
Top of the Rock
Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Bob Balaban
Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, ER, Cheers, Law & Order, Will & Grace… Here is the funny, splashy, irresistible insiders’ account of the greatest era in television history - told by the actors, writers, directors, producers, and the network executives who made it happen… and watched it all fall apart.
Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment who oversaw the Peacock Network’s rise from also-ran to a division that generated a billion dollars in profits. In this fast-paced and exceptionally entertaining oral history, Littlefield and NBC luminaries including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Noah Wylie, Debra Messing, Jack Welch, Jimmy Burrows, Helen Hunt, and Dick Wolf vividly recapture the incredible era of Must See TV.
From 1993 through 1998, NBC exploded every conventional notion of what a broadcast network could accomplish with the greatest prime-time line-up in television history. On Thursday nights, a cavalcade of groundbreaking comedies and dramas streamed into homes, attracting a staggering 75 million viewers and generating more revenue than all other six nights of programming combined. The road to success, however, was a rocky one. How do you turn a show like Seinfeld, one of the lowest testing pilots of all time, into a hit when the network overlords are constantly warring, or worse, drowning in a bottle of vodka?
Top of the Rock is an addictively readable account of the risky business decisions, creative passion, and leaps of faith that made Must See TV possible. Chock full of delicious behind-the-scenes anecdotes that run the gamut from hilarious casting and programming ploys to petty jealousies and drug interventions, you’re in for a juicy, unputdownable read.
©2012 Warren Littlefield (P)2012 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
People who viewed this also viewed...





Spectacular read if you want to be an entertainment
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great but confusing
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I lived during the age of must see TV. i was one of those people who watched Seinfeld, ER, etc. religiously. And yes we would discuss the shows next day at work. The book is a behind the scenes look at how the process worked. I found it fascinating.How 'must see TV' was born on NBC
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great all the way around
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What made the experience of listening to Top of the Rock the most enjoyable?
Hearing about the exciting events of the time from my favorite writers and stars.What other book might you compare Top of the Rock to and why?
Live From New York (the SNL book). EXCEPT this book is much, much better to listen to because it (a) is not as long and boring, and (b) only has one narrator. The SNL book had too many narrators, which was really distracting.What about Bob Balaban’s performance did you like?
He did a good job of reflecting the meaning of the words behind the quotes, without trying to imitate Seinfeld, for example.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
It's not that kind of book. But I guess the most impressive thing was all the moving parts that went into the successful spinoff of Frasier, especially considering how many things could have gone wrong, and how many spinoff disasters there have been before and since.Any additional comments?
Really awesome book for anyone that loves TV.Nostalgic Look at NBC in the 90's
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
must read TV
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Any additional comments?
You will really love this book. Full of details and inside stories about the rise of Friends, Seinfeld, Will and Grace and many other shows. A great listen!If you love TV history and NBC Must See TV..
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great for NBC fans
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It was great fun to learn how these shows came to be - a reminder of good times! If you liked Seinfeld, Frasier, Friends, Cheers, Mad About You, Will & Grace, ER etc you’ll get a kick out of it too.
It was a great trip down memory lane.
A Fun Flashback of 90s TV!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.