Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution
Jun 2013 · Sold by Penguin
3.6star
14 reviews
Ebook
320
Pages
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Eligible
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About this ebook
The 10th anniversary edition, now with a new preface by the author
"A wonderfully smart, lively, and culturally astute survey." - The New York Times Book Review
"Grand entertainment...fascinating for anyone curious about the perplexing miracles of how great television comes to be." - The Wall Street Journal
"I love this book...It's the kind of thing I wish I'd been able to read in film school, back before such books existed." - Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad and co-creator of Better Call Saul
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began an unprecedented transformation. While the networks continued to chase the lowest common denominator, a wave of new shows on cable channels dramatically stretched television’s narrative inventiveness, emotional resonance, and creative ambition. Combining deep reportage with critical analysis and historical context, Brett Martin recounts the rise and inner workings of this artistic watershed - a golden age of TV that continues to transform America's cultural landscape. Difficult Men features extensive interviews with all the major players - including David Chase (The Sopranos), David Simon and Ed Burns (The Wire), David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood), Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), and Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) - and reveals how television became a truly significant and influential part of our culture.
"A wonderfully smart, lively, and culturally astute survey." - The New York Times Book Review
"Grand entertainment...fascinating for anyone curious about the perplexing miracles of how great television comes to be." - The Wall Street Journal
"I love this book...It's the kind of thing I wish I'd been able to read in film school, back before such books existed." - Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad and co-creator of Better Call Saul
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began an unprecedented transformation. While the networks continued to chase the lowest common denominator, a wave of new shows on cable channels dramatically stretched television’s narrative inventiveness, emotional resonance, and creative ambition. Combining deep reportage with critical analysis and historical context, Brett Martin recounts the rise and inner workings of this artistic watershed - a golden age of TV that continues to transform America's cultural landscape. Difficult Men features extensive interviews with all the major players - including David Chase (The Sopranos), David Simon and Ed Burns (The Wire), David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood), Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), and Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) - and reveals how television became a truly significant and influential part of our culture.
Ratings and reviews
3.6
14 reviews
Gus Mojica (animlboogy)
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August 25, 2013
The shift to edgy genre television is covered in this book as a slight coda. After this year's end to Breaking Bad and next year's Mad Men finale, I suspect we will see the true end of the "Third Golden Age" and have a better perspective on this phenomenon with a bit more space from it.
Cody Eason
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July 10, 2016
I work in television and film. I found the this to be engaging and true to form. It's a must read if you wonder about the mind's that creates the universe you love. If your thinking about being a show runner or know someone that loves cinematic television. I have been sharing my praise around set.
About the author
Brett Martin is a longtime correspondent for GQ and a three-time James Beard Foundation Journalism Award winner. His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, on This American Life, and in multiple anthologies. He lives with his family in New Orleans.
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