Work when it was bending a genre. Take something thats familiar and give it some chili pepper. Advertising is based on one thing, happiness. Is there any taboo that you wouldnt break . Not if there was a funny idea. What is wrong with you . Theres so much different storytelling and so many different stories being told about so many different people. I dont think dramatic Series Television has ever been stronger. Theres no longer this theory of what Popular Entertainment must be. Incoming who are the heroes . The people who watch this show. This is the week when the Major Broadcast Networks unveil their fall lineup of shows. And every executive in hollywood knows how well the sopranos is doing on cable, which is a network problem. I think hbo altered everything for this reason alone, is there were no commercials. We are dependent on sponsors. Theres so much we can do in terms of language, in terms of violence, in terms of sex. To a large degree, a lot of executives were just sanding off the edges of what was interesting. I think hbo is looking at the world and going, okay, how can we matter . For quite a long time, movies and boxing were the bread and butter of hbo. People watch a show because youre partly a [ bleep ]. I think what we learned through shows like the Larry Sanders show or oz is that we could do serious television. Theres something in the air. And it aint love. Oz was cutting edge in what it was willing to share with the audience. Hit me. Hit me. Hit me in the face, brother. Complicated characters, complicated issues. And the way it was presented was so, uh, unique. Sentence, nine years. Up for parole in six. What they were doing at hbo was exactly what the network wasnt doing. They were breaking barriers. You get to the sopranos and All Of A Sudden, the villain is the hero. Have some eggplant. I told you. Im not hungry. Now you wont even accept food from your own mother. The sopranos was david chases invention about this mob family, something that people hadnt seen before. The idea that a mobster is seeing a therapist. What ever happened to gary cooper . The strong, silent type. That was an american. He wasnt in touch with his feelings. He just did what he had to do. See, what they didnt know is once they got gary cooper in touch with his feelings, they wouldnt be able to shut him up. And then its dysfunction this, dysfunction that. You have strong feelings about this. Every decade, you get somebody like peter falk as columbo or Carroll Oconner as archie bunker. Somebody you just cant imagine anyone else afterwards. James gandolfini is that as tony soprano. I think its supposed to be a mafia story, but i mean, its like i say its also about everyday life. Did you know that an italian invented the telephone . Alexander graham bell was italian . You see . You see what im talking antonio finucci invented the telephone and he got robbed. Everybody knows that. Who invented the mafia . What . The sopranos took the mystery out of being a mobster. Im a fool to do your dirty work oh yeah it was somehow more mundane than we guessed it would be, and yet every bit as riveting as the godfather. You were like a brother to me. The debate raged at hbo about whether you could have a guy like this as your lead. And david chase was adamant that you have to, this is who he is, and he was right. Can you assure me that tony soprano isnt going to become a sensitive, nurturing, mellowing man . Yes. Oh, good. Oh, my god. Its all right. Ill be home in a couple of hours. Dont worry. Im graduating tomorrow. Carmela was a wife and a mother. I think first and foremost, i think as long as she kept going to church, she felt, all right, im taking care of my soul. Where is the rest of the money . Its everywhere. She goes home to her husband whos got blood on him. There was no way to reconcile the two things. Towards the end, when their marriage is falling apart i used to [ bleep ] your husband. You have made a fool of me for years with these whores. Her performance in that fight is stunningly good. Because shes jealous [ bleep ]. Let go of me it mattered to people what this couple was going through. And i remember feeling a real sense of responsibility about that and giving the weight to the scene that it deserves. What . You know what i dont understand, tony . What does she have that i dont have . Suddenly here is this tv show that everyone is talking about, but you have to pay to watch it. You know, thats how good the sopranos was. People were paying just to see that show. The sopranos came along and completely reestablished what the bar was. I honestly couldnt quite believe it, that television was communicating something that you might only see in the darkest moments and accurate moments in cinema. You look at the year that American Beauty won the oscar, which is also the year that the sopranos debuted. Almost immediately after that, the two mediums diverged. I know what i must do. Im afraid to do it. Movies became much more focused on big tentpole things that could bring in as much of an audience as you possibly can. Meanwhile, tv, which had always been a big tent medium, started going smaller and more interior and saying, all right, we want to tell stories for grownups that maybe dont get the biggest audience but get a really passionate one. Ill be home for christmas i had an idea of doing a show about death. Are you smoking . No. Yes, you are. I heard you. Im not. No, im not. Look, forget youll give yourself cancer and die a slow and horrible death. You should not be stinking up that new hearse. I met with carolyn and she said, id like to do a show about a family that runs a funeral home. And something in my head just went, click. I thought, what a brilliant idea. Im quitting right now. I promise. Okay . Ill see you tonight. Ill be home for Christmas Alan ball comes up with a show with a perfect structure. Each episode starts with the death of a character, and then that characters death is dealt with in a local family funeral home mortuary. Excuse me. This was one of my first maybe it was my first binge show, which was long enough ago that it was all on somebody had recorded it on vcr. Have you been watching mrs. Romano . Yeah. Im watching her all night. Are you thinking what im thinking . Casket climber. I want to go with you whoa, whoa theres a whole level of something going on On Television. It was grittier than most shows youd ever seen before. And yet something magical about it. I think what our strategy at hbo was in terms of audiences, not everybody has to watch a show. But if we have different shows for different people, there is something that makes you want to come back and sign up month after month. Maybe you dont watch Sex And The City but you watch entourage. Entourage was originally based on Mark Wahlbergs life. And the appeal of the show is not so much about show business. It was these four guys who were lifelong friends who could [ bleep ] with each other and say horrible things to each other but be tight and be good friends. They want to throw 4 million at you. Youre kidding. Are you smiling . Yeah, yeah, im smiling. Can you hear me smiling . You got my balls tingling, man. They drive that way in tiananmen square, bitch . Ari gold became the breakout character, willing to be ruthless, yet also a family man with a Line In The Sand. And you dont really know where that Line In The Sand is, which makes him a morally much more interesting character. I read an article in the times. The new york times, not like the [ bleep ] they got out here. You read the times, huh . No. You read The New Republic . Ive heard of it. Its interesting. It says you dont know what the [ bleep ] youre talking about. [music plays] if your instinct is to help. Then clearly you care. You have what it takes to be a care professional. Home instead. Apply now. Life. Doesnt stop for diabetes. Be ready for every moment, with glucerna. Its the number one doctor recommended brand that is scientifically designed to help manage your blood sugar. Live every moment. Glucerna. Fellow elites. Now that weve made travel so ridiculously expensive, we can enjoy this hotel without all the filthy normals littering this place with their mindless frivolity. [laughter] [water splashes] howd you get here . Kayak huh . They compared hundreds of travel sites to find a great deal on my flight, car and hotel. I guess well just have to eat him. Yuck. You do it. Kayak. Search one and done. Get ready to say those five little words. No, not let me get the pancakes. or ill have all the bacon. were talking about. Rooty tooty fresh n fruity im going to get the Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity the Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity i think im going to have the Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity yep, its back. For a limited time. The six dollar Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity combo. 2 eggs, 2 bacon strips, and 2 fruit topped pancakes. Only from ihop. Download the app and earn free food with every order. I brought in ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein. Those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. Uhhhh. Here, ill take that. [woo hoo ] ensure max protein, with 30 grams of protein, one gram of sugar and nutrients for immune health. Who could have possibly guessed a show about a bunch of backstabbing people with body odor on an island off borneo would become the tv hit of the summer . Survivor was really the first truly competitive reality format. Go i started to really understand what the show was going to be about the first 20 minutes into day one. Well see what weve got. Before we make any decisions, well see what weve got. There might be a blow torch in there. We need a bathroom. Are you guys all done talking . Richard hatch was sitting in a tree, lecturing about what they should do as their group. Nobody is working toward a particular goal. Not the silly little stuff about whos going to sleep there, what are we going to do . But, why are we here . Underneath him was a woman sue hawk who was a truck driver. Im a redneck, i dont know corporate world at all. Corporate world aint gonna work out here in the bush. That was the show. He walks around naked quite a bit. I think it probably bugs some of the guys. Whatever it takes to win here is the point. Its a game. Call it machiavellian, sure. We had no idea that Richard Hatch would be the best thing to ever happen to survivor. All around the country people were on the edge of their seats, waiting for the final vote to be announced. The winner of the first survivor competition is survivor sort of legitimized the genre. Simon fuller came into my office. And his vision was, one long audition. Like a virgin touched for the very first time ive never, ever heard anything like that in my life. She bangs she bangs thank you, thank you. [ unintelligible singing ] what was that . That is what you think were looking for . The network was saying, we dont think we can put simon on the promos. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Hell scare little girls and we think thats our audience. One of worst auditions ive ever heard in my life. Im like, well, thats the whole show so, you know, without him its not going to work. It was a big fight internally. Of course we got him on, and of course thats what sparked the show. Well, here they are. The judges have made their choices. Now, america, its all up to you. American idol reunited the family audience in front of the tv. Respect find out what it means to me 9yearolds to 90yearolds could root for somebody on american idol. Its not like it hadnt been done before. But the way the producers of these shows could manipulate drama, the way they could find stories . That was the core of making those shows successful. This is the weakest romance ive ever seen. This romance is pathetic. Was there a romance . Well, i think we just decided we were meant to be very Close Friends. Very Close Friends. Thats right. Good, ive had some very Close Friends too. Yeah, me too. Me too. Its cost me a lot of money, ill tell you that. The apprentice has its lasting effect even today. Donald trump becomes a star. Youre fired. All of it kind of reality show fake. People who worked on it have come forward and said, you know, we kind of made the whole thing up. And yet it sells. Then theres just this explosion. You interested in tattoos . Weight loss . Plastic surgery . Breast augmentation, tummy tuck, facial surgery. Hoarders . Substance abuse . Flipping your house . Thats a big one. Theres literally a reality show for everyone now. The networks would be out of business without reality tv. If you had to fill 40 hours of television with scripted shows, it would cost you an arm and a leg. You would be out of business because those scripted shows most likely will do no better and probably worse than the reality show did. We also started seeing things aimed at gay viewers and women. And so, you know, you have queer eye for the straight guy. Bad taste kills. And project runway. This is a search for the next big fashion designer. Project runway was not an instantaneous hit. We sort of had this crisis, were like, is anyone going to want to sit around watching people sew . I am feeling the race against time now, yes. Bravo played three or four episodes over the christmas holidays. And All Of A Sudden it just caught on like wildfire. Make it work. People have come into runway and top chef, and they know that this can change their lives. One of you is about to win the title of top chef. Rock and roll then you have the osbournes. It was fun. Because, you know, the whole idea of, you know, the guy who bit the heads off of bats being domestic, and his wife and his teenage kids please do not get drunk or get stoned tonight. That sort of sparks this movement of, we can just put celebrities on tv and just let them do what they want to do. Ive always heard that people hang out at walmart. Why . I dont know. What is walmart . Do they, like, sell wall stuff . No. What is it . Its like, uh of course that reaches its peak, or nadir, depending on your opinion, with the kardashians. I hate you all. Welcome to my family. Theres something about watching someone whos maybe slightly like yourself but more obnoxious youre so evil. Theres a lot of baggage that comes with us. But its like Louis Vuitton baggage. You always want it. Or theyre, you know, more of a disaster. Prostitution whore, you are [ bleep ] engaged 19 times . You [ bleep ] stupid bitch [ bleep ] you [ bleep ] bitch whore theres something about watching that and going, yeah, god, at least im not that. I look over and i see like hair being pulled, and all the [ bleep ], im like, oh, my god, how do i get in . I used to get the critics asking me, well, why are people watching that reality show . Why are they watching the show . Because theyre entertained. Youre never going to meet someone thats going to say to you, you know, i was watching the bachelor last night, i loved it, but i wish i was watching a great drama. Karen. I thought you would never ask. You dont need to call it a guilty pleasure. Just call it a pleasure. Its something you love watching. It could be a reality show, could be a drama, sitcom, could be a documentary. Whatever it is, you know, i think great tv comes in many forms. Ubs. Theres the philly, the monster, the boss. If i hadnt seen it in person, i wouldnt have believed it. Eating is believing steph. The subway series. Try subways tastiest menu upgrade yet. When you stay at a vrbo you always get the whole home not part of it but the whole upstairs the whole downstairs the whole fridge and the whole Secret Nap Room because is it really a Vacation Home if you have to share a house with a host . Only with vrbo vo with verizon, you can now get a private 5g network. So you can do more than connect your business, you can make it even smarter. Now ports can know where every piece of cargo is. And where its going. dock worker right on time. vo robots can predict breakdowns and order their own replacement parts. foreman nice work. vo and retailers can get ahead of the Fashion Trend of the day with a new line tomorrow. With a verizon private 5g network, you can get more agility and security. Giving you more control of your business. We call this enterprise intelligence. From the Network America relies on. Want to know what the best thing about childhood is . At some point, it stops. In the year 2000, we get malcolm in the middle. And this is a pivotal show for a lot of reasons. Not least of which because it gives us Bryan Cranston but because this is a singlecamera comedy. Around here, being smart is exactly like being radioactive. Singlecamera comedies were funny. And the fact that you could shoot them like movies and they could be terrific every week. Yep, class president felt really good. But later that night, i had a dream. Critics loved that because it was something new. It was something that they werent expecting. I used to see the traffic. The only thing moving is the carpool lane. Hey, danny, you want a date with mama . Get in the car. Curb came because larry wanted to do a special. It was his you know, just oh, film my life. But he would only make it with the stipulation that if he didnt like it, he could buy it back. Lucky for us, he liked it. Are you trying to act like you aint with me . No, im not trying to act like youre not with me. What are you saying . I will pull a [ bleep ] out in this thing, i will pull a [ bleep ] out dont you dare do that. The actors wouldnt get an outline for the show. They wouldnt even read what the scene was about. Judy judy oh, my god by the way, that shelf coming down was not planned. That shelf really did come down, and larry and jeff just acted their way through it. What do i do . Stick it in your jacket. Jeffrey its too big. Do something, shes coming up i think curb in many ways is the ultimate descendant of seinfeld, its in a much more real, truthful place where morality is a gray area. Wheres the [ bleep ] head . And everybodys redefining it all the time. The kid is home, hysterical, because her doll judy has been decapitated, because you two sickos took the head for god knows what reason, some voodoo [ bleep ] youre doing. Larry and i would play a game of worst case scenario. I was talking