Research Catalog

Title

Just the funny parts : ... and a few hard truths about sneaking into the Hollywood boys' club / Nell Scovell.

Author

Scovell, Nell

Publication

• New York, NY : Dey Street, an imprint of William Morrow, [2018]
• ©2018

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xi, 316 pages : illustrations, portraits; 24 cm

Summary

• Just the Funny Parts is a juicy and scathingly funny insider look at how pop culture gets made. For more than thirty years, writer, producer and director Nell Scovell worked behind the scenes of iconic TV shows, including The Simpsons, Late Night with David Letterman, Murphy Brown, NCIS, The Muppets, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, which she created and executive produced. In 2009, Scovell gave up her behind-the-scenes status when the David Letterman sex scandal broke. Only the second woman ever to write for his show, Scovell used the moment to publicly call out the lack of gender diversity in late-night TV writers' rooms. "One of the boys" came out hard for "all of the girls." Her criticisms fueled a cultural debate. Two years later, Scovell was collaborating with Sheryl Sandberg on speeches and later on Lean In, which resulted in a worldwide movement. Now Scovell is opening up with this fun, honest, and often shocking account. Scovell knows what it's like to put words in the mouths of President Barack Obama, Mark Harmon, Candice Bergen, Bob Newhart, Conan O'Brien, Alyssa Milano, and Kermit the Frog, among many others. Through her eyes, you'll sit in the Simpson writers' room ... stand on the Oscar red carpet ... pin a tail on Miss Piggy ... bond with Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy ... and experience a Stephen King-like encounter with Stephen King. Just the Funny Parts is a fast-paced account of a nerdy girl from New England who fought her way to the top of the highly-competitive, male-dominated entertainment field. The book delivers invaluable insights into the creative process and tricks for navigating a difficult workplace. It's part memoir, part how-to, and part survival story. Or, as Scovell puts it, "It's like Unbroken, but funnier and with slightly less torture."
• For more than thirty years, writer, producer and director Scovell worked behind the scenes of iconic TV shows. In 2009, she gave up her behind-the-scenes status when the David Letterman sex scandal broke. Only the second woman ever to write for his show, Scovell used the moment to publicly call out the lack of gender diversity in late-night TV writers' rooms. Her criticisms fueled a cultural debate. Now Scovell is opening up with this fun, honest, and often shocking account of a nerdy girl from New England fighting her way to the top of the highly-competitive, male-dominated entertainment field.

Subject

• Scovell, Nell
• Television producers and directors > United States > Biography
• Television writers > United States > Biography
• Women television producers and directors > United States > Biography
• Women television writers > United States > Biography
• Television producers and directors
• Television writers
• Women television producers and directors
• Women television writers
• BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts
• BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women
• HUMOR / Business & Professional

Genre/Form

• Autobiographies.
• Biography.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Contents

Foreword / by Sheryl Sandberg -- Introduction -- Who is Nell Scovell? Every character needs a backstory ; Sports and SPY ; The setup ; The big twist ; The payoff -- Get me Nell Scovell! The Simpsons: Fugu me! ; Brush with greatness: working for Letterman ; The meet cute ; We're all Oompa Loompas ; So you want to run a TV show -- Get me a younger, cheaper Nell Scovell! Poetry is in the doing ; The ones that got away ; You sexy motherwriter ; The decade-long roller-coaster ride -- Who is Nell Scovell? "Fame whore" ; The one I'd been waiting for ; Lily Tomlin, the Kennedy Center ... and a surprise guest ; Our funny president ; Stage five of a Hollywood writer's career -- Job timeline.

Call Number

MWES (Scovell, N.) 18-2712

ISBN

• 9780062473486
• 0062473484

OCLC

968158911

Author

Scovell, Nell, author.

Title

Just the funny parts : ... and a few hard truths about sneaking into the Hollywood boys' club / Nell Scovell.

Publisher

New York, NY : Dey Street, an imprint of William Morrow, [2018]

Copyright Date

©2018

Edition

First edition.

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references.

Research Call Number

MWES (Scovell, N.) 18-2712