“Dee LaDuke's wonderful book about the serious art of television comedy is everything that we all want good television to be-entertaining, comprehensive, insightful, funny, thought provoking and stimulating. Dee uses her own personal experiences and the insights of those that she's worked with to examine all of the many complicated and painstaking facets, and the outpouring of intellectual and emotional energy that go into making a good half hour of television look easy.” - Sheldon Epps, Theatre and Television Director, Girlfriends, Frasier and Friends

“Dee LaDuke's book provides us with a surprising new critique of television. It makes accessible the major theoretical debates about the medium while offering us insight into the ways to produce television that matters. LaDuke presents us with a historical perspective of television, while inspiring us to transform the medium in the 21st century. Her methodology challenges us to understand the ways in which television narrativises contemporary culture and dares us to produce programming that encourages further understanding of ourselves and each other. This useful and serious book is a must read for teachers, students, and others seeking to produce television that has the potential to reflect and move culture.” - Mary Ellen Strom, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

“Successful television writer, Dee LaDuke identifies the crucial ingredients of creating great television programming. For those aspiring to work in the Television field, this book gives readers the inside track into what it takes to make great shows.” - David Janollari, President and Executive Producer of Greenblatt and Janollari Studios, Executive Producer Six Feet Under

“Dee (Four Essential Ingredients) warmly helps us relive some of television's greatest moments and offers insight as to what made those magical moments so memorable. Her analysis of the creative process gives us context and valuable clues to the elusive nature of television excellence.” - Steve Stark, Producer & Executive, Gramnet Productions

“Dee LaDuke is a brilliantly talented television writer with the perfect combination of an amazing sense of humor and an incredible sense of reality. Her characters and stories are as deeply complex and terrifically funny as Dee herself. Who better to give us such intelligent insights into writing? Read this book and then go do what she says. And hurry, have you seen what's out there?” - Norma Vela, Co-Executive Producer, Life With Bonnie

“Approaching the television series as an art form, LaDuke identifies the distinctive characteristics of this medium, demonstrating how it can be evaluated and improved. She shows that ‘the aesthetics of television’ does not have to be an oxymoron.” - Paul V. Turner, Wattis Professor of Art, Stanford University

“Dee LaDuke has written a book that is truly an encyclopedia on television. If anyone is going into television, this book is a must read. Or if anyone would like to just peer into the who, how, where or what of television, this book is fascinating. On every page I learned new insights and visions of television past, present and most importantly future. Thank you Dee for sharing your profound insight and knowledge.” - Julie Hagerty, Actress