Michael Essany > Quotes

“For the next five years, through all of high school and even the start of college, I pressed ahead with my original vision. Despite a bumpy start and a subsequent obligation that largely prevented me from enjoying my teenage years to the extent that I should have, at the end of four seasons on public access, my guest list rivaled that of any major network talk show.”
― Michael Essany, Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV

“Get in front of people,” wrote Merv Griffin, one of television’s most recognizable personalities and formidable innovators. “Don’t waste your time trying to be discovered. Let others discover you!”
― Michael Essany, Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV

“stage-managing reality programming to extract a desired emotional response from viewers, the subjects of these series”
― Michael Essany, Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV

“The Ortegas, produced by Fox in late 2003, was described as an “inventive new series that blends comedy, reality, and improvisation into one wild, unique mix.” The show follows a “likeable young host” of his very own late-night talk show. The aspiring host’s generous parents, played by Cheech Marin and Terri Hoyos, built a fully functional television studio in the family’s backyard. Each week, the family welcomes celebrity guests into their home, to share a meal and a talk show experience “truly like no other.”
― Michael Essany, Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV

“Given that I had no résumé or even a professional photo—excluding, of course, the Christmas portrait with Santa that adorned our living room mantle—I was desperate for sound advice that suited my”
― Michael Essany, Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV

“In a world where role models are fleeting," Cena says,”
― Michael Essany, Why The WWE Universe Loves AND Hates John Cena