Van Zandt also dives into their
work on shows like The Newhart
Show, Martin, and their Emmy
nominated special, I Love Lucy:
The Very First Show. Sometimes
they would provide the studio with
exactly what was asked, sometimes
the studio would change
their mind, and sometimes the
world of television simply comes
down to luck. In many ways, Van
Zandt’s book provides the perspective
that a television writer is
very much like a sales person. The
comparison can be seen via the
way a writer’s job involves pitching
new ideas to the networks,
giving existing shows a reboot,
having shows cancelled, and the
myriad of people involved with
providing notes and criticism for
each script.
“A friend of mine once said, ‘We
spend six weeks working on a
script and then our reward is to
spend a week having all different
groups of people tell you how
you’re doing it wrong,” said Van
Zandt. “In terms of the pilots, the
ones that you write that you turn
Watch Billy and Jane discuss You’ve Got Hate Mail in 2010
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