Retro Active Television: An In-Depth Perspective on Classic TV's Social Circuitry

by Herbie J Pilato

Overview

"Ever wonder what the people who bring us our TV entertainment are thinking? Television and pop culture historian and author Herbie J Pilato has, and now takes readers on a provocative and entertaining look into the agenda behind TV shows and the resulting trends. Even when it seemed television programming was primarily mindless, there was serious thought behind what audiences were presented. The networks, after all, believe in giving the people what they want, even when the people should have known better. We've spent years of our lives in front of the tube; isn't it about time we found out what makes that tube tick? Retro Active Television will enlighten you."-- Marc Cushman (Screenwriter, Author)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940186515685
Publisher:	Headline Books
Publication date:	03/15/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Herbie J Pilato is a Los Angeles-based writer, producer, director, actor, TV personality, and singer/songwriter. His eclectic list of critically-acclaimed pop-culture/media tie-in books, includes The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas: A Treasure House of December Memories Revealed (Archway Publishing, 2022), Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story (Jacobs Brown Press, 2019), Dashing, Daring and Debonair: TV’s Top Male Icons From The ’50s, ’60s, And ’70s (Taylor Trade, 2016), Glamour, Gidgets and the Girl Next Door: Television’s Iconic Women From The ’50s, ’60s, And ’70s (Taylor Trade, 2014), The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide To Her Magical Performances (Taylor Trade, 2013), Twitch Upon A Star: The Bewitched Life And Career of Elizabeth Montgomery (Taylor Trade, 2012), NBC & ME: My Life As A Page In A Book (Bear Manor Media, 2008), The Bionic Book: The Six Million Dollar Man And The Bionic Woman Reconstructed (Bear Manor Media, 2008), The Kung Fu Book Of Wisdom (Tuttle, 1995), The Kung Fu Book Of Caine (Tuttle, 1993), and The Bewitched Book (Dell, 1992).

Pilato recently served as executive producer, director, and writer on the TV documentary Elizabeth Montgomery: Bewitched and Beloved for the Reelz Channel, as a consultant and audio commentator for the Saturn-Award-nominated Blu-ray release of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, and as a consultant and on-screen commentator for CNN’s hit eight-part series, History of the Sitcom.
Pilato has also worked on various Blu-ray, DVD, broadcast, and cable TV documentaries such as Bravo’s 100 Greatest TV Characters, Bewitched: The True Hollywood Story, David Carradine: The E! True Hollywood Story, A&E’s Biography of Lee Majors, TLC’s Behind the Fame specials about The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show, L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues, the Syfy Channel’s Sciography series, and the TV Guide Channel’s hit five-part series, 100 Moments That Changed TV, among others.

For more information, visit HerbieJPilato.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Herbie J Pilato is the epitome of an appreciator of classic television. He writes with warmth, knowledge and a deep understanding of the history of television and the effect it has had on American culture. If you like nostalgia, this book will have you beaming!"-

(Actor, Playhouse 90) - Helen Richman

"I understand the power of nostalgia. I see and hear about it every day from classic TV fans who share with me their joyful, sentimental journeys. With RETRO ACTIVE TELEVISION, Herbie J Pilato so wonderfully clarifies the road to yesterday's television as a safe, comforting and happy path for travelers to take and embrace in today's complicated world."

(Actor, Land of the Lost, Days of Our Lives, Dragon Tales) - Wesley Eure