It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO Hardcover – Import, 1 November 2022

This was interesting because I never thought of HBO as anything other than the huge dominator than it is now...I never thought about where or how it started. But reading this made me remember earlier days, sneaking to watch shows like Real Sex and when there wasn't a huge variety of stuff to watch yet. And in college when a bunch of us would gather in the lounge on Sunday nights to watch the new episode of Sex and the City. It was fascinating to read how everything came about, all the internal struggles and changes and everything else. I was glued to it.

This is one od the most thorough written history of any company or network. Honestly for my taste a bit too thorough and I skipped like 40% of the book because writer was going in details about every character involved with the company.All in all recommended read for all media and TV experts and investors in similar companies.

At one time, HBO was seen as the cutting edge of entertainment in the home. The book “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution and Future of HBO” chronicles the history of the cable TV channel, including its programming, technology challenges, and corporate takeovers.HBO launched when most of us only had a handful of channels to choose from. But it eventually became mainstream and popular. Authors Felix Gillette and John Koblin tell us that it premiered many award-winning series and became one of the most attractive elements of cable TV. But the entertainment world changed. It faced many new competitors, many of who occupied the same space on cable, but as technology evolved, it saw new competitors who depositioned HBO and saw greater success. That included Netflix, which changed how we access the programs and movies we enjoy.Among the main things we learned in this book:Before HBO was launched on November 8, 1972, its prototype name was the “Green Channel .”It launched as HBO with 375 test subscribers in Wilkes=Barre, Pennsylvania, with a lineup of movies and a New York Rangers game. It joined the satellite world in 1974, which propelled its growth.HBO had to convince cable operators to include them among their offerings. They promised that the cable operators could keep about half the subscription fee as a new revenue source.As new competitor channels launched, HBO launched its second service called Cinemax. “While HBO offered mainstream Hollywood movies, Cinemax loaded up on foreign films, karate flicks, grind-house movies, soft-core erotica, and spaghetti westerns. HBO packaged the services together at a discount, hoping to box out Showtime and the rest.”Eventually, the cable industry faced new competition when Director TV launched a satellite-delivered service ‘to millions of paying subscribers in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It began to drive loads of additional customers into the laps of HBO. In 1994, HBO and Cinemax had added 2.3 million subscribers, the best gain since the early 1980s, while generating a hefty $257 million of profits on revenue of $1.5 billion. “The book also focuses on some of HBO’s programming successes and challenges. “HBO had a difficult decision to make on The Sopranos. After David Chase finished the pilot episode, HBO set up a test screening with an audience chosen to satisfy certain demographic criteria. When the results came back, HBO executives faced a dilemma. The pilot had scored poorly, suggesting they ought to cancel the project. For months, HBO dithered. There were plenty of reasons not to go forward with The Sopranos. It would cost a fortune to make and market. Chase’s cast featured a bunch of largely unknown actors. At over $2 million per episode, The Sopranos was HBO’s most expensive show yet. But splurging on original series, as opposed to original movies, was well worth it, the network’s executives explained to reporters, because the serialized format helped HBO pull in and retain subscribers much better than one-off events.”“In late 2008, (executives) were weighing whether to order a pilot of Game of Thrones, a fantasy series based on the dragon-laden novels by George R. R. Martin. There were several obstacles. The show would be a significant investment for the network. Fantasy shows are the most expensive of any genre, and movies like Lord of the Rings set a high bar. Audiences expected lavish special effects. HBO would shell out some $10 million, more than double what most networks paid for a drama series. With the network’s bountiful support, the showrunners started in late 2009, shooting elaborate scenes in exotic locations stretching from Northern Ireland to Morocco. But when the pilot came in, it was terrible—a convoluted, off-putting mess. The costumes looked funny. The hair and makeup looked worse. The relationships between characters were confusing. “Anyone who has enjoyed programs on HBO will find this retrospective very interesting.

A great written book about the history, and possible future of HBO, although with HBO as latest merger with discovery, technically Time Warner and discovery, it’s missing what’s going to be a very interesting future for HBO, but it was an excellent read, especially after reading the oral history of HBO earlier this year very well researched enjoyed it a lot

good