Television Books

Brilliant Woody. Not the best of this type, but still fasciniating. I heartily recommend.

I read the three volumes this book is comprised of years ago and, to this day, I've been hard pressed to find other books,
on a line to line basis, funnier than Woody Allen's works. It's
too bad he hasn't written any more since these books. It is our
loss. If you like to laugh until your brains dribble out your
ears, read this book. Highly recommended.

This is genuinely hilarious and intelligent prose. My favourites are "Mr Big", "Viva Vargas!" and "Reminiscences, People and Places". Prepare to convulse. People will stare at you while you gasp for oxygen. Pure genius. The only mystery is why Allen isn't as well recognised for his writing as his movies. If you read this you will also wonder.

Allen sometimes seems to step over the line separating sharp satire from outright cynicism, especially in the later writing - but who cares? It's still a class apart. Highly recommendable.

Disillusioned by, "Interiors" or "Hannah And Her Sisters"? Think Woody is just not funny? Man, are you wrong. This book (which contains pretty much everything Woody wrote in book form) just kills you from the beginning & never stops. As goofball and irreverent as you'd expect from a comedic genius(Think, "Bananas" or "Take the Money and Run"- era Allen), don't be frightened off by the fact that Allen's later movies quit being side-splittingly funny. This book recaptures all the great, classic humor that made the Woodman famous to begin with!

Three great books all in one fun filled volume of sheer funny. Including:

Getting Even is the comedic genious at his ludicrous best. The reparte between the two chess playing opponents, via e-mail, is worth the price of the book alone. Very funny.

Side Effects was released in 1980. It is a very funny collection of Allen's work, much of which first appeared in the New Yorker and other publication. The books is pretty even, and rather funny. The high point here is The Kugelmass Episode which features a professor named Sidney Kugelmass who is, via a magician, tranpsorted into the novel Madame Bovary.

Without Feathers is a witty humorous book with 15 or so short essays/stories on a variety of topics. The humor here is very funny and not dated at all. You most pay close attention as the one-liners fly off the pages. Simply hilarious stuff. Hard to believe this was released in 1975.

A 5 star book, well worth the price... enjoy!

Note: This collection is also available in paperback and titled The Insanity Defense: The Complete Prose

EXCELLENT!!! I love this book. I've been waching GH for years now but this book gave me the backstory to alot of plots. The pictures are great and seeing all the old charachters from years back is the best. I love it, love it,love it!

A wonderful compilation of memories from a once-great soap opera. It's a necessary memory tool for Classic GH fans to remember the show before it turned into the poorly produced, poorly written mockery it is today, courtesy of current misproducer Jill Farren Phelps (better known as Dull Darren Delps) and hack writer Bob Guza Jr. (a.k.a. Mob Luza Junior Writer).
It's a fine written tribute to the late, great producer Gloria Monty, who guided GH out of the doldrums in the late 1970s. Monty's best are on parade in the scrapbook --
The love triangle of Luke, Laura and Scott.
The love triangle of Alan, Monica and Rick.
The spy adventures of Luke teamed with Robert Scorpio opposite the wicked and domineering Cassadines.
The expansion of the WSB/spy stories through the characters of Sean Donely, Anna Devane and Frisco and Felicia Jones.
The enduring loving couples that put your faith back in human nature -- Drs. Rick and Lesley Webber, Lee and Gail Baldwin, Steve and Audrey Hardy, Edward and Lila Quartermaine -- are well presented.
The great villains -- Helena Cassadine, Cesar Faison, Grant Putnam, and Heather Webber -- are in the house.
There's also a neat section of GH vets who went on to bigger and better - singer Rick Springfield (GH's Dr. Noah Drake) and Demi Moore (the soap's erstwhile newspaper reporter Jackie Templeton).
Only thing that's needed is an update of the book. The current book only goes as far as 1995. Warner should bring it up to 2002, the year GH began its rapid decline.

Sincerely,
J. Mosher.
(a.k.a. doneleywannabe of ABC's GH Internet message board).

This is especially great for old time fans like myself, because it reminds us of some great old scenes. It's too bad a lot of the newer actors are not in this, but it's a few years old. I love seeing this on my book shelf, proclaiming my love for GH. A great gift for the fan.

Okay, this book goes back, way back, to the beginning. LOTS of great photos and it explains the storyline as well! So if you wonder what Jason used to be like or who's related to whom...this will explain it all!

I bought this book as a gift for a friend so I can't comment on the contents but she LOVED it and is a big GH fan so I'm assuming I did well! My experience was exceptional. Got my book within a few days in mint condition as promised!

This book I will cherish for all my life. I love looking back at the old GH to the present. It just shows you how awesome General hospital is. It has such great stories. Love stories like Brenda and Sonny, Robin and Stone, to break through stories like Allen drug addiction to Stone's AIDS Story. God this book will make you scream in glee or shead a few tears. To All- ENJOY!

Tammy is an engaging writer with the gift of turning her nightmare into a positive, spiritual gift to all who read her story. Both her family and Trent's are amazing.

This is the best book I have read in years! I think everybody that can should read this book and not take LIFE for granted!!!

Tammy did a wonderful work in describing a pain that many of us face and have to go through. At times I felt like she was describing my own thoughts and feelings when I lost my only child in a car accident. While you are learning to draw breath again, our Lord and Savior truly does literally carry you through the pain until you can begin to see hope again. Life doesn't stop just because a life that means more to you than your own, has stopped. In telling her own story, Tammy helps us to tell ours.

I recently lost my husband suddenly, I have felt all the emotions that Tammy expressed in her book. At 24 I have lost my husband, my father (at 16) and two sisters. Last year my husband and I were expecting a little girl and he was so excited to becoming a father. We had been married for 3 years and just bought a house and another car. Unexpectedly my husband was killed a snowmobiling accident, while on a vacation with his brothers. The area that they were on was about 66 acres and he had gone out alone (this was unusual for him) and hadn't returned after three hours they became worried and went to search for him. There were alot of snowmobile tracks and they weren't sure which ones to follow, so they had formed a search party to look for him. As night fell still no sign of my wonderful husband. The next morning they found my husband who had hit a tree, he was wearing a helmet but somehow it had come off of his head upon the snowmobile hitting the tree sending him flying into the tree, he was gone taking my heart with him. I totally understand why she choose the title "Learning to breathe again: choosing life and finding hope after a shattering loss" because thats just what you have to do, when you lose your husband like that, and being so young you think you have your whole life ahead of you and you make so many plans, When you lose it all like that you feel like you have to learn how to breathe again (Im still learning to breathe again)

Tim was my life, my forever love. I know that when I had our daughter Grace Katheryne (it seemed to fit her she was God's Grace to me in such a rough time in my life and it was also the name Tim picked) I felt his presence as I gave birth to her 6 months ago (just 6 weeks after the accident) I know I will see him again in another time and Another place. As I look at her she looks more and more like her daddy each day she has his dark hair nose mouth and chin and my eyes. I know I have had some days when Ive said "I can't do this alone Lord" but then Im reminded that Im not alone God is with me each day and he will never leave me or forsake me. Tammy did such a beautiful job on this book I share it with other widows I know. No doubt it reached an unbeliever and has made them commit their lives to Christ
From the bottom of my heart thank you so much Tammy

As I read this book I had tears in my eyes. I am also a young widow and I have two children (the last was born 3 months after her father passed away while on a business trip in California the rental car he had been driving was hit by a semi. Being a widow I didn't care for the comments made by Deborah Reece, I thought them to be insensitive and hurtful. saying "be thankful for what you have" is just like saying the pain lessens with time. For me it hasn't. It doesn't appear to me she has read the book (kind of like the other book she "read") but for some reason she had an opinion about it. Finding true love is not hard (once upon a time I thought it was) its just about not settling for second best. We should feel sorry for Tammy as she has been through alot. Yes alot of women go through it but that doesn't make it less painful. Also the book I feel was a testamony I don't think she wrote it to make people feel sorry for her. Trent was an amazing man and I was deeply touched by the book (I lead it out alot sometimes to unbelievers one of whom I believe has come to Christ from being inspired by Tammy's book. I love the title as I too thought I couldn't breathe after Dan's crash, everytime I would take a deep breathe I felt as if I couldn't take another breath.Deborah, If you want a wonderful man just pray about it and try to show that you have a wonderful personality, I think guys like positive girls not ones who have negative things to say where they shouldn't be.

Peter lorre was one of the most unique and fascinating actors ever to come out of the studio system in Hollywood. Anyone who has every seen his soft, silken acting or heard that lyrically menacing voice ever forgot it. I know that I never did. I have been a fan since seeing him go toe to toe with Cary Grant in Arsnic and Old Lace when I was in my teens.

Peter Lorre fans have cause for celebration with this book, which is full of tremendous insight and depth. It covers all of Lorre's life and does so with compassion and appreciation. This work never becomes a fan's love letter, though, as the author does not shy away from the star's less admiriable qualities (which I will leave to the reader to discover). But everything is put in context, which often provides a certain understanding. And what a fascinating context it is - from the German stage of Bertolt Brecht to the Hollywood horror of Roger Corman. It's worth noting that this book is extremely well researched and includes a complete Lorre filmography as well as a complete listing of his tremendous radio work (was ever their a voice better suited for telling stories over the radio?).

As the Author tells Lorre's story, the reader is treated to plenty glimpses into several Hollywood immortals, such as Humphry Bogart, Walter Huston, Sidney Greenstreet, and Lauren Bacall (with whom Lorre had a close friendship). And the writing style is very readable and smooth.

All I can say is, for all of us Peter Lorre fans, Thank you, Mr. Youngkin.

And while we are on the subject of Hollywood greats that never have been given an aurhorative bio, what about Boris Karloff. Mr. Youngkin . . .?

-Mykal Banta

First of all I am profoundly grateful, that finally someone took up the task to write a biography on one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. Mr. Youngkin did very good work especially in researching the very early years of Peter Lorre in Vienna and Berlin, which I assume must have been a quite excrutiating task. Nobody who ever saw the film "M" will ever forget the wonderful performance Peter Lorre gave. Even later on, nearing the end of his live, when he was doing B-movies, he gave them that certain Lorre-touch. It is a wonderful read and Mr. Youngkins work cannot be praised enough. Sometimes this biography makes you cry and laugh at the same time. Finally somebody did credit to this wonderful, wonderful actor.

if you are unable to get ahold of author stephen youngkin's earlier biography of peter lorre, then by all means purchase this book. it's comprehensive and thorough, and a good read of a fascinating subject. if you were able to get ahold of the earlier book, then you can save your money on this one. the only new item that would make purchasing this edition worthwhile is the photo and information on peter's daughter catherine. she looks like him but pretty, and her connection to the hillside strangler is included.

i HAVE READ INNUMERABLE BIOGRAPHIES OF THE STARS.mANY TIMES THEY ARE SIMPLY HARDBOUND VERSIONS OF THE ''NATIONAL ENQUIRER''tHIS BIOGRAPHY OF PETER LORRE IS MORE THAN JUST ANNECDOTAL BUT TELLS A REAL LIFE AND HISTORY OF A REAL ARTISTWHO LIKE AN ACCOMPLISHED MINATURIST WHO PAINT BROADLEY ON A SMALL CANVAS.TO LEARN AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING OF THE GERMAN CINEMA, THE CONTRACT PLAYERS OF THE 1940'S AND THE DECLINE OF THE REAL ''ARTISTIC CINEMA HAS BEEN A REAL JOY.AS A BOY I SAW THE ''BEAST WITH 5 FINGERS AND IT HAUNTED MY DREAMS.AS A OLDER MAN THE STORY OF THE ''LOST ONE'' WILL STAY IN MY HEART AND MEMORY.

"He's crazy about me...all the degenerates are." Peter Lorre, speaking of his chimpanzee co-star in "Five Weeks in a Balloon."


From the beginning of his career, Peter Lorre was typecast. The classic German Expressionist drama, "M", set the tone for his entire career. Lorre said that from that point on, in people's eyes he was "forever the murderer". This was allowed to overshadow his incredible talent and his great aptitude for comedy. (His throwaway lines, like the one I quoted above, are priceless!)

His career spanned from experimental theater in pre-Nazi Germany, to classic noir films with Humphrey Bogart, to eminently forgettable films from the Sixties. (How odd that one of his last appearances was in "Muscle Beach Party"!)

Stephen Youngkin does an admirable job of chronicling Lorre's professional life, including the myriad missed opportunities--(of note: Malcolm Lowry's rabid interest in seeing Lorre play "the consul" in "Under the Volcano", and Lorre's own desire to produce a film about Kasper Hauser. Both of those projects, never realized, would have added so much to Lorre's cachet.)

The book overflows with examples of Lorre's humanity, professionalism, and wit. Unfortunately, the actor's personal battles with the demons of drug abuse and poor health, his unluckiness at love, and his profligate nature create an undertow of tragedy which no reader can escape. In the end, this is a deeply saddening and troubling book. Long after you have finished reading it, you will find yourself reflecting on the life of this brilliant and tormented individual, who indeed has a special place in the hearts of all the "outsiders" in the world.

Stadner's book is well written and fun. She tells her stories in writing even better than she delivers them in person, and this book is loaded with all kinds of memories, each one tugging at a different heart string. She hits home over and over, and that familiarity makes it even more entertaining. At times, I found myself agreeing with her out loud, or calling my sister to remind her of something I hadn't thought of in years. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Great book! The stories you related, made me laugh and cry with you.It was truly a walk down memory lane. You have successfully memorialized Cote St Luc, forever.Sheila

Hanala Stadner writes an amazing narative of her life, beginning with a childhood of loneliness and need. Her parents, survivors of the Holocaust, do not seem to be able to understand her travails which include normal childhood growing pains. She bitterly leaves home and is able to work as a semi-employed actor. Her pain follows her as she stumbles into drug and alcohol abuse. Just when the reader is totally disgusted with her, she begins a long road to recovery and self discovery. This well written book will make you laugh and make you cry. I would heartily recommend it.

I just finished your book I loved it so much that I just didn't want it to end.
I related to just about everything you went through. My parents also went through the war as Partisans in the woods of Poland and White Russia and then came to Montreal.
Thank you so much for writing this book. I must confess that
I laughed and cried but the last 100 pages of your book brought back so many memories for example singing to my father on his death bed \"OYFIN PRIPITCHEK BRENT A FAYERL, UN IN SHTUB IS HEYS. UN DER REBELY LERNT KLEYNE KINDERLEKH DEM ALDF-BEZ.\"
I saw you at Lynn University when you were in Boca Raton and had the
pleasure of meeting you and Fabrizio,gee I hope I remembered his name, but you know who I mean the cute Italian. You signed my book and I will cherish it forever.
Again, thank you so very much this book really made a difference to me.
Lots of Luck, from one survivor to another Sarah Johnson.

The title grabs you - humor? Holocaust? Then, you begin reading and Hanala grabs you- envelops you, fastens your seat belt for you and takes you on the ride that is her life. And what a ride.

For the general public, it is a story, written with wit, humor, turns of phrase, expressions which you know you have heard before and are comfortable with but which are neither trite nor cliche, in a style that holds your attention. It is the history of a little girl clamoring for something which is impossible to receive due to no fault of her own, a "normal" childhood, filled with love, affection, nurturing, complements, structure, safety, sibling support, reliable friends, - just like in the 50s and 60s TV families into which she delves for comfort; who, not surprisingly grows into a young adult with physical addictions and emotional insecurities - making bad choices, entering into troubled relationships and behaving in a self-destructive manner bringing her near death; and finally, just as you have almost had it with her and want to read her the riot act, but knowing that nothing you say could bring her out of her messed-up life, she surprises you and takes a small step which becomes a deep reach into herself and pulls herself out of the spiral - building inner strength and finally maturing into the positive, healthy person you would be thrilled to have in your life. Hanala lays open her soul to the core, describes behaviors and experiences that most would be embarrassed and ashamed to admit, and demonstrates that we have the ability to heal ourselves, with the help of others, if we only give ourselves the chance. You laugh, you laugh a lot, and you cry, you find yourself repeating statements out loud that you have just read which may well hit deep in your own soul. Frankly, you don't want the book to end and when it does, you are OK, because you know that Hanala's story is continuing and because it is a real life that you feel connected to.

And, for the readership which is made up of the children of Holocaust survivors/escapees, it is an even more special story. Hanala, through her experiences, and her insights gained through therapy, A.A. and Al-Anon programs, gives us answers as to why her parents, and so many other such parents just could not do a better parenting job - whether due to their guilt for not being able to save family or friends or for the simple fact that they survived, magnified by the relative comfort in which they are living; why they too were and are leading lives that are not filled with what many would consider "normal" actions and reactions - which behaviors many have unintentionally passed on to their children. "It is not because she won't, it is because she just can't." For Holocaust survivor/escapees' children, Hanala provides answers to questions we might not even know how to ask.

This book is as convoluted as its author. It maintains a flow of semi-stream-of-consciousness from start to finish, and what emerges are the memoirs of a man whose love of seafaring and considerable self-deprecation ("self-loathing" is a little too strong a term) has brought him to a sea voyage to Tahiti with a pick-up crew and his four children in violation of a court order. Hayden's story is it's own animal, going from the coasts of Massachusetts and Maine, to the forests of Yugoslavia, to courtrooms and congressional chambers and movie sets and finally to the high seas and South Pacific islands with a strain of fatalism and regret throughout. It should make for a downer of a read; instead, I found myself staying up and turning the pages to see what happened next. A great book.

I would like to add something to the excellent and perceptive reviews above. What came through so strongly is that life is messy, yet Hayden's remarkable self awareness didn't seem to help him. This is a fascinating look inside a big life. I found it valuable.

I believe it was 1959 and I had just returned from a month's cruise to the Tuamotus and Marquesas islands on the copra schooner Charlotte Donald. I was sitting at a table on the quay in front of the Hotel Le Grand when the schooner first appeared off Papeete. It sailed in smartly, picked up the Pilot, and docked stern first, as was the custom, at the concrete quay. The name "Wanderer" was nicely affixed to her transom. I lived in District Punavia, kilometer thirteen, next to Paul Gauguin's old home by the Thompsons. Several weeks later I would board the Wanderer after meeting her skipper at a party to buy some of the 16mm color film he had for sale. He was courteous, the children were well mannered, the library below was impressive, and his ship was clean and appeared to be able to sail on a minute's notice. We chatted for some time and he recounted some stories of his trip. We knew the same haunts in coastal California. We met a couple of more times at functions on the island. He seemed to be a cheerful and courteous person. He was a large man and deep voiced and I knew he was an actor, but that's about all I knew. Not long ago I had written my autobiography and had made a small mentioned of the encounter and the film. A friend who read my book asked if I had read Hayden's biography, which I hadn't. He suggested I do so, and last month I ordered it from Amazon. The book was disheartening for me to read. While he and I had many similarities in our lives (I wasn't an actor) and had been to many of the same places, we came away with massively different reactions. Mr. Hayden is a good writer and tells, especially about his life at sea, in an authentic style that kept me reading. I don't know if I would have finished if there weren't the similarity of our experiences. The sparse interjection of the third person voice over his normal narrative of first person was effectively used. The book and his life stand on their own merits and I make no judgment. He was first and foremost a seafaring man of unusual talents, and I wish I had visited him in the States in our later years. Mr. Hayden, you steered the course you wanted in recounting the voyages of your life. That's about all most of us could ask for. Rest in peace.

PS:
Spike Africa, his mate, came as a surprise, or else I had forgotten. Skip ahead twenty years and I chartered the "Spike Africa", a 70 foot schooner out of Newport Beach California somewhere around 1979 for a company off-site (the exact thing Hayden despised ... sorry). Bob Sloan built and then christened the boat "Spike Africa". The California yachting community all knew of Spike Africa the man, as a legend in the Pacific ocean, although I never knew any details of the legend.

A griping story that reads like fiction. Hayden is a "one of a kind" spirit that lives life to the fullest. He wants good things for the world and lives up to his character of being an iconoclast. A great read for sailors or romantics who dream of being before the mast and finding lifes' meaning out on the sea.

Hayden was one of those force of nature types who, sadly don't exist in sufficient quantities to make the world a really interesting place. In this book, he tells his life story, while telling the story of his last voyage on the 100 foot schooner, Wanderer. His prose is lovely and has the rythm of the sea; like other great works of sea literature (like Moby Dick). I'll give a high point of his prose before I complain:

"What does a man need ---really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in --and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all --in the material sense. And we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where then lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be, bankruptcy of purse of bankrutpcy of life?"

Hayden was a child of the depression who worked his way out of bad circumstances by a combination of stubbornness, physique and leadership skill. He is eventually given a job a an actor, after being spotted by the media during a sailboat race in Glocester. He abandons this due to a love affair with an actress who fancies herself concerned with serious social issues. He joins the war and does OSS/CIA type operations in maritime support of partisans in Yugoslavia. He returns to his acting. Makes many movies. Marries an evil shrew. Divorces. Gets the kids. Chucks it all for a trip to Tahiti in his 100 foot yacht. All this is well and good, but the man reveals too much about himself. His self loathing isn't interesting. It is certainly not edifying, and though he seems to abundantly pity himself, I cannot feel sorry for him. The man had many fine opportunities. He had fine charachter qualities; I admire the fact that he chucked it all, just because he didn't like it. But he was not a fine man: he was petty and ugly -he couldn't even treat his own widowed mother decently, and though his ex wife was probably no better, I rather doubt as being around such a tormented spirit was good for his kids. In that way, he is a tragic figure; all the more tragic because he doesn't seem to realize it himself. It is no suprise he never did much with himself after he wrote the book. I don't know this to be true, but I suspect he drown himself and his self-loathing in booze.

Still, it is a beautifully written book. In a way, the book is his triumph over it all. It is doubtless a finer thing than any of the movies he made, and his great "the heck with it all" dramatic gesture is probably better than any he made on camera. I know I will read the book again. Perhaps when I am older I will think differently of Captain Hayden. Amusingly, a visit to Sausalito revealed that I had known Hayden as the demented General Jack D. Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove."

Absolutely amazing, excellent for anyone who enjoyed watching the west wing, great to read, surprized it was so big when it arrived, but I'm not complaining there's just more to have in there then. I do love the fact that there are quotes from the actors, about the show and there other cast mates. This is an excellent buy! Worth every penny!

The item showed up just as described and within a reasonable time. I was notified that it had shipped. Excellent transaction. Excellent item. I would order from this seller again.

I thumbed through this book in a bookstore and by the time I got home, I realized I had to own it and I was online ordering my own copy. This book is more than just a rehash of the first two seasons. We are treated to a real behind-the-scenes tour of what goes into filming the show. Talk about your West Wing trivia!

The asides from the actors on the characters they play are filled with gems of inside information. For instance, what do Brad Whitford and Janel Moloney think the roles of Josh and Donna are all about; how does Martin Sheen get the cast to treat him like the President and why is this adulation so important; and why is Allison Janney everyone's favorite? We are treated to a tour of the West Wing to fully understand the layout of the staff's offices and the dynamics of the characters in relationship to each other. Then, the decorations in the offices are explained, and nothing is so minor to be included by chance.

Sorkin claims he doesn't have a political agenda. He asks his staff to write a pro-con memo on each episode, and he is most comfortable when two people disagree. If the points are good, he incorporates them into the show's dialogue. You have to be a West Wing fan, and a pretty serious one at that, to fully appreciate this Official Companion, which brings to light the fine points of all that went into creating the first two seasons of this amazingly written and performed show.

Being a newly minted "Wingnut", I recently went out and purchased the first 3 seasons of The West Wing of DVD and then set about finding a good companion guide to go along with them. After sifting through the good, the bad, and the ugly, I settled on this excellent 342 page tome. While only covering the first 2 seasons, this 9" X 11" book is chock full of beautiful color pictures and enough extras to rival the DVDs themselves. Accept no substitutes and add this one to your TV library. I can only hope that a volume II (covering seasons 3 & 4) will be published when season 4 is shortly released on DVD. Plenty of time for us all to brush up on our Latin (post hoc, ergo propter hoc). R.I.P. John Spencer.

I have seen the "West Wing" books that feature scripts from selected episodes. But this book includes every episode from the first two seasons, told in story form. Plus chapters on each of the actors and their characters, the background on the making of the show -- if you're a fan, this is a "must have". I just hope that there will be, at some point, additional volumes to cover the third, fourth and fifth seasons -- and so on.

Truly an excellent guide to the romantic comedy genre and how to write within it. Perfect for an intermediate writer who wants to branch out into this kind of screenwriting; could even be useful for short stories and novels, because the ideas translate well. Very well written, entertaining, never boring, and always enlightening. Loved it and consider it a must-have in my screenwriting/writing library.

I recommend this book for all writers - not just screenwriters. He has a way of making it so clear all the clever ways not to fall into the usual traps of a typical scene.

Whether you are writing a book or a movie the information he presents how to establish relationships between characters is tremendous. It's also a fun read.

I refer to it often when building characters, relationships, and their world.

This IS the book for anyone interested in writing a romantic comedy. Simple and easy to follow with great examples from films we love. It's all about the chemistry. If you want to write an emotional picture...this is the book for you. Writing the Romantic Comedy is your ticket to writing a romcom that sells!

I've been working on my text for a while and struggling with
it. Once I start reading the book I knew I was in right hands because page after page I immediately start finding out answers for my questions. I gained time and saved much of my energy for writing the better. Definitely value of my money.
ILKSEN BAS f/36

As a writer, this book woke up my muse and honed my funnybone. A completely easy-to-read how-to-write book ... what a bonus! The book is perfect for writers in other genres and anyone looking to write humour and comedy.

1.) The interviews in this book are invaluable. Interviews from both film students and professional in the industry.

2.) First 32 pages of the book, in my opinion, was hard to follow, learn and understand due to choice of words. If I hadn't of read "Crafty TV writing" by Alex Epstein, prior to reading this book, I would have been lost. THis book is for beginners, but Alexs book is for the beginner of beginners.

3.) Nice grids on pages so that you can do some training at home.

4.) This book is extremely analytical. I liked it, but some people may not.

Overall a good book.

This is a very helpful and useful guide.

I will expand my review later.

I've read many, many books on writing for film and television, and this is one of the best ones. Worth twice the cover price!

I have read several books on the craft of TV drama development, and this one is by far the most comprehensive and helpful. As someone who doesn't have access to the great writing instructors of the left coast, this book is essentially my drama writing class. "Writing the TV Drama Series" is a wonderful A to Z look at what to expect in the rough and tumble world of professional television writing. Thanks, Pamela, for sharing your expertise with us!

I have read many books on writing for film and TV and this is by far the most comprehensive and best organized TV writing book on the market. I have required my class of Advanced Short Scriptwriting/TV Writing students at the University of New Hampshire to purchase the book, and I am encouraging them to hang onto it for the rest of their lives so they may refer to it easily and quickly.

I loved Dirk's Second book, and it was so wonderfully written by a honest man, not by a celebrity, and I actually felt for the man what he went through for the birth of his first son, George, by reading the pages, and I love the ending, and I hope that he would actually write more for the happiness, and the being of his fans, because we would want more, who wouldn't agree with me?

From the guy who brought so many cliches to the screen, to a writer with an honest and traditional background, came "And then we went fishing". I cannot describe the underlying sense or feeling one receives when reading this book. Then comes a story from out of the blue that confirms to you inside that there are good people in the world, moreover, there are people who can be honest with those they know not. To me that is the sign of a true writer,more importantly of a good man. Good Luck.

In case you didn't know, Dirk Benedict is that good looking actor who endeared himself to millions by playing the loveable scam artist, "Face" on the A-Team. In addition to this and numerous other acting credits, Mr. Benedict has to rank as one of the finest yet most under-rated writers of non-fiction in America. Believe it! He is THAT good!

In, "And Then We Went Fishing", he delicately intertwines the story of the birth of his son with the tragic murder of his father. And he throws in a little bit of Shakespeare for company. But the English bard is not needed here as Mr. Benedict's smooth and thoughtful prose can easily stand on it's own merits.

The author does not play it safe with this book. It's not just that he chooses to show us his heart and share his intimate thoughts. He risks compromising this by using flash backs. Lesser word smiths can mess up their stories when they use this style by confusing their readers with the "back and forth" technique. Not Dirk Benedict. He has masterful control of his prose and manages to captivate his reading audience. The result is a beautiful tapestry of 2 different stories that occured decades apart.

The only criticism I have of this work is the occasional use of cuss words. Not to be prudish, but most of them were really not necessary. I would recommend that those who teach others how to write prose, put this book on their students required reading list. The tome will not only teach them technique but it will give them a clear example of what putting one's heart into their writing is truly about.

Dirk Benedict, you're not only a talented actor but a great author. Encore.

I was deeply moved by Dirk Benedict's honesty and daring to reveal and share such a personal tale. For me, the Shakespearean references to Hamlet added to the story as he gradually revealed the details. It was a powerful book for me, and gave me more respect for the inner strength of the author.

This second book by Dirk Benedict touches on some deeply personal experiences of his life that he shares with the reader. It interchanges between the tale of his father's death and his first child's birth, each unique experiences.
He and his wife had elected to have a homebirth way before they became fashoinable, and the endless parade of misfit Midwives makes for humorous reading.
the personal tradgedy of his father's murder, and the state of the family during that time give depth to the pages.
As well as he touches on subtle aspects of his life that may haunt him later, such as his head injuries that kept him out of the Army and his suggestion Natural birth should be required by law for at least two children per family. (Do we really want the government making this personal decision for us? How could anyone make such a suggestion!)
One point of note is chapter 9. A rant against birth-control and a disticntly male-sided view of free love and yuppies, (These views only are valid with one generation and don't seem to apply to us younger then baby boomers) which is typical of his style but totally seems out of place with the rest of the book.
A deeply moving recounting of past experiences with an ironic climax.
But a suggestion to a would-be-buyer: Get it off of Amazon. It's much cheaper. [...]