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loujoseph's review against another edition
4.0
I've read a number of Sepinwall's recaps on his old site and on hitfix, so I'm familiar with his point of view on these shows, so, some things like the hat collection in the mirror story from the Sopranos still reads strangely to me (that it isn't a credit to the show as Sepinwall says, but maybe more a show of David Chase not being able to see the forest for the trees... That said, it's well written, and especially interesting in how the shows relate to the networks, kind of reminds me of Michael Azzerad's "Our Band Could Be Your Life"; maybe HBO=SST, F/X=K Records, etc. Okay, maybe it doesn't line up exactly, but there is a similarity in talking about a great cultural thing (movie/tv show/band/etc) and the producers who help make it possible and also stay out of the way..
cathiedalziel's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
Nice look at why shows like The Sopranos, 24, Lost, Oz, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, The Shield, and a few others paved the way to what we now expect from TV viewing and how ground breaking they really were. Nice inside information as to what the producers, execs, etc. thought when first presented with these scripts and the process it took (sometimes years) to get them to air.
These shows were truly revolutionary in that they changed our perceptions of the good guy, the bad guy, the storyline, etc.. Sepinwall is terrific with his insider knowledge and the way he looks at every aspect of these shows storylines and developments, including casting, what worked, what didn't worked and how we ate them up and why.
Nice look at why shows like The Sopranos, 24, Lost, Oz, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, The Shield, and a few others paved the way to what we now expect from TV viewing and how ground breaking they really were. Nice inside information as to what the producers, execs, etc. thought when first presented with these scripts and the process it took (sometimes years) to get them to air.
These shows were truly revolutionary in that they changed our perceptions of the good guy, the bad guy, the storyline, etc.. Sepinwall is terrific with his insider knowledge and the way he looks at every aspect of these shows storylines and developments, including casting, what worked, what didn't worked and how we ate them up and why.
theraveler's review against another edition
3.0
I read portions of this book that pertained to the shows I've actually watched. They were interesting, and I really liked the details added by the interviews with the creators of the series. I was somehow expecting something more academic, and I wish that the book had been a tad more elevated, but it was definitely enjoyable and added to my existing knowledge of the shows.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
It's a remarkable coincidence that the theme of the television shows Alan Sepinwall chooses to write about for his book is: right people, right place, right time. Sepinwall himself, widely considered one of the best TV critics out there (his reviews are a must-read for me and I'm not in the minority here), certainly lucked out to be at the right place (writing for the NJ Star-Ledger and internet boards just as the net was blowing up) at the right time (the golden age of television). Thus, he is the perfect person to chronicle the late-90s to now revolution of quality television and he does not disappoint. Every show he tracks is laid out for: 1. How it was made (almost all of them by accident), 2. What made it good and, most importantly, 3. What made it unique for its time and place. There's a lot of fascinating behind-the-scenes stuff as well as brand new interviews with many of the shows creators that help to place shows in their proper perspective. For example, the David Chase interview for The Sopranos really helped to highlight most of the series' aim while putting the controversial ending in a good perspective (even though I still hate it). And while I've never watched Battlestar Galactica, Sepinwall's ability to show where the depth of the program is made me want to (on a related note, I skipped through most of the Lost chapter as I do someday want to try and watch that show so take that for what it's worth). This is a must own for any fan of the quality television programs of the past decade, as well as any fan of Alan Sepinwall's work. Even if you have not seen these shows, you will understand by the end of the book what makes them great and what their role was in this golden age of TV.
dianametzger's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable holiday read for a tv junkie. Fun little insidery bits of gossip and made me want to watch The Shield, which is surprising even to me. I think that he seems to only really be writing about the shows he loves, though. Six Feet Under he brings up a few times, yet there's no chapter, but he refuses to say why.
jsisco's review against another edition
4.0
I was shocked by how intensely readable and enjoyable this is, even for the small handful of shows I had never seen. It created a burning desire for me to rewatch shows like The Wire, Lost, Friday Night Lights, and Breaking Bad...even for the third or fourth time.
Anyone who enjoys quality tv would devour this, and become inspired to see things from a different angle moving forward. What a wonderful book.
Anyone who enjoys quality tv would devour this, and become inspired to see things from a different angle moving forward. What a wonderful book.
medium_dave's review against another edition
4.0
I've seen most of these shows. I love most of these shows. Reading about the incredible circumstances that let these great shows come into being is pretty damn interesting.
I follow Sepinwall on Twitter and read his reviews. I like the guy and I like the way the guy writes.
This isn't a barn burner; there's nothing insidious here, it's about the birth of some of the most important TV shows of the past 20 years. What it will make you do, more than anything, is start ripping through your DVD collection or Netflix Instant, watching some of your favorite shows and hopefully finding some new ones.
I follow Sepinwall on Twitter and read his reviews. I like the guy and I like the way the guy writes.
This isn't a barn burner; there's nothing insidious here, it's about the birth of some of the most important TV shows of the past 20 years. What it will make you do, more than anything, is start ripping through your DVD collection or Netflix Instant, watching some of your favorite shows and hopefully finding some new ones.
cameronkc's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really fun look back at all the TV that has been around the last 20 years. When I finished the book I was shocked that the "where are they now" was referring to 2013. I saw a good number of these shows and it was interesting to get backstory on each of them.
Lost was thrown together at the last second and had no plan? Yes, I remember that. Watching Breaking Bad and being blown away. I remember that too. Most of these truly great shows get made by the 10th person to have heard the pitch or come about by accident. The look back was probably more interesting as I watched most of these shows but by the 12th show backstory things got a little bland. 3.5 stars
Lost was thrown together at the last second and had no plan? Yes, I remember that. Watching Breaking Bad and being blown away. I remember that too. Most of these truly great shows get made by the 10th person to have heard the pitch or come about by accident. The look back was probably more interesting as I watched most of these shows but by the 12th show backstory things got a little bland. 3.5 stars
gabedurham's review against another edition
5.0
What a fun book this was. A smart critic shows you, show by show, why The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Deadwood are so good, interspersing the criticism with stories of the shows’ creation.
He makes a surprisingly good case for the brilliance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and makes me pretty curious about the Shield. I skipped the chapter on Lost: I’ll never watch it.
He makes a surprisingly good case for the brilliance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and makes me pretty curious about the Shield. I skipped the chapter on Lost: I’ll never watch it.