The agendas on the management side of the table now are not in sync like they used to be because you have vastly different entities supplying programming to networks.

It's show business. No show, no business.

I think most people don't react well to being screamed at. It's counterproductive.

The story drove the book. That had a very seminal effect on the way I saw writing and storytelling. If you can set a character in a story that is compelling and has a backbone, you draw people in.

I get bored with establishing shots of people getting out of cars and walking into buildings, getting into elevators and then 45 seconds later they have a line.

It was like in Samoa when they'd put up a movie screen on the beach and show movies and the locals would run behind the sheet to see where the people went. It was pretty grim.

And the consumer doesn't care. They don't watch networks, they watch TV shows.

I try to just communicate what I want done as clearly and simply as possible.

People recognize certain things, like 'D' means 'this dialogue stinks.' We're dealing with shows that are written here, shot in New York and posted back here. Accurate communication is a necessity.

Advertising is the art of the tiny. You have to tell a complete a story and deliver a complete message in a very encapsulated form. It disciplines you to cut away extraneous information.

I was raised not to be rude, but I also try to get the best work out of people.

Christianity today is so subnormal that if any Christian began to act like a normal New Testament Christian, he would be considered abnormal

The difficult part in an argument is not to defend one's opinion but rather to know it.

The most important thing to me is the friends that I've made.

Even the worst feeling, with time and familiarity, became tolerable.

I'm not wearing a golden sombrero.

Things don't always look as they seem.

I think if the United States gave anything to culture at large in the 20th century, the most important contribution made was the popular song.

The organ in the worship service is a sign of Baal.

You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risks.

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, starlight and dewdrop are waiting for thee.