Show Runner : Producing Variety and Talk Shows for Television

Preface xi Introduction xvii Defining the Term ``Producer'' 1(14) How This Chapter Functions 1(1) Types of Producers 2(10) The Show Runner 2(1) The Line Producer 2(1) Producers of Individual Segments or Shows 3(1) Research Coordinator/Producer 4(1) Field Producers 5(1) Talent Bookers/Producers 5(1) Post-Production Supervisor/Producer 5(1) Head of Promotion/Producer 6(1) Executive Producer 6(4) Ratings 10(2) What All Producers Should Expect 12(3) A Life-Consuming Job 12(3) Making A Successful Pilot 15(18) Producing a Pilot, Take One: EveryDay 16(4) Casting and Taping the Pilot 16(1) Turnover 17(1) Tweaking the Product 18(2) Take Two: At Night 20(1) Take Three: The David Letterman Show---Almost 21(2) Take Four: Good Afternoon 23(2) Take Five: Hour Magazine 25(1) Take Six: Success! 26(3) Take Seven: A Couple Cautionary Tales 29(4) Selling the Show 33(40) You've Got a Pilot, Now What? 33(1) The Selling Chart/Hierarchy 33(34) Broadcast Networks, Cable Networks, and Stations/Station Groups 34(2) The First Step 36(1) The Agency 36(1) The Production Company 37(1) The Packaging Agent 38(1) The Second Step 38(1) Studio Syndicators 38(1) Studio Network 39(1) History of Network Syndication 40(1) A Word to the Wise 41(1) The Pitch 42(1) The Leave-Behind 43(24) What Happens Next? 67(6) The Pick-Up 67(1) Development 68(3) The Run-Thru 71(1) Fixing the Details 71(2) The Show Runner's Weekly Schedule 73(36) Scheduling: The Key to Success 73(1) A Typical Week 74(35) Preparation Days: Monday and Tuesday 85(1) Taping Days: Wednesday through Friday 85(3) Two Hours to Air 88(9) The Rehearsal 97(2) Post-Production Editing 99(9) It's Not Even Over When It's Over 108(1) Floor Producing a Season of Shows 109(6) Floor Producing: It's Magic Time! 109(1) Sometimes There Are Hiccups 110(3) Prepping for Edit 113(1) But Wait, There's More! 114(1) Mickey Mouse Club 115(16) Repackaging a Failed Pilot 115(3) Who's the Leader of the Club? 118(2) Keeping to the Schedule 120(1) My So-Called Schedule 121(2) General Organization 123(1) So Much To Do, So Little Time 124(2) Musical Numbers 126(2) Comedy Sketches 128(1) Reality Segments 128(3) A Career as a Non-Fiction Producer 131(18) Why Do You Want to Become a Producer? 131(3) Many Roads to Success 134(1) Need to Sell Yourself 135(1) The Downside of Having an Agent 135(1) But There Are Pluses 136(2) The Role of the Packaging Agent in Your Career 137(1) The Reality 138(11) Networking 139(2) Finding and Selling New Products 141(4) Marketing 145(4) My Story 149(12) The Road to Hollywood 149(2) A Man Obsessed 151(2) Perseverance Pays Off 153(2) Lessons Learned 155(1) Disastrous Decisions 156(1) My Biggest Regret 157(4) Finding a Job 161(6) Key Publications 161(2) The Classifieds 163(2) Summary 165(2) The Bottom Line 167(6) Owning a Percentage of the Show 167(3) So What Are Profits? 170(3) In Closing 173(2) Index 175