Synopses & Reviews
Ever since Johnny Carson first popularized the late night talk show in 1962 with
The Tonight Show, the 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. comedy time slot on network television has remained an indelible part of our national culture. Today, we have more than six popular late-night shows that air every night of the week, and with the recent major shake-ups in the industryJimmy Fallon taking over Jay Lenos desk at
The Tonight Show, Stephen Colbert replacing David Letterman on
The Late Show, John Oliver creating a whole new format at HBOlate-night television has never been more relevant to our public consciousness. Jon Macks, a veteran writer for
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, takes us behind the scenes of the late-night world for an in-depth, colorful look at what really makes these hosts the arbiters of public opinion.
From the opening monologuewhats funny, whats dangerous, whats untouchableto the best vs. worst guests (think Billy Crystal and Martin Short vs. Kristen Stewart and John Edwards), Macks covers the landscape of late-night comedy and punctuates the narrative with hysterical personal anecdotes and draws from more than half a million of his own jokes written over the span of twenty years. With an insiders expertise and a laugh-out-loud voice on every page, Macks explains how late-night TV redefines the news and events of any given day, reshapes public opinion, and even creates our national zeitgeist.
Review
“A series of rich, intimate conversations about the ins and outs of turning funny ideas into real-world art….[Sacks] dives deep with everyone from
Saturday Night Live lifer James Downey to
Cheers creator Glen Charles to Mel Brooks, and every interview is refreshingly candid. Sacks asks the right questions…to inspire lively conversations….As a sort of expert witness to comedys history, hes reverent, though his subjects are also clearly chosen because they understand the absurdity of their own vocation. He pokes and prods just enough to reveal some guts, and most of the time theyre just as fascinating as whats on the surface.”
—A.V. Club, The Onion
“A fascinating look into the ways stand-up comedians, directors, and even short stories authors write funny….An absolute must.”
—Flavorwire
“A greater look into the craft and business of comedy writing than you can find anywhere else….A comedy nerd bible.”
—Splitsider
“Filled with intelligent conversations… Even if you're not interested in a comedy writing career, at least you'll get great suggestions for your Netflix queue.”
—NPR, 2014s “Great Reads”
“[A] pleasingly thick work, born to be well thumbed.”
—Los Angeles Times
“[Mike Sacks] conversations with humorists poke at some fundamental concepts of comedy without chloroforming any frogs. More revealingly, the book examines what kind of person comes to make a living putting funny words on paper.”
—Wall Street Journal
“Short chapters offering ‘Ultraspecific Comedic Knowledge…should be of particular interest to anyone thinking about pursuing a career in comedy. The longer interviews should be of interest to pretty much anybody.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“The true usefulness of Poking a Dead Frog to an aspiring comedy writer is in its clear-eyed picture of the gritty inner workings of the comedy industry….Reading about how a joke goes from the mind of a writer to an episode of Community is like watching a magician reveal his secrets: Sure, it dispels some of the magic, but it inspires new reverence for the real skill that went into producing the effect.”
—Slate
“An effort to understand what elicits the guffaw [and] an investigation of the comedic mind and how it works…. Poking a Dead Frog also surprises as a how-to-get-in-the-business kind of book, a thread that holds valid entertainment value….Amid these [stories of] wild successes, we get insights into what is funny, why it is funny, and just how hard it is to write the perfect joke….If you have members of your family who dream of being a comedy writer, give them this book.”
—Paste
“Unusually insightful…Sacks teases deep wisdom from comedy titans.”
—Departures
“[These] intimate discussions of comedy in all its forms are engaging, and Sacks's obvious passion is contagious. Whether writers themselves or just fans of funny, humor-loving readers will relish Poking a Dead Frog.”
—ShelfAwareness
“Fascinating interviews with some comedic heavy hitters…full of great moments that are funny, thought provoking, and poignant. If a casual humor enthusiast can appreciate the work this much, the book is going to be snapped up by comedy writers and aficionados.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“[An] excellent book…[Sacks] once again displays his ability to get fascinating and honest interviews from comic luminaries.”
—Publishers Weekly
“If youre a fan of funny — and who isnt? — youre sure to find something of interest in Sacks follow-up to And Heres the Kicker.”
—New York Post
“No one generates more interesting, revealing, entertaining interviews than Mike Sacks. His love and knowledge of comedy are apparent, and, as a result, the fascinating and sometimes tight-lipped comedy greats open up to him in ways they rarely do. Poking a Dead Frog is a classic.”
—Bob Odenkirk, co-creator of Mr. Show and former writer, Saturday Night Live
“This book is what I really look forward to in a book about humor: rich with words and humor, and funny stories with words. Thank you for your time.”
—Will Ferrell
“These interviews go to dark depths and offer useful, applicable insight into how excellent comedy is written. If you read it, you're going to be better at writing comedy and may even wind up in a position where you can take jobs away from the younger interviewees. I specify the younger interview subjects because some of the older ones will die soon.”
—Rob Delaney
“I wish I'd had a book like this when I was trying to break in. Also, a book on personal hygiene.”
—Jack Handey, author of Deep Thoughts and The Stench of Honolulu
“There are few better interviewers than Mike Sacks. Poking a Dead Frog is a must-read for any comedy nerd or fan of pop culture history.”
—Dana Brown, Vanity Fair
Synopsis
A dramatic account of the politics and personalities behind NBC's calamitous attempt to reinvent late-night television. When NBC decided to move Jay Leno into prime time to make room for Conan O'Brien to host the Tonight show-a job he had been promised five years earlier-skeptics anticipated a train wreck for the ages. It took, in fact, only a few months for the dire predictions to come true. Leno's show, panned by critics, dragged down the ratings-and the profits-of NBC's affiliates, while ratings for Conan's new Tonight show plummeted to the lowest levels in history. Conan's collapse, meanwhile, opened an unexpected door of opportunity for rival David Letterman. What followed was a boisterous, angry, frequently hilarious public battle that had millions of astonished viewers glued to their sets. In The War for Late Night, New York Times reporter Bill Carter offers a detailed behind-the-scenes account of the events of the unforgettable 2009/2010 late-night season as all of its players- performers, producers, agents, and network executives-maneuvered to find footing amid the shifting tectonic plates of television culture.
Synopsis
In this dramatic account of the politics and personalities behind NBC's calamitous attempt to reinvent late-night television, Carter offers a detailed behind-the-scenes account of the events of the unforgettable 2009/2010 late-night season.
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author of The Late Shift delivers andquot;a boisterous, two-timing, high-stakes drama about the business of comedyandquot; (The Associated Press).
No one is more uniquely suited to document television's latest late- night travesty than veteran media reporter and bestselling author, Bill Carter. NBC's CEO, Jeff Zucker, had it all worked out when he moved Jay Leno from behind the desk at The Tonight Show, and handed the reins over to Conan O'Brien. But as everyone knows, his decision was a spectacular failure. Ratings plummeted, affiliates were enraged-and when Zucker tried to put everything back the way it was, that plan backfired as well.
In candid detail, Carter charts the vortex that sucked in-not just Leno and O'Brien-but also Letterman, Stewart, Fallon, Kimmel, and Ferguson as frantic agents and network executives tried to manage a tectonic shift in television's most beloved institution.
Synopsis
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR
Amy Poehler, Mel Brooks, Adam McKay, George Saunders, Bill Hader, Patton Oswalt, and many more take us deep inside the mysterious world of comedy in this fascinating, laugh-out-loud-funny book. Packed with behind-the-scenes storiesfrom a day in the writers room at The Onion to why a sketch does or doesnt make it onto Saturday Night Live to how the BBC nearly erased the entire first season of Monty Pythons Flying CircusPoking a Dead Frog is a must-read for comedy buffs, writers and pop culture junkies alike.
Synopsis
A hilarious and revealing look at how American late-night TV has shaped our understanding of popular culture, politics, entertainment, and world events, by former top writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
About the Author
Bill Carter joined The New York Times as a national media reporter in 1989. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Late Shift, two other books on the television industry, Monday Night Mayhem and Desperate Networks, and has written numerous articles for The New York Times Magazine and other publications. He has been a guest on Nightline, Today, CNN, Charlie Rose, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, and many other shows. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he lives in New Jersey with his wife. They have two children.