Top of the Rock

Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV

By: Warren Littlefield, T. R. Pearson

Narrated by: Bob Balaban

Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, ER, Cheers, Law & Order, Will & Grace…Here is the funny, splashy, irresistible insiders’ account of the greatest era in television history -- told by the actors, writers, directors, producers, and the network executives who made it happen…and watched it all fall apart.

Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment who oversaw the Peacock Network’s rise from also-ran to a division that generated a billion dollars in profits. In this fast-paced and exceptionally entertaining oral history, Littlefield and NBC luminaries including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Noah Wylie, Debra Messing, Jack Welch, Jimmy Burrows, Helen Hunt, and Dick Wolf vividly recapture the incredible era of Must See TV.

From 1993 through 1998, NBC exploded every conventional notion of what a broadcast network could accomplish with the greatest prime-time line-up in television history. On Thursday nights, a cavalcade of groundbreaking comedies and dramas streamed into homes, attracting a staggering 75 million viewers and generating more revenue than all other six nights of programming combined. The road to success, however, was a rocky one. How do you turn a show like Seinfeld, one of the lowest testing pilots of all time, into a hit when the network overlords are constantly warring, or worse, drowning in a bottle of vodka?

Top of the Rock is an addictively readable account of the risky business decisions, creative passion, and leaps of faith that made Must See TV possible. Chock full of delicious behind-the-scenes anecdotes that run the gamut from hilarious casting and programming ploys to petty jealousies and drug interventions, you’re in for a juicy, unputdownable read.

Critic reviews

"To detail the exuberant 1990s’ events in the Peacock Network’s ascendancy (with such shows as Frasier, Friends, Seinfeld, Will & Grace, and ER) Littlefield and novelist Pearson interviewed more than 50 actors, writers, producers, agents and executives...Littlefield unleashed a ‘financial geyser’ at NBC, and these revelatory glimpses of those glory days make this one of the more entertaining books published about the television industry.”
--Publishers Weekly

"Littlefield's compulsively readable saga, Top of the Rock, is a great tale of folly."
--Dick Donahue for PW

"A fascinating oral history of shows like Seinfeld that defined an era."
--New York Daily News

“A chronicle of the last golden age of network television, [Top of the Rock] is the literary equivalent of a former NBC Thursday night lineup…Littlefield is the ultimate Must See insider. The mini-histories are a blast…full of fresh detail.”
--The Hollywood Reporter

"The former president of entertainment at NBC chronicles his tenure with the peacock with a little help from his friends, including Jerry Seinfeld, Kelsey Grammar, Sean Hayes, and a few assorted suits who helped him schedule and nuture some of the most memorable shows on the tube, including Cheers, Friends, and Seinfeld. And as entertained as audiences were by those programs, the real show was happening behind the scenes, where larger-than-life egos clashed over details large and small. Readers interested in the history of the network or simply wanting to hear the dish, as well as others interested in breaking into the TV biz, will find much to enjoy in this charming reliving of Littlefield's glory days."
--Booklist

"With entertaning insider's perspective, Littlefield transports readers back to a seemingly magical time when half the country would watch the same show."
--Kirkus

Spectacular read if you want to be an entertainment

This book along with desperate networks changed my point of view on TV and entertainment as a whole. If you're passionate or interested in entertainment anyway these two books will change your viewpoint and make you better for it.

Great but confusing

Overall it was excellent and fascinating story, however it was very hard to follow sometimes because of how many people that were interviewed for the book. I had to listen to it a second time just to make sure I understood who was saying what.

How 'must see TV' was born on NBC

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I lived during the age of must see TV. i was one of those people who watched Seinfeld, ER, etc. religiously. And yes we would discuss the shows next day at work. The book is a behind the scenes look at how the process worked. I found it fascinating.

Great all the way around

Truly entertaining. Not the first book I've read about the business. If you enjoy this one listen to James Burrows Bio.

Nostalgic Look at NBC in the 90's

What made the experience of listening to Top of the Rock the most enjoyable?

Hearing about the exciting events of the time from my favorite writers and stars.

What other book might you compare Top of the Rock to and why?

Live From New York (the SNL book). EXCEPT this book is much, much better to listen to because it (a) is not as long and boring, and (b) only has one narrator. The SNL book had too many narrators, which was really distracting.

What about Bob Balaban’s performance did you like?

He did a good job of reflecting the meaning of the words behind the quotes, without trying to imitate Seinfeld, for example.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It's not that kind of book. But I guess the most impressive thing was all the moving parts that went into the successful spinoff of Frasier, especially considering how many things could have gone wrong, and how many spinoff disasters there have been before and since.

Any additional comments?

Really awesome book for anyone that loves TV.

must read TV

A really good history of the TV industry during the go-go years. Great fun if you were there and illuminating for anyone in the industry at the time.

Great book

It was really fun learning about what went on backstage and who was almost cast for certain roles. I remember when these aired in the 90’s but didn’t watch very much tv. Now over 20 years later with Netflix and Hulu I’ve seen these shows and appreciate them better.

If you love TV history and NBC Must See TV..

Any additional comments?

You will really love this book. Full of details and inside stories about the rise of Friends, Seinfeld, Will and Grace and many other shows. A great listen!

Great for NBC fans

This behind the scenes book is a light, quick read. If you remember watching ER, Frasier, and Friends, you'll like the book.

Not just celebrity gossip

The best part of this is the sort of business school-like case studies about managing creative ventures in the totally irrational marketplace of show business. It's a series of brief interviews from different vantage points.

It's not deep, nor thorough, slightly self serving, but I was entertained and it went by really quick. I recommend it.

Bob Balaban does a really solid read.