Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. Entertainment Media in the U.S.; From Live Entertainment to Film; Radio and Television Broadcasting; Television via Cable and Internet; Economic Demands and Audience Research; From Scenarists to Writers to Executive Producers; 2. Writing for TV; Getting There; Being There; 3. Showrunners: Where the Buck Stops; Who Runs the Show?; Managing Writers and Scripts; Managing Production; Characteristics Writers Value in Showrunners; 4. The Writers' Room; Creating the Writers' Room.

Working in the RoomDrama vs. Comedy; 5. Occupational Culture; The Experience of Writing for Television; Who Succeeds, Who Fails?; Just Part of the Job; 6. Managed Creativity: It's a Weird Way to Create; Working with Executives; Notes from Studio and Network; Structural Limitations; Note; 7. Political Spaces: There Are No Rules, but You Have to Follow Every One; Politics of Structure and Hierarchy; Writers' Room Politics; Politics of Professional Relationships; Party Politics; Dealing with Actors; Politics of Prestige; Epilogue; Bibliography; Index.