Customer Reviews

The Last Great Ride

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While Brandon Tartikoff went on to become chairman of Paramount Pictures, he achieved his greatest success while programming NBC during the days when that network dominated the prime time schedule. He notes, "TV is a populist medium, and so the challenge comes down to finding ideas that will capture the zeitgeist." This book is part biographical, but more weighted toward giving an inside view of the system and personalities that comprised the entertainment industry during Tartikoff's career.

A visit he made to Bob Hope's home illustrates the "inside" type information found in the book. He talks about coming upon a vault. "Inside were rows upon rows of alphabetized file cabinets," he says. It was his collection of jokes. He mentioned to Hope the possibility of putting the material on computer, to which the comic genius responded, "Now why would I do something like that? Everything I need, I know where to find--right now."

If you're interested in television of the mid 1980s to mid 1990s you'll find this book a match for your tastes. It's written, like the TV shows produced on network television, for the mass market and consequently is easy to follow.

This book tells of Mr. Tartikoff's dealings with a struggling network soon to be number 1! His tales of triumphs & failures (anyone remember "Pink Lady"?) are shows of honesty & how the biz works. Anyone who enjoyed 80s television has this man to thank. Find out more by reading all about the ins & outs of 80s tv right here! A must read!

This book is more than just about how many of our favorite NBC TV shows from the 80s were created. It's a lighthearted tale about a creative man who made a career of taking creative risks. This book, like any good TV show, did more than entertain me. It gave me pause to think. Whether you're a struggling writer, a successful CEO, or somewhere inbetween, read this book. Inspiration from an unlikely source.

Although this book is dated in its subject, I couldn't help but smile as I read about the television shows that shaped NBC. In this wonderfully written book about the populist medium of television, Tartakoff relives the interesting stories that helped bring NBC to the forefront of modern programming. I was fascinated to find out that ABC passed on the idea of "The Cosby Show" not once but twice, or that he believed in "Hill Street Blues" so much that it was the lowest rated show in television history to be renewed after its first season. In this anecdotal account his experiences, Tartikoff learns to laugh at himself as he redefined broadcast entertainment, never looking back. You will definately enjoy this "ride," and, at the very least, be fascinated by the incredibly entertaining stories of some of your favorite television shows of the past. This book is a must read for any fan of television.

This book takes a look through the eyes of the late Brandon Tartikoff. How he started out at a local TV station, then moved to ABC, and later to NBC, where he became TV's youngest programming executive in 1980, replacing Fred Silverman. He talks about how "The Cosby Show" became a part of TV history, etc. He talks about his battles with Hodgkin's disease, and other things. This book is really worth getting and reading.

This is the 1992 autobiography of the late Frank Tartikoff, the head of programming for NBC in the 1980's. He is credited for masterminding the network's return to glory with programs like The Cosby Show, Miami Vice, and Cheers. The book is filled with humorous anecdotes and commentary on the business of television.

By most accounts, this book is woefully out of date. Most of Tartikoff's shows have been off the air for years. However, I found his stories very enjoyable because these were the shows I watched growing up. Mr. Tartikoff was a family man with a keen business sense, a down-to-earth guy who knew when to laugh at himself and who did not take the entertainment world too seriously.

When Brandon Tartikoff headed the NBC network, it began in last place but ended in first thanks to him. Unlike other network presidents, Tartikoff seemed to know the pulse of the viewing audience better than anybody else before or since. Under his leadership, he brought "The Cosby Show" which is still very popular in syndication. Of course, there are misses and failures than there are success stories. He has a few to mention.

Under him, he was like a father figure to the network which was heavily diversified then. You had a better balance of traditional audience sitcoms like "Cosby Show," "Golden Girls," "Cheers," and "Family Ties" among them. Tartikoff almost declined Michael Landon's show, "Highway to Heaven" about an angel on earth. Well, the show ran for six years and it wasn't the critics or producers who influenced that decision. It was when was at his parents for Passover and his father-in-law was watching it. The same went for the Cosby Show thanks to a sleepless daughter. He caught Bill Cosby performing on the Tonight Show talking about family life.

There are some good stories in here. I think all students of television studies or aspiring producers and network executives should read his book. Brandon might come across as arrogant at times but he wasn't in actuality. He knew what the audiences wanted and he delivered whether well or not.

I don't think he would be happy now with his network or any of them and that's the downside of the entertainment business. Tartikoff was an unmatched visionary who knew what he wanted and his pulse on the audience was better than most executives. Oh, I wished he was still around.

For those of us who grew up in the 1980s, Tartikoff's network NBC was a big part of our lives. We all remembered where we were when we watched the Cosby Show debut. The loss of the mass audience is a huge change in the infrastructure and psychology of television programming. The next day after the Cosby show aired which was always Friday, we would talk about in school or the workplace. Television brought people together in those days and maybe for the last time.

I remember the 1980s when networks developed and nurtured the shows and talent on them as well. Those were the days where successful actors and actresses like Meredith Baxter Birney could expand playing the mom on the sitcom and do a television movie of the week. There were silly teen movies as well like "Dance Til Dawn" about a prom night with Christina Applegate and Matthew Perry in the cast among them. Still, Brandon Tartikoff was a great visionary who knew and understood his audiences. If he was arrogant or a snob, he wouldn't have cared as much but he did.

I miss Brandon Tartikoff because of his visionary and contributions to television and society as a whole. He brought families together around the television set on some nights of the week. He put together shows that otherwise would have failed. He was truly a television leader, icon, and visionary who left us too soon.

I am deducting two stars because I thought he could have written more and shown more pictures of the shows on television or about his life.

I wanted to read this book. It seemed interesting. I love biographies. I saw it on Amazon.com and decided to get it. I was impressed by the prompt service and the great condition of this book. 17 years. I would definitely buy from this seller again.

"The Last Great Ride" details the late Brandon Tartikoff's tenure at NBC during the 1980's in his own words. He does not present the information chronologically but rather topically (and there does not seem to be any particular reason to the order they are presented). Readers will enjoy reading about the creation of shows like "The Cosby Show", "Hill Street Blues", "Highway to Heaven" and many other NBC shows of that era. However be warned that not all of the successful shows of that era are covered ("Riptide" fans will not find anything here of note about that show). And it should be noted that the book is weakened the author's use of profanity. But the book's basic rags to riches story (of a distant third place network turning around into the dominant first place network) will be enjoyable to any TV fan.

This book is more about the ego of a workacholic than an "insider" view of the industry. Tartikoff rambles, and not fluidly. I find it interesting that there is not one well-written story in the book, and this is the guy who was responsibile for that very thing.