Smoldering Lust

The Inside Story of a Doomed TV Series

The groundbreaking inside look at the making — and unmaking — of a network TV series, back in print for the first time in thirty years.

Smoldering Lust seemed like a sure-fire hit for NBC – a sexy new comedy-drama starring Kate Capshaw from Jay Tarses, the acclaimed, Emmy-awarding winning writer/producer of The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Buffalo Bill and The Bob Newhart Show. But things started to go wrong from the start and author Vance Muse was there to witness it all, from the development, casting, and production of the show all the way to the disastrous test screening, the long-delayed broadcast premiere under the new title Black Tie Affair, and its demise after only five of the thirteen produced episodes. It is an unparalleled expose of the culture and business of network television that is as relevant today as it was in 1994.

This new edition features an Afterword by Ken Levine, the Emmy and WGA award-winning writer/producer of M*A*S*H and Cheers.

“An entertaining autopsy of a failed NBC TV drama/comedy. Don't worry if you never saw or even heard of the show. Muse makes it interesting, providing colorful chapters on everything…and populates the scene-behind-the-scenes with comic episodes and likable, three-dimensional characters who really seem to love what they do.” Kirkus Reviews

“The book confirms what you suspect: Hollywood is a miserable place and sometimes good shows fail and bad shows succeed.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“An amusing narrative that is at its best when showing the nuts-and-bolts aspects of television production.” New York Times

Previously published as We Bombed in Burbank: A Joyride to Prime Time