What TV series should have a making of book? (1 Viewer)

[ian McLachlan]

While many classic TV series have books written about how they came to be made and containg an episode guide within them (i.e. Doctor Who, Star Trek, Dark Shadows, The Fugitive, Perry Mason etc.) , many series have not had that special treatment. I would very much like to see abook written about some of these TV shows - 1. The Defenders. 2. Nowhere Man 3. Dr. Kildare 4. The High Chaparall 5. MY World and Welcome to It. There must be potential authors out there who could undertake such a task....

 

[LouA]

Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis
Sea Hunt
Bob Newhart Show
America/Fernwood 2 Nite
Richard Greene Bio / Robin Hood
My Three Sons

 

[jcroy]

- Beavis and Butthead
- Without A Trace
- Total Recall 2077
- Silk Stalkings
- Forever Knight
- Airwolf

 

[Purple Wig]

I’d like to see the fantastic Invaders article on the classictvhistory site expanded into a book with interviews with every surviving production staffer and cast member.

 

[LouA]

Some more:
Cheers
My Little Margie
Topper
Lassie
Life Of Riley
Dr Kildare/ Ben Casey
Cheyenne
December Bride
Jackie Cooper television; People’sChoice/ Hennesey
Danny Thomas Show

 

[LouA]

I’d like to see the fantastic Invaders article on the classictvhistory site expanded into a book with interviews with every surviving production staffer and cast member.

I think there is a book on the invaders.
I just checked Amazon. There is! And it’s already in it’s second edition!

 

[Purple Wig]

I think there is a book on the invaders.
I just checked Amazon. There is! And it’s already in it’s second edition!

I’m going to have to look into that.

 

[jcroy]

(In a more general sense)

I suspect the market for dedicated books about a tv show, the main customers would be the hardcore fans/audience.

As time went on after y2k or so, more or and more behind-the-scenes stuff about current tv shows showed up online, which hardcore fans would be following. For example, one show which went all in with online information was Babylon 5 where creator/producer J Michael Stracznsky was posting frequently on usenet newsgroups back in the 1990s.

Since the hardcore types would have already been reading a lot of behind-the-scenes information about a show, a viable book would have to have a lot of insiders involved presenting new information which was previously undisclosed.

An episode guide + compilation of already disclosed behind-the-scenes information about a show, would likely become bargain bin fodder quickly nowadays. Such books had a market back in the day before y2k, such as X-Files.

 

[bmasters9]

Riptide
The Bob Newhart Show
M Squad

 

[Mr. Handley]

I work for a company that still publishes printed books. Sorry to say that the market for such books is just not there anymore. As jcroy stated above, the internet is where most go to find their info nowadays. Even the most obscure shows often have plenty of info for those who wish to seek it out.

 

[TravisR]

I work for a company that still publishes printed books. Sorry to say that the market for such books is just not there anymore. As jcroy stated above, the internet is where most go to find their info nowadays. Even the most obscure shows often have plenty of info for those who wish to seek it out.

Bear Manor Media still publishes books for relatively obscure TV shows and old stars (recent books from them are on Spike Jones, Paul Picerni, Joe E. Brown, Max Linder, and W.C. Fields). While I'm sure they don't sell a ton of copies, they've been in business for about 20 years now so there must still be a small audience for those type of books.

 

[jcroy]

From the outside, it appears Bear Manor Media is a small press publisher.

My guess is either they do small print runs inventory which can last many years (or over a decade), or many titles are print-on-demand (such as softcovers). This would likely be viable for a highly specialized niche, which might be somebody's side business they run out of their home or a small warehouse they own.

I'm guessing the small print runs could be for the hardcover books with tons of photos, which print-on-demand might not do so well at.

 

[JamesSmith]

Been watching Disney's 80's Gummi Bears. I've been enjoying. No violence, No sex. A great deal of comedy that probably flew over the little kids heads. I enjoy hearing the voices of June Foray and others. In the latter seasons, the show also began to build to a climax a bit. Would appreciate a making of The Disney Afternoon series.

--james

 

[TravisR]

From the outside, it appears Bear Manor Media is a small press publisher.

My guess is either they do small print runs inventory which can last many years (or over a decade), or many titles are print-on-demand (such as softcovers). This would likely be viable for a highly specialized niche, which might be somebody's side business they run out of their home or a small warehouse they own.

I'm guessing the small print runs could be for the hardcover books with tons of photos, which print-on-demand might not do so well at.

Yeah and I doubt their authors get an advance or even paid unless the book really starts selling. I'm sure it's a labor of love on the part of everyone involved and I'm thankful that someone is still making oddball books that a major would never consider.

 

[JamesSmith]

There may be potential writers out there, but again is there profit in it? Have to admit I've been surprised by the books that have come out. Was surprised by someone doing a book on Duffy's Tavern (a radio show), and other odds and ends over the years.

Perhaps a coffee table book on Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, Pinky and the Brain, and other animated series.

--james

 

[jcroy]

Outside of stuff like Marilyn Monroe, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc ... I don't know if coffee table books would be economically viable nowadays.

 

[jcroy]

Yeah and I doubt their authors get an advance or even paid unless the book really starts selling. I'm sure it's a labor of love on the part of everyone involved and I'm thankful that someone is still making oddball books that a major would never consider.

I don't know what other services Bear Manor offers in their publishing contracts.

As a wild guess, could they offer legal services which handle licensing issues with the movie/tv studios and estates of movie stars of yesteryear? Judging by their back catalog currently in-print.

 

[Detour (1945)]

I'm pretty sure Bear Manor is a one-man operation, so it would be interesting to see how it all works in regards to paying writers, licensing fees, etc.

 

[jcroy]

A prominent example of what was viable back in the day, slightly before such books became superfluous/nonviable, were the X-Files "official guide" books from the mid-late 1990s.

The Official Guide to The X-Files Series by Brian Lowry

The Truth Is Out There (The Official Guide to The X-Files, #1), Trust No One (The Official Guide to The X-Files, #2), I Want To Believe (The Official Gu...

www.goodreads.com

There were six "official guide" books which were episode guides compiled with behind-the-scenes type information for each season. (The first book covers seasons 1 and 2). The fact that these "official guide" books stopped publishing new volumes after season 7 of the X-Files, is highly suggestive when this type of book became no longer viable for a big publisher (Harper Collins) after 2001.

 

[LouA]

I look at this as a fun, fantasy “what if” exercise. Most of us are just expressing our dreams about books we’d love to see, keeping in mind that some of these shows haven’t even come out on DVD , so the chance of a “making of” book is slim!
However , there were recent books on Gomer Pyle, Wanted Dead Or Alive , Tom Terrific and the Donna Reed Show, so one never knows.
Bear Manor would be the publisher most likely to publish titles like these. They’re putting out a book on The Ma And Pa Kettle films- so who knows!!!
Meanwhile, sometimes “ star bios” have detailed chapters on the featured actor’s TV programs like the recent Gale Storm and Fess Parker books.