Billion-Dollar Kiss

Now in paperback, the riveting behind-the-scenes look at how television shows are really created, from a successful writer-producer

When Jeffrey Stepakoff was graduating with an MFA in playwriting, he imagined a life in theater. Writing for TV didn't even cross his mind. But he ended up in L.A. in the late eighties, when television writers were experiencing a gold rush. After the billion-dollar syndication of "Seinfeld," the mania for scripted entertainment made the TV writer a hot commodity.

Weaving his personal narrative with a history of television, Stepakoff shows what it's like to have a story idea one week and then have it seen by millions a week later. He also takes us inside the industry to explore the problems of media consolidation, interference by executives, lack of diversity, and what reality television is doing to quality scripted television.