My Peacock Tale: Secrets Of An NBC Page

by Shelley Herman

My Peacock Secrets Of An NBC Page is a funny, sexy, gossipy, celebrity-filled memoir with real-life, never-before-told stories. Set against the backdrop of NBC Burbank in the mid-70s, the Pages had VIP access to stars ranging from Johnny Carson to Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner to Andy Kaufman, Freddie Prinze to Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Donald Trump, Johnny Cash, Harry Chapin and iconic legends including Bob Hope, Betty White, Elvis Presley, Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Alfred Hitchcock and many more. Oh, and then there's all the good sex! But, there are also stories of unwanted sexual advances made on the Pages, both men and women. The Page staff was like a show biz exclusive sorority/fraternity, and their friendships have continued for decades. The stories make this a good read for anyone hoping to enter the entertainment industry.


"A revealing and often delightful insider’s look at the heyday of network television."
- Kirkus Reviews

I think I'm safe in saying that at the age of 15, I was the youngest Page Boy ever hired at NBC in New York. My sister, actress Joann Dru, helped get my foot in the door for what turned out to be a life-changing job that started my career in the entertainment industry. Often when I was hosting The Hollywood Squares, I would see the Pages in the hallway and remember the lifelong friendships I made giving tours and ushering shows, friends including Match Game host Gene Rayburn. I think so highly of the NBC Page Program that I suggested it to my daughter, Jamie, who became a Page at NBC Burbank. Shelley's book brought back some great memories, and I read a few stories about what was happening around the studio I had never heard before.
- Peter Marshall, TV Host/Boy Singer
The Hollywood Squares


I was working at NBC during this era. I left my job as a Page at another network to write questions for the game show Celebrity Sweepstakes because NBC was the place to be. Shelley and her Page colleagues reveal never-before-told stories about what took place behind the peacock curtain, bringing readers into the little-known secret society they affectionately call Pagedom. They worked with all the biggest stars in their unguarded moments, witnessing behavior that would not and should never be tolerated in the workplace. They are a show biz Band of Brothers and Sisters who have remarkably remained close friends all these decades. No wonder many of them said it was the best job they ever had.
- Marc Summers
TV Host, Producer, Star of Double Dare, Unwrapped

I remember seeing Shelley in her little Page uniform while we were taping Wheel of Fortune. When you’re starting a brand new show, you find yourself looking for faces that reflect kindness. I had two in the audience – my mother and Shelley Herman with her infectious smile. Our friendship has continued through many of life's challenges. Reading My Peacock Tale brought back fond memories of my time at NBC Burbank, and Shelley’s spicy stories had me laughing and empathizing with her and what many women had to endure while building their careers. Just one Who's Jake?
- Chaplain Susan Stafford, Ph.D.
Original Hostess of Wheel of Fortune

I met Shelley The Page at an NBC Press Tour when I was writing for The Hollywood Reporter and ten years later, we were finally able to work together on a daytime talk show. I've been hearing these outrageous stories from her days as an NBC Page for years and I told her she should write a book already – so she did! The stories are a little bit sexy, sometimes shocking, and often hilarious. I can't wait to see a television series made from this book.

Genres: Memoir

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2023

Reviews

[Mediaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stories can be found in this partial-memoir that is flawed by poor organization, the failure to name names, and an incomplete life story. This isn't really an autobiography as much as a history of NBC pages during a very short period of time. It's too bad, because with proper organization, editing, and a more complete manuscript this could have been a significant contribution to a TV history library.

Some of the stories are juicy and the author has no problem exposing her sex life or talking about free use of drugs. You won't look the same way at a couple of stars again (she names a few late celebrities that tried to bed and has no problem making McLean Stevenson look really creepy bad).

The biggest issue is that is isn't just her story. Herman got a bunch of her page pals to contribute anecdotes that are extremely vague and she has no idea how to organize the material into cohesive chapters. She skips back and forth, interrupting herself, placing similar topics in different chapters.

For example, in Chapter Fourteen on one single page she goes from discussing her job on the game show Liar's Club to a gun collection in the home of Buddy Hackett who has two kitchens (one Kosher) and a special chair for Johnny Carson, to standing with Allen Ludden at the taping of the pilot for Betty White's sitcom, to assembling in the Liar's Club office to go over props for the show. It's a rambling stream-of-consciousness in five paragraphs that leave the reader wondering what is going on.

There are also a number of mistakes in the book, from proofreading errors to mistaken "facts." She mentions in June of 1977 that one page had to escort "Saturday Night Live stars" including Chevy Chase. But by that date Chase had long been gone from the late-night series. She also makes the absurd claim that Dating Game and Newlywed Game creator Chuck Barris "has been credited as the innovator of what is now called Reality Television." Huh? Never heard that one before. He made game shows, not reality shows, and is not named by any academic that I'm aware of in the true birth of reality TV (I taught a class on it and wrote a book on it, and a different non-Barris show she mentions called Real People truly started the reality trend).

There are also many asides in the book that have nothing to do with the page program or the writer's life. She'll suddenly stop everything to give a history of a star like Gilda Radner or Johnny Carson. It seems like space-filler when she fails to provide specifics about her own career or famous people she encountered. The stories lack depth and often leave the reader with questions about what appears to have been a successful television career for the author--but I'm not sure since she only alludes to a few other jobs.

The book oddly ends with a five-page listing of titles of TV shows but we have no idea why they are there--did she work on them as a page or what were her jobs at them? Useless and frustrating since many of the programs are not addressed in the book. This peacock tale is sometimes nice to look at but missing quite a few feathers and ultimately doesn't fly.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting behind the scenes look at what it was like to be a Page at NBC in the 1970's. Lots of good stories from the author and from fellow Pages. Another reviewer criticized this book for what it wasn't (an autobiography, a life story, a memoir, a TV history) But if you read it and appreciate it for what it is, it is a fun read.

[Kathi Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read!

If you love Hollywood and humor, this book is for you! Shelley Herman has a captivating style unlike any other author and her storytelling is stellar. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be intrigued by the behind the scenes stories of being a Page.

[Michele Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

great read and lots of fun

Wonderful personal recollections and insights. A trip down memory lane for those of us of a certain age. This brought back a lot of lovely feelings and quite a bit of nostalgia.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Peacock Tale: Secrets of an NBC Page by Shelley Herman was a fun and entertaining read. The author writes about her experience as a Page at NBC in Los Angeles in the late 1970s. A wonderful book for a fan of pop culture.

[Dustin Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Name droppers special

I don't get protecting a married executive that rapes you then calling out by name those who you don't agree with politically.