TV Talk: Recent books go behind the scenes of ‘West Wing,’ ‘Sopranos,’ ‘Gilmore Girls,’ ‘thirtysomething,’ ‘Golden Girls’
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers reading tips
for recent books about TV.
One of the best aspects of writing about TV is the opportunity to occasionally visit the sets of shows to gather insider intel. A raft of recent books about the industry take readers behind the scenes as well, including:
“What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to ‘The West Wing’ ” ($35, Dutton) by “West Wing” cast members Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack goes behind the scenes of the classic NBC drama, timed to the 25th anniversary of its premiere. It’s as warm and winning as the series itself, a must-read for fans (aka “Wingnuts”) that wisely forgoes a complete episode guide in favor of a deeper dive on select episodes (weird, though, that the post-9/11 special “West Wing” episode gets ignored). Yet at more than 500 pages, this doorstop of a book is longer than it needs to be, veering away from the making of a TV show to frequent digressions on the preferred charities of the show’s cast members (this fits the authors’ narrative but is skippable for readers interested only in the show).
While the authors spill some tea about casting coulda-beens — Eugene Levy auditioned to play Toby, the role that went to Richard Schiff; CCH Pounder was a finalist to play press secretary C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney got the part) — there is literally just one incidental mention of Moira Kelly’s Mandy Hampton. The book chronicles in detail the casting of every other Season 1 series regular except Moira Kelly, and there’s nothing in the book about why the character was written out of the series.
“What’s Next” also fails to address the arrival and disappearance of a dozen other characters, which would have been easy and helpful to address (it’s probably because creator Aaron Sorkin wrote on the fly week-to-week and the show didn’t make long-term deals with guest cast, meaning they may or may not be available to return). “What’s Next” does tackle the departure of Rob Lowe’s Sam Seaborn and series creator Sorkin, but given the book’s length, its omissions disappoint.
“Hits, Flops and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood” ($29, Gallery Books): TV and film writer/director Ed Zwick recounts his experiences as a filmmaker, which in television includes making “thirtysomething,” “My So-Called Life” and “Once and Again” with writing partner Marshall Herskovitz.
The book’s focus is on Zwick’s film work, which includes directing “Glory,” “Legends of the Fall,” “The Last Samurai” and filmed-in-Pittsburgh “Love and Other Drugs,” which may leave TV fans disappointed. Among his series, Zwick spends the most time on “thirtysomething” but his other shows get short shrift (there’s just one mention of “Relativity,” which starred Pittsburgh native David Conrad).
Setting that aside, “Hits, Flops and Other Illusions” delivers a well-written, fairly honest portrayal of the frustrations of working in Hollywood, including Matthew Broderick’s mother trying to tinker with the script for “Glory” and getting rudely ghosted by Julia Roberts when she bailed on starring in “Shakespeare in Love,” which led the film to be shut down until it was revived by Harvey Weinstein, who elbowed Zwick out of the production when the film finally got made a few years later.
“The Girls: From ‘Golden’ to ‘Gilmore’: Stories About All the Wonderful Women I’ve Worked With …” ($18, IndigoRiver Publishing): TV writer Stan Zimmerman offers an admirably candid account of his time in the TV comedy trenches, dishing on who was the nicest “Golden Girls” star (it’s not Betty White) and even raising an eyebrow at the aloofness of friend Amy Sherman Palladino (“Gilmore Girls”). This book leans more toward personal memoir than deep dive into the inner workings of TV, but there are still industry insights to be gleaned, including the value of managing with kindness rather than fear.
“On Locations: Lessons Learned from My Life on Set with ‘The Sopranos’ and in the Film Industry” ($25, Steerforth Press): Author Mark Kamine delivers a nitty-gritty account of life on the set of a film/TV series, particularly working behind the scenes in the locations department of the HBO hit. Kamine is not afraid to offer a warts-and-all portrait of the effect of fame on some “Sopranos” cast members, including a perpetually late-to-set James Gandolfini, bedeviled by substance abuse issues.
Weirdly, Kamine does pull punches elsewhere, not naming the cop drama where he skimmed from petty cash as producers used production resources to finance the construction of a liquor store and the successful director who seemed too big for his britches on “The Sopranos” (a quick IMDB search shows it was likely Fox’s “New York Undercover” and director David Nutter).
This is a personal account that mixes memoir elements, particularly his frustration around not advancing in his career (including the suggestion of plagiarism from a “Sopranos” spec script he wrote), with tales of the abusive nature of some film/TV producers. And he does it with how-the-sausage-is-made frankness. Kamine now works as an executive producer on “The White Lotus,” so he’s made a large career leap, but the book, which includes a foreword by “White Lotus” creator Mike White, ends before Kamine reaches that level, leaving readers with a frustrating tease for a possible sequel.
“Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy” ($30, Atria): Former CNN host Brian Stelter chronicles the downfall of Tucker Carlson and the crazy-pants punditry that slandered Dominion Voting Systems, resulting in Fox paying $787.5 million to settle Dominion’s lawsuit. Although the book is categorized as “political science,” it’s as much about the inner workings of a TV network where executives were unconcerned that hosts spouted untrue talking points as long as they coddled the network’s viewers. Stelter combs through court records, providing context (and insider’s observations) that do more than regurgitate the well-known contours of the Fox-Dominion case.
“Apocalypse Television: How ‘The Day After’ Helped End the Cold War” ($37, Applause): This deep dive by author David Craig is more about politics than the particulars of making a TV movie. Craig explores the production of the 1983 ABC nuclear war drama “The Day After,” how it was used by both doves and hawks to prop up their agendas and how The White House and President Ronald Reagan reacted to the film. The emphasis is less on the making of the program and more on its cultural and political impact, particularly Craig’s thesis that the film played a role in changing Reagan’s strategy and tone regarding the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union. “Apocalypse Television” is a little dry at times but springs to life with descriptions of NATO war games that almost initiated a nuclear strike.
You can reach TV writer Rob Owen at [email protected] or 412-380-8559. Follow @RobOwenTV on Threads, X, Bluesky and Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your first name and location.
