Why people recommend it
Difficult Men is a non-fiction book by Brett Martin that examines the revolutionary era of American television showrunning, focusing on landmark series like The Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad. On the podcast Conversations with Tyler, guest Brian Koppelman appeared on the episode titled Brian Koppelman on TV, Movies, and Appreciating Art, which was released on November 8, 2023. During a segment of the interview exploring the evolution of television drama and creative collaboration, Brian Koppelman discussed how notable creators like David Milch developed their craft on early projects such as Hill Street Blues. To illustrate this historical development, Brian Koppelman recommended Brett Martin's book, describing it as a wonderful exploration of showrunners. He noted that the narrative effectively begins with figures like Bochco and Milch during that pivotal time period, providing readers with a fantastic look into how visionary creators established the framework for modern prestige television. His recommendation emphasizes the book's value as an insightful cultural history that decodes the complex personalities, intense writers' rooms, and network dynamics that reshaped the television landscape and elevated the medium to new artistic heights.
Who recommended it
- Brian Koppelman Recommended
Brian Koppelman — 1 mention
“and you know David milch cuts his teeth on um and Hill Street Blues there's a wonderful book by Brett Martin called difficult men that's about showrunners and it starts in a way with botcho and milch in in that time period and it's a great look into uh how this idea of showrunners created um modern modern television and”