Absurdly funny, trenchant, and provocative, this outside-looking-in account of the stillbirth of one particular television series is a must read for every serious and not-so-serious television viewer.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN HARDCOVER BY BIRCH LANE PRESS IN 1992

REISSUED BY BACKINPRINT.COM/OPEN ROAD IN PAPERBACK AND ELECTRONIC EDITIONS IN 2010

“If a camel is a horse designed by a committee, successful TV shows, on the evidence of the cautionary tale at hand, almost have to be accidents of nature. Without patronizing either the program’s principals or the strait-laced networks that have the commercial equivalent of life-and-death powers, the author provides a riveting, revelatory account of the economic, creative, and pop-cultural forces shaping the entertainment fare available on home screens. One of the better inside-appreciations of the chancy, high-stakes game of broadcast TV.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Paisner tells it like it is about TV… unfortunately. This is a book for people who watch TV and read books, but not at the same time. I found it more enjoyable than TV itself.” - Marvin Kitman, Newsday