Television Books

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. [...]

If you are a fan of the Pirates Movies this is a must have book! The art work in this book is amazing how they show them bringing the characters from conception art work to the big screen. Some truly amazing pictures in this book very vivid like you walked into the film. Love the Book and would highly recommend it.

This is a fantastic book! I can't say enough about how well this book was put together. It's oversided quite like the "Book of Codes" from the movie with splendid artwork throughout. Needless to say I am quite pleased. If you enjoy great production artwork this volume is for you.

This Product/ Purchase was very satisfactory. The book came on time as specified at the time of purchase. The descriptions at the time of purchase made the decision to buy this item very easy, as it assured me that this was what I was looking for. There were not only detailed descriptions of what was inside the book, there was also examples of some of the images inside the book, giving a preview of what to expect. The only suggestion/ concern I had with this purchase was that the packaging could have protected the book more than it did, as when it arrived there were a few slight mishaps when the book encountered the sides of the box on a rough delivery. Other than that I am happy with the purchase.

I bought this book, "The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean" for myself for Christmas, to add to my ever growing "Pirates of the Caribbean" collection. It's the perfect coffee table book; big, bold and loaded with beautiful photos of artistry and magic, and this book shows us "how" the magic was brewed to create what we know now as "The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy". Being an artist myself I can really appreciate the creative genius and the blood, sweat, and tears that this collective collaboration represents. Tons of work went into not only each character's development, but also that of the props, locations, etc., and you can see it all just by turning the book's pages. "The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean" book is magnificent addition to my collection and a proud representation of the hard work and talent of those who contributed to the movies...Bravo!

I'm one of the artists featured in the book. I have to say this is one book that I'm proud to have my name attached. Too often "Art of" books smack of kissing up to the producers and above the line folks. This is an "art of" book that doesn't lie. It's just a bunch of art. Period. Thanks to Jon Rogers at Disney for putting this together.

Great book! I thought it would be mainly pictures, but it's very well written with lots of great trivia.

once youve read one story you have got to read them all, they go into detail about john and paul and its just great. theres stories for just about everything.

the pictures are clear and amazing, most, if not all of them you cannot find on the internet, this book is gigantic, almost the size of text books, which makes the pictures even more amazing.

you are not a beatles fan unless you have this book.

Yes you have heard the stories before, and you have even seen most of the picutres, but the way they have been put together still makes it worth while. It's like having all MOJO articles on the fabs in one book, and hey! maybe it's exactly what it is? They should have called it Chronology!

This book is simply a delight that will hopefully introduce the nowadays young generation to the Beatles' unparalleled social and musical impact they have had on the world. I have always believed that the Beatles have set new standards in music as they imposed themselves as cultural icons in the sixties. I bet any Beatles fan would be joyful over the arrival of this book. I spent hours reading it, watching its photos, lovingly turning each page, smiling, laughing or weeping over so many previously unseen fantastic photos and background information to some of their songs and albums. I have many Beatle books at home but this one beats all of them in the detailed information provided, style and text. Some of the photos have never been released before. Besides, the material is extensive and professionally ellaborated. This book is a great work and I recommend it especially for the Beatle fans and connaisseurs. I'm sure everyone will love this book. The minute this book has been published, the timeless and greatest band of all times - The Beatles - are shocking the world, again!

This book is gorgeous in it's lay out and presentation. The articles are arranged in a magazine style format with a very imaginative what?,where?.when?, tag at the top of each article. I must say that some of these articles were written by some of the best Beatles writers and authorities in the world like,Hunter Davies,Barry Miles, Mark Lewisohn, and Ian Macdonald, to name but a few. However, some seem to be written by MOJO staff writers who's knowledge of the Beatles would fit in a thimble. These particular authors had to relie on previously written books to assimilate their info.,so for the M.B.E. ceremony you get that stupid story about the boys smoking a joint in the palace bathroom before meeting the queen. (probably taken from Lennon Remembers which should have been retitled,Lennon is Angry this Week and Wants to Make Up a Bunch of Shock Stories.) A few of these ridiculous Beatles folk lore tales are retold in this book because the young staff writers at MOJO simply didn't know better. Seriously,with the drug penalties of 1965, would the boys have risked their entire career and reputation for a spliff in the QUEEN'S bathroom?
I did love the record reviews of each album, complete with vintage music reviews and commentary from Beatle fans in the music biz. Unfortunately the reviews of the earlier albums were given to those young staff writters again,(and they wouldn't know a Beatles album from a Cowsills album apparently.) It would have been nice if the reviewer for Beatles for Sale had taken the time to find out who is singing on Kansas City,instead of saying, "And WHOEVER is singing on Kansas City sounds great." Why were people like this allowed to write in the first place?
Also some of the picture captions are wrong. One of John and Paul is off by 3 years! (ouch) If I sound annoyingly anal,it's because I am anal when it comes to the Beatles. I've studied and read everything about them and because of this,I'm finding that I seem to know more than a lot of people who are making money writing about them. I always want to fix the many mistakes I find, and they are in every book except the ones by real experts like the fine writers I mentioned before.
Don't misunderstand, the wonderful things in this book far outweigh the anoying mistakes. In fact Ten Years... reminds me of the Beatles Anthology so it is definetly one of those must haves for the library. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and almost all of them rare. The articles are facinating because they don't just retell the same story but they dig deeper,revealing unknown facts. They are written in a way that makes them seem fresh.
Also I really enjoyed the contributions from famous Beatles photographers with some of their most beautiful photos of the boys, and interesting anecdotes about working with them. You'll find everything here; the music,the mania,the private lives,and the personalities of the four who did indeed shake the world and changed our culture forever.

Since I named my son Graham after Bill, I thought perhaps I should know a little bit more about his life. I now now know alot more!

It is written in a narative style which makes it very easy to read. The stories are told by the people who were there, some happy, some sad ,some very funny.

If you are interested in the life of this man or even the history of modern day Rock and Roll Concert Production, how it started and evolved, I highly recomend this book.

This book is a little weird (to me) in concept but it works out really well in the end. The book goes from Bill's early days in Nazi Germany all the way to his death with no major stone left unturned. Lots of great stories with very little in the way of punches being pulled. I mean Bill really tells you what he is thinking. Very uncensored. Covers the drugs and the behind scenes stuff with no BS involved. Shows the guy for who he was, warts and all and lets him and the people he is talking about retort one another which I thought was weird in a good way. This book is of great interest to anyone who has probably gotten to this point in reading reviews. If you are interested in this type of subject then this book is a must.

It's a good insight into the rock scene back in the 60's and 70's. A must read for anyone who likes classic rock.

i didn't realize how much bill graham did behind the scenes.
montery pop ,woodstock, altamont,ect............

This book is structured so that as Bill Graham comments on different times of his life, he allows the persons hes speaking of to comment in the next paragraph. This makes for some very interesting reading. Grham discusses his time in Korea and killing the enemy. This experience allows him to have an abundant amount of courage when it comes to dealing with band managers in the future. Bill discusses Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Zeppelin, the Stones, J Geils Band, Santana, the Who and all the tense dealings with each of these personalities. This book could have benefitted from better pictures of the bands. Thats my only critical comment.

What a treat! So refreshing to have someone as talented and connected as Niven share his uncensored experiences. The stories of Errol were moving beyond anything I'd ever read about him before. Everyone has sung this book's merits, I want to concentrate on "Our Little Girl". WHO THE HECK WAS THAT???? People are saying Vivien Leigh (came from Arizona, left her mother behind, had a baby, married a camera man, married three times, grew up in the Hollywood system, a blonde known as the Erector set?????) Vivien Leigh doesn't even begin to fit this description. Lana Turner seems most viable but these details do not fit her story either. Same with Rita Hayworth. WHO WAS IT???

I read both books at school in the eighties. I well remember coming across them at the back of the room in my English teacher's large bookcase. I don't remember much, just that they were a great read. Well his first time sticks in my memory....

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM

The stories and writing are incredible and gives you a real sense of what true Hollywood glamor was like back in those wonderful early years. However, I do believe the "our little girl" story was actually about Lana Turner, not Vivien Leigh. He talked about Vivien and Larry Olivier in another book or section of this book, but I doubt it was Vivien that had a breakdown. Nevertheless, the man was a great actor. What a terrible amount of suffering he endured in life and what a tragic death from Lou Gehrig's disease. Would you believe he and his second wife aren't even buried together! Too bad he's not buried next to his first wife Primula in the church where they were married. Primmie was his true love. He was blessed to have his two boys as comfort after her tragic death at a party at Ty Power's house. Get both the books and read them, you'll enjoy every word and all the inside scoop on lots of famous Hollywood folks we all still love.

One of the better books to come out about the "Golden Age of Hollywood". Niven gives a good and funny look at his career and the life back in those days. (The Sad part was that a lot of pain & sadness also followed him with the death of his 1st wife in a tragic accident & then marrying the wrong 2nd wife.He also sadly worked himself to death because of his fear of poverty.)
None the less a 1st rate book about a real life of the party Man & great Actor. I think that Sandhurst must be proud of him!

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition is a treasure for those -- like me -- who love this Christmas classic. It is a great "behind the scenes look" that includes photos of the cast of characters whose voices are so familiar. Give it as a gift to the "Peanuts Fan" in your life.
Philip D. Halfacre
Author, Genuine Friendship

While we've been treated to many Charles Schulz documentaries and remembrances over the years, "A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" is the first book to focus on the first Peanuts' television special. The book includes in-depth interviews with producer Lee Mendelson, animator Bill Melendez, and Vince Guaraldi's children. This book is the ultimate backstage pass to the recording studio, with interviews with the original child actors who voiced the characters and sang on Guaraldi's "Christmas Time is Here." As a bonus treat, the script and original animation art round out the book.

I loved this book! It has material for every fan of the famous TV special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". I may not be musical, but if you are, this book includes the music. I am fond of the discussions of the people involved in creating the production of the TV show and the script. I will be using the script in my classroom for Reader's Theatre. The book has a lot of material that has meaning for me personally. I was young when this special was shown on television and it was always one of my favorites. The book was not a disappointment to read and own. I am very glad I bought it.

This is the ultimate companion to the tv show. The art work is from the original show and the dialogue is a great bonus! The book is also packed with great trivia and information about the decisions "behind stage" that led to the creation of the ultimate Christmas Special.

"Charlie Brown Christmas" is the crown jewel of Christmas specials. Heavy on holiday introspection, but with the dry wit and humor you'd come to expect from Charles Schulz's creations.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" just expands that experience, by outlining how the famed special came to be -- the music, the animation, the voice acting, even the advertisement to get people to watch it. It's a charming, nostalgic little book, and a good accompaniment.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was spun up quickly, when Coca Cola wanted a Christmas special in less than a week -- and Charles Schulz's lovable loser Charlie Brown seemed to be the ticket. But the special was made very differently from other cartoons -- 2-D animation, no laugh track, uncutesy kids, and (horrors!) a jazz soundtrack. It was doomed to fail, they said.

Well, instead it became a booming hit, and has been running every December ever since. Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez reminisce in here about the much-loved Charles Schulz, and about Vince Guaraldi, who made the distinctive piano soundtrack, and why it's so beloved -- it dares to approach holiday ennui and commercialization, then dashes it away with Linus' description of Christmas' meaning.

As for the "making of" portion, there are storyboards, musical scores, test photos, clips of television reviews, and rare photos like Melendez and Schulz doing the football gag. Finally, there is the entire script of the special, framed by colourful stills from the cartoon.

You couldn't wring this much information from most half-hour animated specials, no matter how much fun they were. But it's a bit different with "Charlie Brown Christmas." It was so completely unusual -- and has proved to be so timeless -- that a book on the making of it, and its effect, seems completely right.

It's a very conversational, reminiscent book. It feels like sitting in a room with Melendez and Mendelson, listening to them reminisce about "Sparky." And we also get input from other people involved in the project, such as Christopher Shea (Linus), who talks about his famous "Second Chapter of Luke" speech, as well as odd bits of trivia (the little girl playing Sally had to be fed her lines).

The Christmas special is more than able to stand on its own, but "Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" is a wonderful accompaniment. Full of interesting tidbits and history.

This book gives you all the lyrics to his songs and there are pictures and paragraphs about them.

"The Doors: The Illustrated History" is the best photographic, visual book record of the band. Compiled by Doors manager Danny Sugerman, it is a fascinating, visually rich and enjoyable display of a band that changed rock music and the amount of praise (and criticsm) they inspired. The pictures are great, they are clear, close and informative and clearly show how Jim Morrison created the theatrical aspects we so see so often in today's rock music. We also get different shots of the man, as the wild, leather-clad Lizard King and as a lonely, quiet poet. The articles and reviews are fascinating because they take us back to a time and place, but they are also surprising to read when compared to what is written today about certain rock artists. In one article dealing with the New Haven arrest where Morrison became the first rock performer to be arrested at a concert, the writer calls the music of The Doors "satanic, sensual and demented." A sign of what was to come with artists like Iggy Pop, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper and many others. Some of the reviews are especially well-written, like one where the writer says the Doors music evokes images like the eye-ball slashing in Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou." Like the music, the images are timeless, and evoke a poetic, deep persona who's presence is ever so strong in rock. Like The Beatles, The Doors are an unforgettable force, you hear them once and never forget. The foreward by Jerry Hopkins, who wrote "No One Here Gets Out Alive," is also informative and has interesting things to say about the resurgence of Doors music. This is a must for any Doors fanatic and anyone who has ever been touched by the music and words.

I'm somewhat of a new Doors fan, particularly of Jim Morrison. The hair and the pout drew me in first, then the music followed. When I found this book, I knew I had to own it. I was not at all disappointed. Sugerman has done a fantastic job of compiling the hundereds of pictures and newspaper/magazine articles from over the years into this informative collection. The progression over the years of Morrison's rise to fame and eventual downfall into drugs and self-desctruction is adeptly demonstrated. A must-have for any Doors fan.

Danny Sugerman is someone in the Doors "family" that alot of people don't think very highly of. He has made a pretty good living out of Jim Morrison's death and continues to this day to fuel the many myths he helped create with his contribution to "No One Here Gets Out Alive". But if it weren't for Danny.....The Doors would not be selling so many records or books or anything on Morrison. Danny has helped keep "The Myth" alive. This is why The Doors are so popular today. Having said that, no single person worked harder to keep the Doors name alive in the 80's than he did- for that I respect Danny.

This amazing compilation of cuttings, reviews, photographs and articles was collected by a young Danny during the height of The Doors success whilst working as Jim's assistant-answering Jim's fan mail.

Beginning with the bands first forays onto the LA gig circuit the fledgling Doors took the rock press by storm with their doom laden sound and extremely smart lyrical imagery. From the Whisky to Miami via the Singer Bowl and New Haven we travel along on the dark journey to oblivion that was the Doors turbulent and sadly short career as seen through the eyes of the press and a young teenage kid. As it happened live and uncut.

I absolutely love this book. The introduction and the photographs are worth the price alone. This book has the lyrics to all your favorite Doors songs plus poetry (lyrics) from Jim Morrisons' spoken word album "An American Prayer." It has also got interviews and a behind the scenes look at what went on during some of the recording sessions as well as definitions as to just what Jim meant in some of their songs. The discussion about the meaning of The End is great. This book is a must for Doors fans from the most ardent to the just curious. The book is not one that will be looked at once or twice and put on a shelf. It is a facinating read no matter how many times you read it. The Doors: The Complete Lyrics increased my respect and admiration for the band, and Jim in particular, 1000 fold.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped put my life into perspective. Sometimes we all run fast and live hard until we realize that there comes a point when we need to rest and come back home-----to God. I want to thank Lisa Whelchel for writing such a fine story. The title caught my eye since so many of us are familiar with the show that started off with so many memories. For me it was the beginning of the end of my elementary school life and the beginnings of my High School days and til It's last year (1987-1988) of my first year in college. I hope that with all of our memories and best times we also find the time to read Lisa's Book. Great book! Go get it! :)

I enjoyed this book and was moved by it. I am a fan of Lisa's since her "Facts" days; I did my research first and I knew that the book did not have a lot of detail about her work on the show, so I didn't have those expectations. The book is religious in nature but in my opinion it was a very accessible, breezy read and I think there is something in it for everyone. In fact, I read it, and then I read it AGAIN as soon as I finished it! It really made me stop and think. I laughed, I cried, I said, "oh yeah, I know *exactly* what she's talking about!" Give it a look, it will be worth your time.

This book basically told the story of Lisa's life, from her childhood, to acting, and then about her marriage and parenthood. The chapters were well broken down into various aspects of her life, with her telling us what God has taught her at the end of each chapter. I loved the humor in the book, especially the words of wisdom from Lisa's mother.

This book was a great read, and I have learned things from Lisa that are actually helping me get through the days. I didn't want to put it down until I finished it, and I want to get a copy for all my friends. She may have been a star, and she's different from me in plenty of ways. But she's also so much like me as a Christian woman, wife, and mother. When I'm having a rough day, I just remember reading about how she went through something similar and how she got through it, whether it be a major life struggle, or just dealing with my kids when they're having a particularly bad day.
I went to one of her Mom-Time conferences a couple of months ago, and there I learned that Lisa is so down to earth. The book shows that about her even more. It has been such a blessing to me already, and it's a book I plan to read at least once a year.

This book was awesome....it was funny, entertaining, but also very spiritual and uplifting. I've been a huge fan of the TV show "The Facts of Life" since I was very young, and adored "Blair". Lisa Whelchel is a wonderful writer and I highly recommend this book.