 |
|
|
|
|
Billion-Dollar Kiss |
|
|
The Kiss That Saved Dawson's Creek and Other Adventures in TV Writing
Jeffrey Stepakoff - Author
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Book: Hardcover | 9.25 x 6.25in | 336 pages | ISBN 9781592402953 | 10 May 2007 | Gotham Books | 14 - AND UP years |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When Jeffrey Stepakoff was graduating with an MFA in playwriting, he imagined a life in the New York theater, wearing a beret and smoking clove cigarettes. Writing for the “boob tube” didn’t even cross his mind. But he ended up in L.A. in the late 80’s, when television writers were experiencing their equivalent of a gold rush. After the billion- dollar syndication of Seinfeld, when studios were paying astronomical amounts of money to writers to create the next Friends or ER, the sudden mania for scripted entertainment made the TV writer a hot commodity. He found himself meeting with big agents, inside primetime story rooms, pitch meetings, and on the set of some of TVs most popular shows, and making more money than he’d ever thought possible.
Weaving his personal story with television’s, Stepakoff takes us behind the scenes to show what it’s like to have a story idea one week and see it come to life and be seen by millions of people just a week later. Stepakoff also takes us inside the industry to explain what we’re watching and why by exploring the growing problems of media consolidation, the effects of interference from executives, the lack of diversity, and what reality television is doing to quality scripted television.
When the market crashed and the dust settled, TV executives and the media conglomerates they worked for were sitting on a broken business model. Slowly, a new programming idea began to take hold—what if the writer and their salaries were removed from the equation? Reality TV was born and the TV writer suddenly became obsolete— at least temporarily.
Everything, everything, everything I would tell someone who wants to be a TV writer is in this book-- the good stuff, the bad stuff, the sad stuff, juicy details, actual dollar amounts, names and gossip, plus all the real-time advice you can truly use. Plus, there's something even more important holding it all together--Jeffrey Stepakoff's heartfelt, hilarious journey through the TV biz. Next time someone asks me if they can pick my brain I'll recommend this book first. (Jill Soloway, Co-executive Producer, Six Feet Under)
For a business with all-too-short a memory, Stepakoff has provided a funny and insightful chronicle of how we got where we are today. The only way you could learn more about the business of writing for TV would be by writing for TV. (Naren Shankar, Executive Producer/Co-Showrunner, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
Jeffrey Stepakoff tells the 'true truth.' More than a memoir, BILLION- DOLLAR KISS gives the reader a history of the business of television from the heady days of the late eighties until today. It's an indispensable book for not only for anyone thinking about writing for TV, but for seasoned writers wondering what's happening to their careers. (Loraine Despres, author of The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell, The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc and former TV writer)
Billion Dollar Kiss is the true story of a nice, talented guy who came to LA and hit it big. It's a great read! (Rob Lotterstein, Creator/Executive Producer of The War At Home, and Writer/Producer of Ellen, Suddenly Susan, Will & Grace)
Episodic TV is lucky to have someone as intelligent and even-handed as Jeffrey Stepakoff sorting its laundry. Richly detailed, dead-on-accurate and painfully amusing. I'm a ‘big fan!’ (Dana Coen, Co-Executive producer and writer on Bones, NCIS and JAG)
Call it 'Adventures in the Small Screen Trade,' a memoir with insight into history, culture and business. Billion-Dollar Kiss tells its story with everything we strive for in great TV -- some great lines, cool twists, and the one thing we don't always achieve -- truth. (Juan Carlos Coto, Writer-producer, NCIS, Invasion, The Pretender, The Dead Zone)
|
|
|
Email Alerts
To keep up-to-date, input your email address, and we will contact you on publication
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
