As I Saw It

As I Saw It: The Inside Story of the Golden Years of Television is a fast-paced tour through the halls of NBC’s 30 Rock and CBS’s Black Rock in the days when television first staked its claim to be the dominant influence in American cultural life. Michael H. Dann is one of the most successful programming executives of all time. He served at CBS from 1958 to 1970, rising to senior vice president in charge of programming. After leaving CBS, he took a $100,000 pay cut to work on Sesame Street. Later, he set up a consulting firm which, over the next four decades, helped launch Nickelodeon and MTV and advised clients such as IBM and the BBC. Through Dann’s eyes we follow the evolution of television, from the birth of the first full network schedule through the creation of shows such as Today and Tonight and the fall of prime-time giants such as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Along the way, Dann reveals never-before-told stories: Dave Garroway’s anger at being forced to work with a chimpanzee; how a power-crazed CBS network president seduced Judy Garland in his office; and why a fellow CBS executive may have been fed marijuana-laced cookies by a rebellious star. Reveling in the drama and excitement of television’s golden years, Dann recounts the highs and lows of working with legends such as Mary Martin, Lucille Ball, Danny Kaye and Jackie Gleason, not to mention the pressure of working under broadcasting pioneers NBC chairman General David Sarnoff and CBS chairman William S. Paley.