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In a time of sweeping media change, the four major networks struggle for the attention of American viewers increasingly distracted by cable, video games, and the Internet. Behind boardroom doors, tempers flare in the search for hit shows, which often get on the air purely by accident. The fierce competition creates a pressure-cooker environment where anything can happen . . .
• NBC’s fall from grace—Once the undisputed king of prime time, NBC plunged from first place to last place in the ratings in the course of a single season. What will be the price of that collapse—and who will pay it?
• CBS’s slow and steady race to the top—Unlike NBC, CBS, under the leadership of CEO, Leslie Moonves, engineered one of the most spectacular turnarounds in television history. But in this ruthless world, you’re only as good as last week’s ratings . . . .
• ABC’s surprising resurrection—Lost and Desperate Housewives—have brought ABC the kind of success it could only dream of in the past. So why don’t the executives responsible for those hits work there any more?
• The end of the news as we know it—In a stunningly short period of time, all three of the major network news anchors—Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jennings—signed off, leaving executives scrambling for a way to keep network news relevant in an era of 24/7 information.
• Crazy Like Fox—They’re outrageous, unconventional, and occasionally off-putting, but more and more people are watching Fox shows. Most of all they keep watching American Idol. How did Simon Cowell snooker himself into a huge payday? Stay tuned . . .
In Desperate Networks Bill Carter digs deep inside the industry, delivering utterly irresistible “dish” that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s the perfect book to read when there’s nothing on TV.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
December 11, 2007 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781415953761
- File size: 428055 KB
- Duration: 14:51:46
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 27, 2006
The power relationships of network television have turned topsy-turvy in the last five years. Carter, who covers the industry for the New York Times
, reveals as one example how NBC was muscled out of its first-place standing as the other networks developed hit after hit. The shows he chooses to showcase are instantly recognizable—American Idol
, Survivor
, Desperate Housewives
—and in every case, the show's path to the airwaves is at least as dramatic as its content. Though Carter is primarily concerned with prime-time hits, his reporting spreads out from the Today
Show
to the nightly newscasts and, harking back to his bestselling The Late Shift
, the negotiations that cemented Conan O'Brien as Jay Leno's successor on The Tonight Show
. Despite multiple narrative threads, the story never gets confusing or bogged down. Though some clear heroes emerge, like Housewives
creator Marc Cherry, most of the key figures, from Idol
's acerbic Simon Cowell to network execs like CBS head Les Moonves and NBC's Jeff Zucker, are depicted ambiguously, reflecting failures as well as successes. And it's Carter's insider access, illuminating the players' states of mind, that makes this backstage drama so riveting. -
July 10, 2006
Are you the sole Survivor
of a bunch of Desperate Housewives
who got Lost
on their way to becoming an Apprentice
to the latest American Idol
? Many recent hit network television shows have come to fruition under the most unlikely of happenstances, and Carter explains how some of America's favorite shows evolved from idea to pilot after struggling with numerous pitfalls and false starts. Carter also explores how the four networks have risen and fallen in popularity because of those hit shows. Olsher reads with a very conversational manner and handles the material with ease. He brings characters to life with expression and tone that clarifies each speaker's intent. While Olsher shines, the abridgement dulls this audiobook's content. The text often jumps from one direction to another without strong transitions. At times, unnecessary anecdotes are included at the expense of better details surrounding Carter's premise. While the abridgement confuses through its lack of continuity, listeners will enjoy learning a great deal about their favorite shows. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover. (Reviews, Mar. 27).
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