Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

'The Revolution Was Televised' is on sale now!

A look back at TV dramas from 'Sopranos' through 'Breaking Bad' is now out in paperback

By Alan Sepinwall Friday, Nov 16, 2012 12:38 PM

My new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," is now available in print as well as for several eReaders.

Last week, I told you all about my new book, "The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever," and said that it would go on sale around the week of Thanksgiving. As it turns out, the Kindle and Nook editions of the book were released much earlier than expected, while the paperback has come out slightly ahead of schedule today. (Other digital editions, for the iBookstore, Sony Reader, Kobo, etc., should be coming at some point in the next few weeks. The distributor I use for those sites works on a different schedule from everyone else. But if you want to read it on an iPad or iPhone, the Kindle app is really good, and is what I use for eBooks.)

For those who missed that earlier post, or the separate book website I set up, or the Frequently Asked Questions list on said site, "The Revolution Was Televised" is my look back at the way the groundbreaking dramas of the last 15 years — roughly from "The Sopranos," "Oz" and "Buffy" through to "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" — transformed the TV business and how seriously we take it. It's almost entirely new material (a couple of chapters lean a bit more on archival interviews in cases where the creator wasn't available to do a new one), featuring new conversations with all three of the HBO Davids (Chase, Simon, Milch), Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, Shawn Ryan, Vince Gilligan, Tom Fontana, Howard Gordon, Jason Katims, Ron Moore and David Eick, Jane Espenson, and a whole lot more.

It's a tribute to this great era I've been lucky enough to cover, and the early reaction from people who downloaded digital versions of the book has been very positive.

Since versions of the book have been available for a couple of weeks now, I also thought I'd use this post as an excuse to take additional questions about it beyond the ones in the FAQ, both from people who've read it and those who are considering it. So have at it, and I hope everybody likes the book.

I ask it about other people's work, so may as well about my own: what did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Next 96 Comments

Steve

I just finished it last night. And while there are shows in there I have never watched (The Wire, BSG, Mad Men), I still enjoyed reading about the creative process and business behind each. It was a great first book for my new iPad.
November 16, 2012 at 1:50PM EST Reply to Comment
Tig

I've seen roughly only half of the shows highlighted in your book, though I'd like to get to them all eventually. Do the chapters stand alone by themselves if I pick and choose, or would I be losing out on an over-arching narrative?
November 16, 2012 at 1:51PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Well, there's a larger story about all these shows, how one led to the next, etc., and certain figures recur (the HBO executives, Gail Berman, Kevin Reilly, Jane Espenson), but for the most part, they stand alone. In the Mad Men chapter, Jon Hamm talks about a major Sopranos plot development, but in general they're designed to stand alone as necessary.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:31PM EST
- Follow Up, Alan. I will add this to my reading list for sure. Question: Does the book contain major spoilers for series that I haven't seen but plan to watch in the near future? Sopranos & Friday Night Lights I have not seen but plan on watching when time allows. The rest i'm caught up on or not interested in watching. Thanks
  November 16, 2012 at 6:28PM EST
- sepinwall Yes, every show gets discussed pretty thoroughly, up to and including how each one ended. As mentioned above, the Mad Men chapter is, I think, the only one where a major plot point from another show (Sopranos) comes up, so you're mostly safe picking and choosing among what you've already seen (or don't care about seeing).
  November 17, 2012 at 12:43AM EST
- the minister Spoilers are way overhated.
  
  I heard/read multiple reviews of each Homeland before watching this season, and it didn't spoil a thing really.
  
  There's even a study that suggests they add enjoyment.
  
  Speaking of which, enjoying TRWT so far Alan. That David Chase, he's such a people person... make that an UP with people person! Rainbows & moonbeams and daffodils, that David Chase.
  November 18, 2012 at 9:03PM EST
SomeGuy

I just started reading the chapter about Lost...I'm loving the book so far. I like the insight about how each show came into being, the network history, their high points and low points (how The Shield's final season was so good, etc.). The part about David Milch also made me want to go watch NYPD Blue - a show I'm not familiar with (I only started taking TV seriously after the Sopranos).

Also a good thing I've watched all of those shows...lots of spoilers but I don't care.

Also a nice touch for you to dedicate the book to David Mills. I once won a NYPD Blue season 3 DVD through his blog - going to watch it one day.
November 16, 2012 at 1:52PM EST Reply to Comment
- the minister I remember NYPD blue as kinda "meh." Now Homicide, that I wanna rewatch the top 10 from. And Wiseguy sounds really good.
  November 18, 2012 at 9:05PM EST
- aberdare My take on NYPD Blue--that is where the quality of TV drama began to rise. That is really where it all began. NYPD Blue is first class, top of the line and the "mother" of all that came after. Anyways, as you can imagine, I have watched the series over several times (the first few years of the series that is) and never find it "meh" or "ho hum". It's the best. Read all the reviews Alan and Amanda wrote about the show back in the day when I was living in far away Africa when I could get online that is. That was not often.
  November 19, 2012 at 2:29PM EST
Tim

Big fan Alan. Which of the older shows did you enjoy going back and writing about the most?
November 16, 2012 at 1:52PM EST Reply to Comment
Tim

Big fan Alan. You are the person responsible for me needing to read a review of each and every episode of every show I watch (AVClub for shows you don't review). Which of the older dramas was your favorite to go back and write about again?
November 16, 2012 at 1:54PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Depends. Deadwood was probably most fun to write about, because Milch is such a character. But Buffy was most fun to rewatch, I think, because it had been so long since I'd seen any of them.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:29PM EST
Christian

Alan, I really enjoyed the book. Wondering if you could make the interviews you did for the book available as a sort of bonus? I know you often bring interviews to the Blog and I always enjoy reading them
November 16, 2012 at 1:55PM EST Reply to Comment
ohonestly

Write a comment...i devoured the chapters devoted to shows i've seen all the way through - and i'm really glad you built the book in such a way that chapters can be cherry-picked, free of spoilers for the other series. really great work, alan. i can't wait to buy a copy for my "sopranos"-and-"mad men"-loving grandma for christmas.

i'm curious what you think of comedies, and sitcom trends, from this same era. do you think the revolution was limited to dramas? do you think the successful dramas had an impact on the state of network comedies?
November 16, 2012 at 1:56PM EST Reply to Comment
- ohonestly also, just want to note that it's because of your reviews and recaps that i ever watched the shows covered in the book to begin with. i've been reading your stuff since the early days of the blogspot blog and you've never steered me wrong.
  November 16, 2012 at 1:58PM EST
- sepinwall If I was to do a comedy book, it would probably be more wide-ranging in era. Or if it was covering the same era, its theme would be different. I would say with drama, there's a clear demarcation between what was made before and after the HBO shows. You can do a plausible Best Dramas Ever list and not include anything pre-1997. You can't do that with sitcoms, where you've got Honeymooners and Lucy in the '50s, Dick Van Dyke in the '60s, all the CBS shows and Taxi in the '70s, Cheers and Cosby in the '80s, etc.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:34PM EST
Lenny Boyle

Can't recommend this highly enough. If you're here, you love Alan. He's the best critic in the world. I've read a bunch of books about TV and this and the Late Shift are definitely the best.

Buy it, read it. Experience a joy so profound you'll feel alive for the first time. You'll feel like an expert yourself when you're done reading.
November 16, 2012 at 1:58PM EST Reply to Comment
Garrett

Semi-related topic: Have you thought about a sequel covering the post-"Arrested Development" sitcom boom?
November 16, 2012 at 2:00PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Garrett, see my answer above to OhHonestly. I might want to do a sitcom book eventually, but it would be different.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:34PM EST
- the minister The problem with a sitcom rewatch (and somewhat by extension, book) is they very nearly always suuuuuuck by the end.
  
  Dramas lucky enough to get an ending often get ironically revitalized by impending death. I'm looking at you, "The Shield" Even you, "Lost."
  
  I didn't love love love the ending to Lost, but it was good enough. On the other hand, I'd rather slit my wrists than watch the last few of Friends or MASH.
  
  The only sitcom I recall that was still rolling at the end was Cheers... and I might be wrong about that.
  November 18, 2012 at 9:13PM EST
Me

Ordered it, will read it once I've seen all of the twelve shows (I know I can skip certain chapters, but I'd rather read it in order; I'm weird like that).

Just one question: I know that in addition to the main twelve shows, you also briefly go into some of the shows that helped lead to their creation (like Homicide for The Wire). Do you spoil any major events from any of those shows?
November 16, 2012 at 2:08PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Here and there — the St. Elsewhere ending, a lot of NYPD Blue plot developments — but not to the extent that I detail what happened on the 12 main shows of the book.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:35PM EST
Jobin00

Congrats on the book Alan, I just ordered it.

Should I try to watch (at least some) of Oz before reading it?
November 16, 2012 at 2:09PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall You certainly could. Or you could read a little of that chapter and decide if it sounds like your bag. I'm not expecting everyone who hasn't seen all 12 shows to ultimately watch them all.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:36PM EST
Drew

Haven't had a chance to get it yet...is there a Walt Whitman poem before the introduction in honor of Gale?
November 16, 2012 at 2:18PM EST Reply to Comment
ZacharyTF

Any reason why the print edition is $10 more than the digital editions? I was surprised to see a big difference. I'm used to seeing a few dollars difference between a print and digital version. I'm assuming since it is a self release, the cost of paper, ink, and delivery adds up.
November 16, 2012 at 2:38PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall As you say, each paperback requires physical production, while the digital edition does not. And I'm not sure what you mean about the small difference between digital and print editions. The new Michael Chabon book lists at 28 bucks, and the Kindle version is 11. Amazon sells the print at a steep discount (which I can't do if I want to make any money), but there's still a $6 difference between the two just in that one case.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:44PM EST
Neel

Is there an interview you didn't get that you thought really would have enhanced a particular chapter?
November 16, 2012 at 2:41PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Would've loved to talk to Joss Whedon for the Buffy chapter, but he's understandably busy ruling Hollywood, and in the end I felt like Espenson, Greenwalt, Minear and the executives gave me a good enough insight into his thought process that it worked.
  
  Matt Weiner and Peter Berg also turned me down due to scheduling reasons, but Jason Katims was the real man in charge at FNL, and I had so much archival material from Weiner that I was able to make those two chapters work, I think.
  November 16, 2012 at 2:47PM EST
- berkowit28 Whoa - Matt Weiner turned down a chance to talk about Mad Men! I didn't think he knew how to do that. I guess it must have been during his writing or production period when you approached him. Still, as you say, the 4,300 interviews he has already given, must have quite enough material and insights. He is always so willing to talk about everything behind the show. Is there anything you would have liked to ask him that he hasn't already spoken about, any stone left unturned?
  November 17, 2012 at 1:17PM EST
- sepinwall I had the bad timing to do the book in a year where he segued straight from a season of Mad Men into directing his first movie and then right into the next season of Mad Men. Such is life.
  
  I'd have mainly asked him more about the origins of the show from his perspective, since that's the one thing I never really interviewed him about in the past.
  November 17, 2012 at 2:13PM EST
Joe Mayo

What are your favorite one or two chapters from the book?
November 16, 2012 at 2:50PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall I think Deadwood probably came out the best because, as I said above, David Milch is such a character, and also because I've been so closely tied to so many of his shows and the people who work on them. But I'm really happy with all of them. It's never not fun to hear Lindelof and Cuse's very different perspectives on the Lost experience, for instance, and each time I re-read The Sopranos chapter, I'm reminded of the chill that went down my spine during the long pause and change in demeanor as David Chase contemplated my question about why he chose to present the final scene the way he did.
  November 16, 2012 at 3:02PM EST
Leo

Did you encounter any struggles writing the Breaking Bad and Mad Men chapters considering they haven't concluded yet?
November 16, 2012 at 2:52PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Those were a little trickier for that reason (and Mad Men because I couldn't ask Weiner any new questions), but the Mad Men chapter is mainly about the origin story, and the idea that we don't yet know how Breaking Bad ends actually winds up playing into the theme of that chapter.
  November 16, 2012 at 3:03PM EST
- the minister Precog spoiler alert!
  
  Jesse has the chance to kill Hank and almost does, but redeems himself by not doin' it. Later in the final episode, Hank takes Chekhov's ricin to save his family from ruin.
  November 18, 2012 at 9:18PM EST
Bobby

I know you already answered a question about Oz, but do you think the show still holds up? I tried watching an episode or two and had trouble getting into it. Perhaps the show just isn't for me, but I didn't know if you thought it lost anything over time.
November 16, 2012 at 2:56PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall As the show that initially broke all the rules, I think Oz does feel a bit more dated and self-conscious than the shows that followed it. But a lot of it holds up, especially the performances.
  November 16, 2012 at 3:25PM EST
Britt

Hi, Alan. Thanks for taking the time to answer questions.

If forced to choose, which show that you wrote about would you say is your favorite (the show itself, not favorite chapter)? Also, does that differ from the show you think is best?
November 16, 2012 at 3:07PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall The weird thing is, it was probably easier for me to choose before I wrote the book. Then, the answer would have been The Wire without blinking. But I watched a ton of Sopranos for that chapter, and found myself remembering so much of what I found incredible about that show, and suddenly it was a 1 and 1A situation, with the two positions going back and forth. And then I spent a lot of time the last two summers revisiting Deadwood, and it quickly reinserted itself into the conversation. And then I would watch The Shield finale and curl into a fetal position, etc., etc.
  
  Empirically, I would say there's a clear top 3 in Sopranos/Wire/Deadwood, but then when I try to figure out how big the gradations should be before you get to the two AMC shows, or to FNL or Buffy or The Shield, and I wind up focusing on the best parts of each and ignoring what didn't work.
  
  So the answer, I guess, is that, short of Jack Bauer shooting me in the leg, I'm not sure I have an answer. :)
  November 16, 2012 at 3:22PM EST
- Grubi I'm positive that the answer to this question will be The Wire
  November 16, 2012 at 3:23PM EST
- Grubi Crap, he beat me to it
  November 16, 2012 at 3:24PM EST
- John That's very interesting, Alan. Personally, I've always thought The Sopranos was *slightly* better (the main reasons being that it became a truly great show more quickly than The Wire did, and I also much preferred The Sopranos' ending to The Wire's), but I think The Wire at its peak (Season 2 and especially Season 3) is probably the best show ever, with the possible exception of Season 3 and 4 Breaking Bad (poised to pass both shows as my new No. 1 if it has a good final season). I watched both shows in their entireties back-to-back, so I think my opinion wasn't overly affected by nostalgia or other biases. Obviously, a lot of people prefer The Wire, which is fine. One thing that has annoyed me is that it seems like the ascendance of The Wire among critics has led to a corresponding, retroactive tarnishing of The Sopranos that is frankly not supported by the evidence. For example, as much as I like Bill Simmons, I roll my eyes every time he says something asinine like "The Sopranos had 30 bad episodes." 30? Three is more like it. So I'm glad you had a chance to revisit it and be reminded of why it was such an incredible show.
  November 18, 2012 at 5:26PM EST
- the minister The Wire by a wire. (Okay, I actually like Firefly and Terriers better, but I'm a sucker for sentimental mistreated mutts.)
  November 18, 2012 at 9:21PM EST
Arthur

Alan,

So you've given us your top three shows -- what about your top three characters from the shows you highlighted?
November 16, 2012 at 3:29PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Yeah, I wouldn't even know where to start with that one. Or, rather, I wouldn't be able to stop once I started listing people. How do you choose between Tony Soprano and Walter White? Between Don Draper and Jimmy McNulty? Between Stringer Bell and Gus Fring, or Starbuck and Buffy?
  November 16, 2012 at 3:33PM EST
Mike

Just curious. What was the writing process like for this book? Did you rewatch every show in its entirety before you wrote about it, or did you pick and choose certain seasons/episodes from each show?
November 16, 2012 at 3:36PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall I didn't rewatch any of them in their entirety (though I did work on it over the same period I was doing my rewinds for Deadwood seasons 1 & 2). I remember all these shows very well, and just did a lot of picking and choosing of episodes to relive certain moments, pull quotes, figure out questions I might want to ask the writers and directors (or, if I was doing it post-interview, looking for specific things they had talked about), and just generally look for inspiration. Because 11 of the 12 shows are available either on HBO Go or Netflix (The Shield isn't, but I have the DVDs), I was able to just grab the iPad whenever I felt like I needed to watch more, and away I went. I "wasted" many hours on book-writing days just watching old episodes.
  November 16, 2012 at 3:40PM EST
Lance

Besides Mad Men and Breaking Bad, are there any shows on currently that you think have the potential to eventually join the current "golden age" given a little more time?
November 16, 2012 at 3:48PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall There are a bunch with the potential to join the ranks of the ones in the book quality-wise, depending on how their remaining seasons are: Homeland, Justified, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, to name four. For a while, I contemplated holding off on the book for another couple of years so I could include the ends of the two AMC shows (and I may still update it down the road), but then I thought, "Well, what if Homeland is consistently great enough to belong in the pantheon by that point? What if Boardwalk or Game of Thrones get a better handle on their huge casts of characters?" I realized I would be waiting forever to get it done, when in a way the "revolutionary" part of the era concludes with the arrival of Mad Men and Breaking Bad, which made the non-HBO-ness of the revolution a more permanent thing. It's not just a book about some of the best shows ever (West Wing aired concurrently with Sopranos, for instance, but wasn't included because it's a very traditional, albeit beautifully-executed, network drama), but about a specific moment in time when the rules were being rewritten. The more recent shows (and others like Sons of Anarchy, Treme, etc.) came about in a world with these new rules.
  November 16, 2012 at 3:57PM EST
zediaul

Definitely one for the Christmas list.

Can I ask, for someone looking for a new show, Mad Men or Friday Night Lights? (In the last year, I've binged on -- and enjoyed -- all of Breaking Bad, Boardwalk, The Sopranos and The Wire in the last year, if this sways this one way or the other?
November 16, 2012 at 3:48PM EST Reply to Comment
- ford kendrick I have a hard time watching tv made before the sopranos, as you said above a greatest tv drama list could easily be made only post sopranos, are there any older dramas that as far as quality goes that could hold up to the ones on this list
  November 16, 2012 at 4:16PM EST
- sepinwall Ford, while I said a list of the best dramas ever *could* be made up only of post-Sopranos shows, I probably wouldn't do that. I'd try to make room for at least one of Hill Street Blues or St. Elsewhere, and one of Homicide or NYPD Blue, and definitely X-Files, at a minimum. Whether I could do that in a top 10 list? Dunno.
  November 16, 2012 at 4:24PM EST
- James Blight Have you watched "The Shield" yet? Of all the group, I'd say it's the one that got consistently better and better, the one that best tied together the imperatives of strong character and strong narrative (i.e. there are actual STORIES, not just an anthology of vignettes) and of all the shows I've ever seen, it's the one that best hit its landing. The best finale to ANY series I've ever seen.
  November 16, 2012 at 7:49PM EST
- James Blight Heck, don't take my word for it. Here's Alan from (yikes) four years ago ...
  
  "Now, I loved the "Sopranos" finale, but it was an abstract kind of love, because that show deliberately disengaged from its audience at the end, gave us a climax we're still puzzling over. "The Shield" has never been about abstractions. While it had thoughtful things to say about law-enforcement and urban life (and continued to do so through the finale), its pleasures were largely visceral. And you can't get more visceral than several sequences in the finale, which was the most satisfying end to a great drama series that I've ever seen."
  November 16, 2012 at 7:56PM EST
- zediaul Jesus. That good? Onto it.
  November 16, 2012 at 8:30PM EST
- zediaul Jesus. That good? Onto it.
  November 16, 2012 at 8:30PM EST
- James Blight Other critics on The Shield finale:
  
  Mo Ryan (at the time, with the Chicago Tribune):
  
  "Longtime “Shield” fans may find themselves fighting back tears more than once... This is the most brilliant series finale I’ve ever seen. I will miss this show.
  
  "There will be inevitable comparisons to the ending of “The Sopranos,” but I think the ending of “The Shield” was far superior... The ending felt like an ending, not an arbitrary stopping point. And the final episode came as the capper to a season that was as taut, gripping and emotionally compelling as anything this show -- actually, any show -- has ever done.
  
  James Poniewozik, Time Magazine
  
  "After seeing the last two episodes of The Shield that I have rarely seen any series do as good a job of peaking at exactly the right moment as it ends. It’s like we’re getting a dose of super-concentrated, uncut, premium-grade Shield to send us off."
  
  (The Shield's seventh season, its finale, was Time Magazine's TV series of the year in 2008.)
  
  Steven Hyden, A.V. Club
  
  "What's become a mantra on this blog bears repeating: The Shield has come up with one of the best, most satisfying, and emotionally overpowering conclusions for a TV drama ever. And "Family Meeting" was the best of the series, no question. I'm on record in this blog saying that the Season 5 finale episode ("Post Partum", two years earlier - JB) is probably the most devastating hour of TV drama I've ever seen – [but] this episode tops that one. And we all know why."
  
  Salon
  
  "The Shield show entered the cable-drama fray six years ago at a time when the words "cable drama" automatically called to mind "The Sopranos" and nothing more. In fact, when this shakily shot, testosterone-fueled cop show stole the spotlight from "The Sopranos" in 2003, with the show’s bald-headed star practically ripping the Golden Globe for best actor right out of James Gandolfini’s hands (and the show taking home the Golden Globe for best TV drama), most of us die-hard "Sopranos" fans rolled our eyes in disbelief. We bemoaned the show’s burgeoning popularity, assuming it was just a trendy, sensationalistic procedural drama, all style and no substance.
  
  "And then something strange happened. Just as quickly as it had emerged, this drama disappeared from the radar, failing to win another major award over the past five years, with only a smattering of Emmy nominations along the way. Meanwhile, the show has arguably improved each and every season, to the point where it may be the most impeccably scripted, well-acted, dynamically plotted drama currently on television."
  
  November 17, 2012 at 5:31AM EST
- James Blight Neat piece of trivia -- the director who Book-ended "The Shield" (meaning he directed both the pilot and the finale) was Clark Johnson. Mr. Johnson also had the honor of book-ending the phenominal "The Wire."
  November 17, 2012 at 5:43AM EST
- John Good question. Of the two you mentioned, I like Friday Night Lights more than Mad Men. Of course, neither show is particularly similar to the four you mentioned, all of which revolve around crime. Since you've watched my Big Three (Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and The Wire), I'd go with the No. 4 choice on my list, which is Battlestar Galactica. But I have The Shield ranked No. 5, and that one is closer to the ones you've already watched.
  November 17, 2012 at 8:50PM EST
- the minister Mad Men is a "better" show, but FNL is a better show. The Shield > both.
  November 18, 2012 at 9:26PM EST
Splenda

I loved the book. As an 80s TV fan, I loved that you paid homage to the ones that came before. My thought: does J.D. LaRue (Kiel Martin) + HBO = Jimmy McNulty. I think LaRue was McNulty's father. Thoughts?
November 16, 2012 at 4:11PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall I like the connection, though I think Jimmy had a better track record in terms of using his weaknesses for the greater good, where J.D. was mainly used as Hill Street comic relief. (Though some of my favorite moments of that show were the brief ones where J.D. was taken seriously, usually in relation to his alcoholism.)
  November 16, 2012 at 4:16PM EST
chrispepper

The book is fantastic Alan and what surprised me most was the fact that the chapter I found most gripping was the LOST chapter. Really is interesting when you think about the amount of criticism the show recieved and then realise just how remarkable it is that it even managed to reach a 6th season.

I think the thing I enjoyed most about the book was just learning about the exhaustive creative process pretty much all of the creators went through, just to get there shows on air.. Was there one show in particular that stood out in that regard Alan?
November 16, 2012 at 4:32PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall The Lost story is probably the craziest, just in terms of the rush that Lindelof and Abrams had to do to get the pilot made in such a tight window, and for it to wind up being one of the best pilots ever made. But as Ron Moore notes in the epilogue, pretty much all the shows are ones that, for one reason or another, had no business getting on the air but did anyway.
  November 16, 2012 at 4:44PM EST
DAG

Congrats on the book - can't wait to read it.

Are you going to have any book events? (I would absolutely go to one in NYC)
November 16, 2012 at 4:34PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Thinking about how I would make the logistics work, either in New York, somewhere in Jersey, or in LA when I'm there for press tour. This is one where having a publisher with its own marketing arm would be useful.
  November 16, 2012 at 4:46PM EST
- the minister Do a livechat like the WaPo does.
  November 18, 2012 at 9:27PM EST
- the minister Oh, and maybe an IAMA on Reddit. That will get a lot of people to buy (and by "buy" I mean "pirate" 8) TRWT.
  November 18, 2012 at 9:28PM EST
GarySF

Congratulations, Alan. Looking forward to reading it. Let us know if you do a promotional appearance in N.J.
November 16, 2012 at 5:20PM EST Reply to Comment
belinda

ooooh,getting it now on kindle! Congrats Alan.

For those who have read it, in the book does it talk about the evolution of the teen drama in particular?
November 16, 2012 at 7:17PM EST Reply to Comment
shma

Is your publisher going to offer a paperback version on amazon.ca or amazon.co.uk? And if so, how soon?
November 16, 2012 at 8:52PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall I'm publishing it myself through Amazon's print on-demand service, and it appears that Amazon.ca is not one of the outlets they sell to, weirdly. But it should go on sale to the UK store and the other European stores sometime in the next week or so, as I understand things. (I've already had a few Canadian friends order it through Amazon.com and pay a little extra on the shipping.)
  November 16, 2012 at 8:54PM EST
Debbie

Alan, any chance of you going on Rob Has A Podcast to plug the book?
November 16, 2012 at 10:40PM EST Reply to Comment
- Kyle I would love this! Rob is a big Lost, Mad Men and Spranos fan, it'd be so fun.
  November 20, 2012 at 1:20AM EST
Robert T Fraker Jr

Will you be doing any podcasts - BS Report again - to promote the book?
November 17, 2012 at 2:45AM EST Reply to Comment

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A Showtime leftover doesn't really fit at NBC

Wednesday, May 22, 2013
HitFix First Look: 'Hannibal' is worried about Will Graham

Will's gift takes an increasing toll; can the bad Dr. Lecter help him?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Series finale review: 'The Big C: Hereafter'

Cathy and her family prepare for the end as the Showtime dramedy concludes on a strong note

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Cannes Film Festival 2013

Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

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Steve I just finished it last night. And while there are shows in there I have never watched (The Wire, BSG, Mad Men), I still enjoyed reading about the creative process and business behind each. It was a great first book for my new iPad.

Tig I've seen roughly only half of the shows highlighted in your book, though I'd like to get to them all eventually. Do the chapters stand alone by themselves if I pick and choose, or would I be losing out on an over-arching narrative?

the minister I remember NYPD blue as kinda "meh." Now Homicide, that I wanna rewatch the top 10 from. And Wiseguy sounds really good.

Tim Big fan Alan. Which of the older shows did you enjoy going back and writing about the most?

Tim Big fan Alan. You are the person responsible for me needing to read a review of each and every episode of every show I watch (AVClub for shows you don't review). Which of the older dramas was your favorite to go back and write about again?

sepinwall Depends. Deadwood was probably most fun to write about, because Milch is such a character. But Buffy was most fun to rewatch, I think, because it had been so long since I'd seen any of them.

Christian Alan, I really enjoyed the book. Wondering if you could make the interviews you did for the book available as a sort of bonus? I know you often bring interviews to the Blog and I always enjoy reading them

ohonestly also, just want to note that it's because of your reviews and recaps that i ever watched the shows covered in the book to begin with. i've been reading your stuff since the early days of the blogspot blog and you've never steered me wrong.

Garrett Semi-related topic: Have you thought about a sequel covering the post-"Arrested Development" sitcom boom?

sepinwall Garrett, see my answer above to OhHonestly. I might want to do a sitcom book eventually, but it would be different.

sepinwall Here and there — the St. Elsewhere ending, a lot of NYPD Blue plot developments — but not to the extent that I detail what happened on the 12 main shows of the book.

Jobin00 Congrats on the book Alan, I just ordered it. Should I try to watch (at least some) of Oz before reading it?

sepinwall You certainly could. Or you could read a little of that chapter and decide if it sounds like your bag. I'm not expecting everyone who hasn't seen all 12 shows to ultimately watch them all.

Drew Haven't had a chance to get it yet...is there a Walt Whitman poem before the introduction in honor of Gale?

ZacharyTF Any reason why the print edition is $10 more than the digital editions? I was surprised to see a big difference. I'm used to seeing a few dollars difference between a print and digital version. I'm assuming since it is a self release, the cost of paper, ink, and delivery adds up.

Neel Is there an interview you didn't get that you thought really would have enhanced a particular chapter?

Joe Mayo What are your favorite one or two chapters from the book?

Leo Did you encounter any struggles writing the Breaking Bad and Mad Men chapters considering they haven't concluded yet?

sepinwall Those were a little trickier for that reason (and Mad Men because I couldn't ask Weiner any new questions), but the Mad Men chapter is mainly about the origin story, and the idea that we don't yet know how Breaking Bad ends actually winds up playing into the theme of that chapter.

the minister Precog spoiler alert!Jesse has the chance to kill Hank and almost does, but redeems himself by not doin' it. Later in the final episode, Hank takes Chekhov's ricin to save his family from ruin.

Bobby I know you already answered a question about Oz, but do you think the show still holds up? I tried watching an episode or two and had trouble getting into it. Perhaps the show just isn't for me, but I didn't know if you thought it lost anything over time.

sepinwall As the show that initially broke all the rules, I think Oz does feel a bit more dated and self-conscious than the shows that followed it. But a lot of it holds up, especially the performances.

Britt Hi, Alan. Thanks for taking the time to answer questions. If forced to choose, which show that you wrote about would you say is your favorite (the show itself, not favorite chapter)? Also, does that differ from the show you think is best?

Grubi I'm positive that the answer to this question will be The Wire

Grubi Crap, he beat me to it

the minister The Wire by a wire. (Okay, I actually like Firefly and Terriers better, but I'm a sucker for sentimental mistreated mutts.)

Arthur Alan, So you've given us your top three shows -- what about your top three characters from the shows you highlighted?

sepinwall Yeah, I wouldn't even know where to start with that one. Or, rather, I wouldn't be able to stop once I started listing people. How do you choose between Tony Soprano and Walter White? Between Don Draper and Jimmy McNulty? Between Stringer Bell and Gus Fring, or Starbuck and Buffy?

Mike Just curious. What was the writing process like for this book? Did you rewatch every show in its entirety before you wrote about it, or did you pick and choose certain seasons/episodes from each show?

Lance Besides Mad Men and Breaking Bad, are there any shows on currently that you think have the potential to eventually join the current "golden age" given a little more time?

zediaul Definitely one for the Christmas list. Can I ask, for someone looking for a new show, Mad Men or Friday Night Lights? (In the last year, I've binged on -- and enjoyed -- all of Breaking Bad, Boardwalk, The Sopranos and The Wire in the last year, if this sways this one way or the other?

ford kendrick I have a hard time watching tv made before the sopranos, as you said above a greatest tv drama list could easily be made only post sopranos, are there any older dramas that as far as quality goes that could hold up to the ones on this list

zediaul Jesus. That good? Onto it.

zediaul Jesus. That good? Onto it.

James Blight Neat piece of trivia -- the director who Book-ended "The Shield" (meaning he directed both the pilot and the finale) was Clark Johnson. Mr. Johnson also had the honor of book-ending the phenominal "The Wire."

the minister Mad Men is a "better" show, but FNL is a better show. The Shield > both.

Splenda I loved the book. As an 80s TV fan, I loved that you paid homage to the ones that came before. My thought: does J.D. LaRue (Kiel Martin) + HBO = Jimmy McNulty. I think LaRue was McNulty's father. Thoughts?

DAG Congrats on the book - can't wait to read it. Are you going to have any book events? (I would absolutely go to one in NYC)

sepinwall Thinking about how I would make the logistics work, either in New York, somewhere in Jersey, or in LA when I'm there for press tour. This is one where having a publisher with its own marketing arm would be useful.

the minister Do a livechat like the WaPo does.

the minister Oh, and maybe an IAMA on Reddit. That will get a lot of people to buy (and by "buy" I mean "pirate" 8) TRWT.

GarySF Congratulations, Alan. Looking forward to reading it. Let us know if you do a promotional appearance in N.J.

belinda ooooh,getting it now on kindle! Congrats Alan.For those who have read it, in the book does it talk about the evolution of the teen drama in particular?

shma Is your publisher going to offer a paperback version on amazon.ca or amazon.co.uk? And if so, how soon?

Debbie Alan, any chance of you going on Rob Has A Podcast to plug the book?

Kyle I would love this! Rob is a big Lost, Mad Men and Spranos fan, it'd be so fun.

Robert T Fraker Jr Will you be doing any podcasts - BS Report again - to promote the book?

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Steve

I just finished it last night. And while there are shows in there I have never watched (The Wire, BSG, Mad Men), I still enjoyed reading about the creative process and business behind each. It was a great first book for my new iPad.

Tig

I've seen roughly only half of the shows highlighted in your book, though I'd like to get to them all eventually. Do the chapters stand alone by themselves if I pick and choose, or would I be losing out on an over-arching narrative?

Tim

Big fan Alan. Which of the older shows did you enjoy going back and writing about the most?

Tim

Big fan Alan. You are the person responsible for me needing to read a review of each and every episode of every show I watch (AVClub for shows you don't review). Which of the older dramas was your favorite to go back and write about again?

Christian

Alan, I really enjoyed the book. Wondering if you could make the interviews you did for the book available as a sort of bonus? I know you often bring interviews to the Blog and I always enjoy reading them

Garrett

Semi-related topic: Have you thought about a sequel covering the post-"Arrested Development" sitcom boom?

Jobin00

Congrats on the book Alan, I just ordered it.

Should I try to watch (at least some) of Oz before reading it?

Drew

Haven't had a chance to get it yet...is there a Walt Whitman poem before the introduction in honor of Gale?

ZacharyTF

Any reason why the print edition is $10 more than the digital editions? I was surprised to see a big difference. I'm used to seeing a few dollars difference between a print and digital version. I'm assuming since it is a self release, the cost of paper, ink, and delivery adds up.

Neel

Is there an interview you didn't get that you thought really would have enhanced a particular chapter?

Joe Mayo

What are your favorite one or two chapters from the book?

Leo

Did you encounter any struggles writing the Breaking Bad and Mad Men chapters considering they haven't concluded yet?

the minister Precog spoiler alert!

Jesse has the chance to kill Hank and almost does, but redeems himself by not doin' it. Later in the final episode, Hank takes Chekhov's ricin to save his family from ruin.

Bobby

I know you already answered a question about Oz, but do you think the show still holds up? I tried watching an episode or two and had trouble getting into it. Perhaps the show just isn't for me, but I didn't know if you thought it lost anything over time.

Britt

Hi, Alan. Thanks for taking the time to answer questions.

If forced to choose, which show that you wrote about would you say is your favorite (the show itself, not favorite chapter)? Also, does that differ from the show you think is best?

Arthur

Alan,

So you've given us your top three shows -- what about your top three characters from the shows you highlighted?

Mike

Just curious. What was the writing process like for this book? Did you rewatch every show in its entirety before you wrote about it, or did you pick and choose certain seasons/episodes from each show?

Lance

Besides Mad Men and Breaking Bad, are there any shows on currently that you think have the potential to eventually join the current "golden age" given a little more time?

zediaul

Definitely one for the Christmas list.

Can I ask, for someone looking for a new show, Mad Men or Friday Night Lights? (In the last year, I've binged on -- and enjoyed -- all of Breaking Bad, Boardwalk, The Sopranos and The Wire in the last year, if this sways this one way or the other?

Splenda

I loved the book. As an 80s TV fan, I loved that you paid homage to the ones that came before. My thought: does J.D. LaRue (Kiel Martin) + HBO = Jimmy McNulty. I think LaRue was McNulty's father. Thoughts?

DAG

Congrats on the book - can't wait to read it.

Are you going to have any book events? (I would absolutely go to one in NYC)

GarySF

Congratulations, Alan. Looking forward to reading it. Let us know if you do a promotional appearance in N.J.

belinda

ooooh,getting it now on kindle! Congrats Alan.

For those who have read it, in the book does it talk about the evolution of the teen drama in particular?

shma

Is your publisher going to offer a paperback version on amazon.ca or amazon.co.uk? And if so, how soon?

Debbie

Alan, any chance of you going on Rob Has A Podcast to plug the book?

Robert T Fraker Jr

Will you be doing any podcasts - BS Report again - to promote the book?

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