I want to say a few words about someone whose death was briefly in the news earlier that week, whose death did upset me. When I was nine years old I wanted to be Brandon Tartikoff. In case you didn't know, Tartikoff decided what television shows lived and died. The television series is one of the least respected art forms. When they are noticed at all, it is for messing with a good thing.
Television is a mass medium.
Shows do not get produced if no one is watching them. Very rare is the suit who cares about what comes from the boob tube as much as those who watch it. But if the man who decides what goes on the air has an eye for quality programming, a great series can flourish in that environment. Tartikoff was the perfect role model for a kid who loved television but was convinced he could not do things like act, direct or write. But he was willing to try different things, and actually give shows a chance.