**“A read so riveting, it's not hard to imagine watching it unfold on Sunday nights.” —The Associated Press“An incisive account that is more than a rosy victory lap for one of TV’s most influential channels.” —Eric Deggans, NPR’s “Books We Love”“It’s Not TV proves to be a lively companion to all these shows.” —Andrew O’Hagan, The New York Review of BooksThe inside story of HBO, the start-up company that reinvented television—by two veteran...

**“A read so riveting, it's not hard to imagine watching it unfold on Sunday nights.” —The Associated Press“An incisive account that is more than a rosy victory lap for one of TV’s most influential channels.” —Eric Deggans, NPR’s “Books We Love”“It’s Not TV proves to be a lively companion to all these shows.” —Andrew O’Hagan, The New York Review of BooksThe inside story of HBO, the start-up company that reinvented television—by two veteran...

Microdoses of the straight dope, stories so true they had to be wrapped in fiction for our own protection, from the best-selling author of But What if We're Wrong?A man flying first class discovers a puma in the lavatory. A new coach of a small-town Oklahoma high school football team installs an offense comprised of only one, very special, play. A man explains to the police why he told the employee of his local bodega that his colleague looked like the lea...

A deeply textured and compelling biography of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, films, and theater, from Patrick McGilligan, the acclaimed author of Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light.Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award–winner Mel Brooks was behind (and sometimes in front the camera too) of some of the most influential ...

***A New York Times Bestseller*The first definitive, unauthorized, behind-the-scenes cultural history of the Bachelor franchise, America’s favorite guilty pleasure.**For sixteen years and thirty-six seasons, the Bachelor franchise has been a mainstay in American TV viewers’ lives. Since it premiered in 2002, the show’s popularity and relevance have only grown—more than eight million viewers tuned in to see the conclusion of the most recent season of The Bachelo...

A behind-the-scenes chronicle of a beloved American media empire and the men behind it, including Martin Goodman, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby.A New York Times–Bestseller"A definitive portrait of comics in American culture." — The Wall Street JournalIn the early 1960s, a struggling company called Marvel Comics presented a cast of brightly costumed characters distinguished by smart banter and compellingly ...

The true account of a nerdy girl from New England who fought her way to the top of the highly-competitive, male-dominated entertainment field.Foreword by Sheryl SandbergJust the Funny Parts is a juicy and scathingly funny insider look at how pop culture gets made. For more than thirty years, writer, producer and director Nell Scovell worked behind the scenes of iconic TV shows, including The Simpsons, Late Night with D...

**Remember When All You Wanted Was Your MTV?The perfect gift for the music fan or child of the eighties in your life.Named One of the Best Books of 2011 by NPR – Spin - USA Today – CNBC - Pitchfork - The Onion - The Atlantic - The Huffington Post – VEVO - The Boston Globe - The San Francisco Chronicle**Remember the first time you saw Michael Jackson dance with zombies in "Thriller"? Diamond Dave karate kick with Van Hale...

"The definitive Friends history" that explores all aspects of the classic hit television show ( Entertainment Weekly).Today, Friends is remembered as an icon of '90s comedy and the Must See TV years. But when the series debuted in 1994, no one anticipated the sensation it would become. From the first wave of Friends mania to the backlash and renaissance that followed, the show maintained an uncanny connection to its audience, who ...

Pursuing a dream is hard work, but the right words delivered at the right time—by people who’ve been there and done that—can give us just the motivation we need.The right words can rekindle our enthusiasm, re-energize our efforts, dispel doubt, let us know we’re not alone, and show us that the fight is worth it—and winnable. Kathryn and Ross Petras are masters at choosing and delivering just the right words. Their books—such as “Age Doesn’t Matter Unless You’re...

A Los Angeles Times BestsellerWinner of the Best Non-Fiction Book Prize at the 2018 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards"Ben Fritz crafts an electrifying and essential book that carefully chronicles how Hollywood tradition is collapsing and new models are fueling the future. A must-read."—Ava DuVernay, director of A Wrinkle in Time, Selma, and 13thThe stunning metamorphosis of twenty-first-century Hollywood and wha...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A witty, charming, and engaging dive into trivia’s colorful history, from America’s highest-earning game show contestant of all time and host of Jeopardy!“Insightful, informative, and written with a strong dose of humor and humility. . . . I loved this book.”—Will Shortz, crossword editor, The New York TimesKen Jennings is trivia’s undisputed king—and as he traces his rise from anonym...