cat and Elvis the Alligator on Clarissa
--how she met the love of her life at the Kentucky Derby
Melissa Joan Hart explains all that she's learned along the way-what's kept her grounded, normal and working when others have not been so fortunate-and that she's the approachable, hilarious girl-next-door her fans have always thought she'd be.
The megapopular host of Watch What Happens: Live and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise is back, better than ever, and telling stories that will keep his publicist up at night.
Since the publication of his last book, Andy has toured the country with his sidekick Anderson Cooper, hit the radio waves with his own Sirius station, Radio Andy, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher despite his mother’s conviction he was not intellectually prepared, hosted NBC’s Primetime New Year’s Eve special, guest edited Entertainment Weekly, starred in Bravo’s Then & Now with Andy Cohen, offended celebrities with his ongoing case of foot-in-mouth disease, and welcomed home Teresa “Namaste” Giudice, from a brief stint in jail. Hopping from the Hamptons to the Manhattan dating world, the dog park to the red carpet, Cardinals superfan and mama’s boy Andy Cohen, with Wacha in tow, is the kind of star that fans are dying to be friends with. This book gives them that chance.
If The Andy Cohen Diaries was deemed “the literary equivalent of a Fresca and tequila” by Jimmy Fallon, Superficial is a double: dishier, juicier, and friskier. In this account of his escapades—personal, professional, and behind-the-scenes—Andy tells us not only what goes down, but exactly what he thinks of it.
--Johnny Knoxville
From his early days videotaping crazy skateboard stunts to starring in the Jackass movies, there was little that Stephen "Steve-O" Glover wouldn't do. Whether it was stapling his nutsack to his leg or diving into a pool full of elephant crap, almost nothing was out of bounds. As the stunts got crazier, his life kept pace. He developed a crippling addiction to drugs and alcohol, and an obsession with his own celebrity that proved nearly as dangerous. Only an intervention and a visit to a psychiatric ward saved his life. Today he has been clean and sober for more than three years.
Professional Idiot recounts the lunacy, the debauchery, the stunts, the drug addiction, and the path to recovery with bravado, humor, and heart.
"A great book to read before you get on the roller coaster to hell, if you plan on surviving to tell about it like Steve-O did."
--Nikki Sixx, author of The Heroin Diaries
"This is the perfect book for people who hate reading."
--Tommy Lee, author of Tommyland
The feedback I've gotten on Facebook and Twitter from those of you who've read this book has been fascinating, heartwarming, and hilarious. I'm happy to keep answering your questions on there, and I encourage more of you to join in the discussion. Hope to hear from you soon, and thank you all so much.
Love,
Steve-O
"It's unlikely that Trump has ever read Amusing Ourselves to Death, but his ascent would not have surprised Postman.” -CNN
Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman’s groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media—from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs—it has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Death is a prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of entertainment. It is also a blueprint for regaining control of our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.
“A brilliant, powerful, and important book. This is an indictment that Postman has laid down and, so far as I can see, an irrefutable one.” –Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World
Chasing Spirits also invites you into Nick’s haunted past, where a childhood near-death experience, an energetic passion for life, and a love of movies fueled his imagination and curiosity about the afterlife and started him off on his paranormal path. That path combined his interests in a documentary on ghosts that would eventually launch the Ghost Adventures television series and phenomenon. Everything Nick has witnessed and done has convinced him of the reality of the hereafter and inspired him to improve his personal and professional relationships and to continue to learn what it means to be a human being on a spiritual journey.
These are the days of their lives.
The Days of our Lives is the first insider account of the history behind one of our most beloved soap operas. It is about the family who believed in it, conceived it, and sometimes seemed to live it along with millions of viewers, as they struggled to emerge from nowhere to create and produce one of the most successful and enduring television shows in history.
You will discover for the first time the true stories behind the show, a story of living a dream and raising a family while things all around you, even fate, seem to conspire against you-and succeeding against all odds.
"Blending inside stories about the show with a personal, philosophical view of his hardworking parents, the reader gets to experience a true classic American success story." AOL NEWS
"The Days of our Lives is a must for any fan of the show, or those looking into insight of daytime television." MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
"A really good book... a loving, surprisingly spiritual, sometimes shocking tribute to the Corday family business... revelatory." TV GUIDE
The most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than fifty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.
Barbara Walters’s perception of the world was formed at a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take great risks, for Lou Walters didn’t just make several fortunes—he also lost them. Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships—between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Through her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a close companion, her mentally challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, but Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so “different” and the guilt that still haunts her.
All of this—the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love—played a large part in the choices she made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, combined with a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the Today show, the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated Specials, the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of The View. She has not just interviewed the world’s most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. These are just a few of the names that play a key role in Barbara’s life, career, and book: Yasir Arafat, Warren Beatty, Menachem Begin, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, King Hussein, Angelina Jolie, Henry Kissinger, Monica Lewinsky, Richard Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Christopher Reeve, Anwar Sadat, John Wayne . . . the list goes on and on.
Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning: for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. This book, in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating.
Born the son of a Billingsgate market porter at the height of the Second World War, David Jason spent his early life dodging bombs and bullies, both with impish good timing. Giving up on an unloved career as an electrician, he turned his attention to acting and soon, through a natural talent for making people laugh, found himself working with the leading lights of British comedy in the 1960s and '70s: Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Bob Monkhouse and Ronnie Barker. Barker would become a mentor to David, leading to hugely successful stints in Porridge and Open All Hours.
It wasn’t until 1981, kitted out with a sheepskin jacket, a flat cap, and a clapped-out Reliant Regal, that David found the part that would capture the nation’s hearts: the beloved Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in Only Fools and Horses. Never a one-trick pony, he had an award-winning spell as TV’s favourite detective Jack Frost, took a country jaunt as Pop Larkin in the Darling Buds of May, and even voiced a crime-fighting cartoon rodent in the much-loved children’s show Danger Mouse.
But life hasn't all been so easy: from missing out on a key role in Dad’s Army to nearly drowning in a freak diving accident, David has had his fair share of ups and downs, and has lost some of his nearest and dearest along the way.
David’s is a touching, funny and warm-hearted story, which charts the course of his incredible five decades at the top of the entertainment business. He's been a shopkeeper and a detective inspector, a crime-fighter and a market trader, and he ain't finished yet. As Del Boy would say, it's all cushty.
In The Revolution Was Televised, celebrated TV critic Alan Sepinwall chronicles the remarkable transformation of the small screen over the past fifteen years. Focusing on twelve innovative television dramas that changed the medium and the culture at large forever, including The Sopranos, Oz, The Wire, Deadwood, The Shield, Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 24, Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad, Sepinwall weaves his trademark incisive criticism with highly entertaining reporting about the real-life characters and conflicts behind the scenes.
Drawing on interviews with writers David Chase, David Simon, David Milch, Joel Surnow and Howard Gordon, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, and Vince Gilligan, among others, along with the network executives responsible for green-lighting these groundbreaking shows, The Revolution Was Televised is the story of a new golden age in TV, one that’s as rich with drama and thrills as the very shows themselves.
Andy Griffith and Don Knotts first met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy moved to Hollywood to film a TV pilot for a comedy about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if Andy’s sheriff could use a deputy. The friendship and comedy partnership between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating the folksy television sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship. Together, they created a program with a uniquely small-town dynamic that captured the hearts of Americans across the country who watched these two men rocking on the front porch, meditating about the pleasure of a bottle of pop.
But behind this sleepy charm, de Visé’s exclusive reporting “captures the complexity of both men and the intimacy of their friendship with extreme detail and sensitivity” (Publishers Weekly), from unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, struggles with the temptations of fame, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century.
Written by Don Knotts’s brother-in-law, Andy and Don is “a rewarding dual biography that is also a lively look inside the entertainment industry in the latter half of the twentieth century” (News & Observer). Entertaining and provocative, it “captures a golden moment in modern Americana. You’ll not only return again to Mayberry, you’ll feel as though you’ve never left” (Tom Shales, Pulitzer Prize–winning television critic).
When the Black Stig disappeared off the end of an aircraft carrier in 2003, we were introduced to The White Stig. Faster. Stranger. Harder to keep clean. And ever since, millions have wondered – who is The Man in the White Suit? They're about to find out.
Ben Collins caught the car the bug young, kicking his dad's boss in the balls for not giving him a company Jag. This was the attitude that eventually led him to spend seven years sharing a cabin with Jeremy Clarkson's underwear, James May's PhD thesis and Richard Hammond's hairspray. Because he is The Stig.
Now he tells all about life inside the iconic white helmet. What it's like to guide a blind ex-RAF officer around the Top Gear track; pit a drug dealer's Mitsubishi Evo against a Trojan tank; set a Vauxhall Monara against Chloe the dancing Ninja; and race double-decker Routemasters against bendy buses. Not to mention all the inside stuff on how the show's amazing driving sequences are made.
He also reveals how he got to be there – setting
a Dunsfold lap time faster than Michael Schumacher's. Breaking records with the best of the best at Daytona and Le Mans.
It's an awesome story, told by an amazing man.
In 1979 it began as a mad idea of starting a cable channel to televise local sporting events, and now spans eight channels in the Unites States and around the world. Drawing upon over 500 interviews with the greatest names in ESPN's history and an All-Star collection of some of the world's finest athletes, bestselling authors James Miller and Tom Shales take us behind the cameras.
Now, in their own words, the men and women who made ESPN great reveal the secrets behind its success, as well as the many scandals, rivalries, off-screen battles and triumphs that have accompanied that ascent. From the unknown producers and business visionaries to the most famous faces on television, it's all here.
For nine seasons, Mary McDonough was part of one of the most beloved families in television history. Just ten years-old when she was cast as the pretty, wholesome middle child Erin, Mary grew up on the set of The Waltons, alternately embracing and rebelling against her good-girl onscreen persona. Now, as the first cast member to write about her experiences on the classic series, she candidly recounts the joys and challenges of growing up Walton--from her overnight transformation from a normal kid in a working class, Irish Catholic family, to a Hollywood child star, to the personal challenges that led her to take on a new role as an activist for women's body image issues.
Touching, funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and always illuminating, Lessons from the Mountain is the story of everything Mary McDonough learned on her journey over--and beyond--that famous mountain.
"For someone who started out as a sweet little girl afraid to speak up, it certainly is a pleasure to hear her shout from the top of the mountain now! --Alison Arngrim, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Prairie Bitch
"She's a radiant woman whose truth comes from within. . .if I had to pick one word that described Mary Beth, it would be resilience." --Earl Hamner, Creator of The Waltons
"Mary is a whole lot more than Erin on The Waltons. This book shows how she's handled all the highs and lows with grace." –George Clooney
Includes Never Before Published Bonus Chapter!
This book has not been prepared, approved, licensed, endorsed, or in any way authorized by any entity that created or produced Charmed.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
After three years of sobriety, Chris Farley's life was at its creative peak until a string of professional disappointments chased him back to drugs and alcohol. He fought hard against them, but it was a fight he would lose in December 1997. Farley's fans immediately drew parallels between his death and that of his idol, John Belushi. Without looking deeper, however, many failed to see that Farley was much more than just another Hollywood drug overdose. In this officially authorized oral history, Farley's friends and family remember his work and life. Along the way, they tell a remarkable story of boundless energy, determination, and laughter that could only keep the demons at bay for so long.
Before and during the events of season two, Elliot recorded his most private thoughts in this journal—and now you can hold this piece of the series in your hands. Experience Elliot’s battles to gain control of his life and his struggles to survive increasingly dangerous circumstances, in a brand-new story rendered in his own words.
The notebook also holds seven removable artifacts—a ripped-out page, a newspaper clipping, a mysterious envelope, and more—along with sketches throughout the book. You’ll discover the story behind MR. ROBOT season two and hints of what is to come. This book is the ultimate journey into the world of the show—and a key to hacking the mind of its main character.
MR. ROBOT is a psychological thriller that follows Elliot (Rami Malek, The Pacific), a young programmer, who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and as a vigilante hacker by night. Elliot finds himself at a crossroads when the mysterious leader (Christian Slater, Adderall Diaries) of an underground hacker group recruits him to destroy the firm he is paid to protect.
Praise for MR. ROBOT:
“Relentless, sensational, and unabashedly suspenseful” —The New York Times
“. . . most narratively and visually daring drama series on television . . .” —Entertainment Weekly
“Terrific” —The New Yorker
“Sam Esmail is one of the most innovative creators to make his mark on television in a long time.” —Rolling Stone
“A modern classic” —Forbes
“MR. ROBOT has the potential to be one of the defining shows of our age.” —TIME
“Brilliant” —The Huffington Post
Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series, Drama, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Christian Slater)
Critics’ Choice® Awards for Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series (Rami Malek), and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Christian Slater)
Emmy Award® for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Rami Malek)
Five Emmy® nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series
Satire TV examines what happens when comedy becomes political, and politics become funny. A series of original essays focus on a range of programs, from The Daily Show to South Park, Da Ali G Show to The Colbert Report, The Boondocks to Saturday Night Live, Lil’ Bush to Chappelle’s Show, along with Internet D.I.Y. satire and essays on British and Canadian satire. They all offer insights into what today’s class of satire tells us about the current state of politics, of television, of citizenship, all the while suggesting what satire adds to the political realm that news and documentaries cannot.
For twenty years-since they shared a TV column at Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper-critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz have been debating these questions and many more, but it all ultimately boils down to this:
What's the greatest TV show ever?
That debate reaches an epic conclusion in TV (THE BOOK). Sepinwall and Seitz have identified and ranked the 100 greatest scripted shows in American TV history. Using a complex, obsessively all- encompassing scoring system, they've created a Pantheon of top TV shows, each accompanied by essays delving into what made these shows great. From vintage classics like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy to modern masterpieces like Mad Men and Friday Night Lights, from huge hits like All in the Family and ER to short-lived favorites like Firefly and Freaks and Geeks, TV (THE BOOK) will bring the triumphs of the small screen together in one amazing compendium.
Sepinwall and Seitz's argument has ended. Now it's time for yours to begin!
Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. But against all odds, viewers did watch—first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly forty million Americans were tuning in weekly. Fussy Jerry, neurotic George, eccentric Kramer, and imperious Elaine—people embraced them with love.
Seinfeldia, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong’s intimate history is full of gossipy details, show trivia, and insights into how famous episodes came to be. Armstrong celebrates the creators and fans of this American television phenomenon, bringing readers into the writers’ room and into a world of devotees for whom it never stopped being relevant. Seinfeld created a strange new reality, one where years after the show had ended the Soup Nazi still spends his days saying “No soup for you!”, Joe Davola gets questioned every day about his sanity, and Kenny Kramer makes his living giving tours of New York sites from the show.
Seinfeldia is an outrageous cultural history. Dwight Garner of The New York Times Book Review wrote: “Armstrong has an eye for detail….Perhaps the highest praise I can give Seinfeldia is that it made me want to buy a loaf of marbled rye and start watching again, from the beginning.”
Drinking and Dating chronicles Glanville’s misadventures stumbling through today’s dating world. From social media blunders to bedroom escapades, Brandi withholds nothing. Each chapter is inspired by a relationship encounter she has had since her sensational divorce from actor Eddie Cibrian. Hilarious, surprising, vulnerable, and outspoken, Glanville’s unexpected take on dating after heartbreak – and life in general - is as unique as she is. Just like Brandi herself, Drinking and Dating is sexy, funny, and eyebrow-raising.
It was the original Star Trek series, and later its films, that made Shatner instantly recognizable, called by name---or at least by Captain Kirk's name---across the globe. But Shatner neither began nor has ended his career with that role. From the very start, he took his skills as an actor and put them to use wherever he could. He straddled the classic world of the theater and the new world of television, whether stepping in for Christopher Plummer in Shakespeare's Henry V or staring at "something on the wing" in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. And since then, he's gone on to star in numerous successful shows, such as T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911, and Boston Legal.
William Shatner has always been willing to take risks for his art. What other actor would star in history's first---and probably only---all-Esperanto-language film? Who else would share the screen with thousands of tarantulas, release an album called Has Been, or film a racially incendiary film in the Deep South during the height of the civil rights era? And who else would willingly paramotor into a field of waiting fans armed with paintball guns, all waiting for a chance to stun Captain...er, Shatner?
In this touching and very funny autobiography, William Shatner's Up Till Now reveals the man behind these unforgettable moments, and how he's become the worldwide star and experienced actor he is today.
"It is now Bill Shatner's universe---we just live in it."---New York Daily News
A passion project from superfans and amateur chefs Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer—and endorsed by George R. R. Martin himself—A Feast of Ice and Fire lovingly replicates a stunning range of cuisines from across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. From the sumptuous delicacies enjoyed in the halls of power at King’s Landing, to the warm and smoky comfort foods of the frozen North, to the rich, exotic fare of the mysterious lands east of Westeros, there’s a flavor for every palate, and a treat for every chef.
These easy-to-follow recipes have been refined for modern cooking techniques, but adventurous eaters can also attempt the authentic medieval meals that inspired them. The authors have also suggested substitutions for some of the more fantastical ingredients, so you won’t have to stock your kitchen with camel, live doves, or dragon eggs to create meals fit for a king (or a khaleesi). In all, A Feast of Ice and Fire contains more than 100 recipes, divided by region:
• The Wall: Rack of Lamb and Herbs; Pork Pie; Mutton in Onion-Ale Broth; Mulled Wine; Pease Porridge
• The North: Beef and Bacon Pie; Honeyed Chicken; Aurochs with Roasted Leeks; Baked Apples
• The South: Cream Swans; Trout Wrapped in Bacon; Stewed Rabbit; Sister’s Stew; Blueberry Tarts
• King’s Landing: Lemon Cakes; Quails Drowned in Butter; Almond Crusted Trout; Bowls of Brown; Iced Milk with Honey
• Dorne: Stuffed Grape Leaves; Duck with Lemons; Chickpea Paste
• Across the Narrow Sea: Biscuits and Bacon; Tyroshi Honeyfingers; Wintercakes; Honey-Spiced Locusts
There’s even a guide to dining and entertaining in the style of the Seven Kingdoms. Exhaustively researched and reverently detailed, accompanied by passages from all five books in the series and full-color photographs guaranteed to whet your appetite, this is the companion to the blockbuster phenomenon that millions of stomachs have been growling for. And remember, winter is coming—so don’t be afraid to put on a few pounds.
Includes a Foreword by George R. R. Martin
From the Hardcover edition.
The Squared Circle grows out of David Shoemaker’s writing for Deadspin, where he started the column “Dead Wrestler of the Week” (which boasts over 1 million page views) -- a feature on the many wrestling superstars who died too young because of the abuse they subject their bodies to -- and his writing for Grantland, where he covers the pro wrestling world, and its place in the pop culture mainstream. Shoemaker’s sportswriting has since struck a nerve with generations of wrestling fans who—like him—grew up worshipping a sport often derided as “fake” in the wider culture. To them, these professional wrestling superstars are not just heroes but an emotional outlet and the lens through which they learned to see the world.
Starting in the early 1900s and exploring the path of pro wrestling in America through the present day, The Squared Circle is the first book to acknowledge both the sport’s broader significance and wrestling fans’ keen intellect and sense of irony. Divided into eras, each section offers a snapshot of the wrestling world, profiles some of the period’s preeminent wrestlers, and the sport’s influence on our broader culture. Through the brawling, bombast, and bloodletting, Shoemaker argues that pro wrestling can teach us about the nature of performance, audience, and, yes, art.
Full of unknown history, humor, and self-deprecating reminiscence—but also offering a compelling look at the sport’s rightful place in pop culture—The Squared Circle is the book that legions of wrestling fans have been waiting for. In it, Shoemaker teaches us to look past the spandex and body slams to see an art form that can explain the world.
April 1912. The sun is rising behind Downton Abbey, a great and splendid house in a great and splendid park. So secure does it appear that it seems as if the way it represents will last for another thousand years. It won't.
Millions of American viewers were enthralled by the world of Downton Abbey, the mesmerizing TV drama of the aristocratic Crawley family--and their servants--on the verge of dramatic change. On the eve of Season 2 of the TV presentation, this gorgeous book--illustrated with sketches and research from the production team, as well as on-set photographs from both seasons--takes us even deeper into that world, with fresh insights into the story and characters as well as the social history.
From the implications of faking normalcy (could it be behind Dexter’s still-in-progress emotional growth?) to where the show weighs in on the psychological debate between nature and nurture, The Psychology of Dexter gives fans a peek inside Dexter’s—and Dexter’s—psyche.
When NBC decided to move Jay Leno into prime time to make room for Conan O'Brien to host the Tonight show-a job he had been promised five years earlier-skeptics anticipated a train wreck for the ages. It took, in fact, only a few months for the dire predictions to come true. Leno's show, panned by critics, dragged down the ratings-and the profits-of NBC's affiliates, while ratings for Conan's new Tonight show plummeted to the lowest levels in history. Conan's collapse, meanwhile, opened an unexpected door of opportunity for rival David Letterman. What followed was a boisterous, angry, frequently hilarious public battle that had millions of astonished viewers glued to their sets. In The War for Late Night, New York Times reporter Bill Carter offers a detailed behind-the-scenes account of the events of the unforgettable 2009/2010 late-night season as all of its players- performers, producers, agents, and network executives-maneuvered to find footing amid the shifting tectonic plates of television culture.
“Here’s Johnny!” Probably everyone in America knows the phrase, whether they watched every episode of The Tonight Show or none because they had to go to bed early on school nights. From 1962 to 1992, Johnny Carson and his Tonight Show dominated the American consciousness.
Henry Bushkin was Carson’s best friend and lawyer during that period, and his book is a tautly rendered and remarkably nuanced portrait of Carson, revealing not only how he truly was, but why. Bushkin explains why Carson, a voracious (and very talented) womanizer, felt he always had to be married; why he couldn’t visit his son in the hospital and wouldn’t attend his mother’s funeral; and much more. Johnny Carson is by turns shocking, poignant, and uproarious — written with a novelist’s eye for detail, a screenwriter’s ear for dialogue, and a knack for comic timing that Carson himself would relish.
“A fascinating book about a complex man.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Like The Tonight Show, the book has many a merry moment . . . [Johnny Carson] was also one of a kind, and is missed. This book brings a bit of him back.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A People magazine Top Ten Book of the Year
In The Smallville Chronicles: Critical Essays on the Television Series, scholars examine the multiple narratives of the Smallville universe. Addressing issues related to gender, sexuality, national identity, myth, history, and politics, these essays explore how the series uses the Superman story to comment on contemporary social issues. Additional essays investigate the complex relationship the show's audience has with the characters through blogging, fan fiction, visits to filming locations, and the creation of websites.
As the first book-length study specifically focused on the Smallville television series, this collection is an excellent text for studies in science fiction, fandom, and teen television scholarship, and it will also have general appeal to fans of the show.
