shelfaddiction's review
3.0
Originally posted on Shelf Addiction! Check this and more of my reviews at Shelf Addiction
Disclaimer: I received this book as a courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As you all can tell (possibly from the content on my blog) that I rarely read nonfiction so this one is a tad bit out of my comfort zone, but I had to read it. I adore Masterpiece Theatre, especially Downton Abbey, Mr Selfridge, and The Paradise. Not mention, my husband LOVES to watch Sherlock. What can I say, I'm addicted to British TV....as are many of us PBS/BBC watchers. When I was asked if I'd like to review this, I jumped at it just to get a small peak behind the curtains.
Pros: This book was written by the current Executive Producer of the institution that is Masterpiece (now comprised by Masterpiece Contemporary, Masterpiece Mystery and Masterpiece Classic). The book is not only a memoir about her life, but it is a history of Masterpiece Theatre which first aired in 1971, focusing a large part on the last 25 years during which the author has been involved with its production. It was intriguing to read about the inception of several popular shows. I also enjoyed the photos enclosed in the center of the book. The "backstage" stories are all pretty entertaining as well. The authors style is very witty and blunt, which is refreshing. I can appreciate that she's able to take ownership of her valleys as well as her peaks. She readily admits "I've been very, very lucky in my career, in spite of myself." This rings true throughout the book. As far as the writing style goes, Ms.Eaton's writing style seems more laid back and conversational, which appealed to me.
Cons: Honestly I was expecting more of a coffee table style book about the Masterpiece programs with some history and blurbs from the Executive Producer. So I was slightly thrown when I received a novel. That was my fault for misunderstanding what type of book I was getting, but with that said, I moved forward and began reading. There is a lot of history, names, places, situations, so much that you'll find that you pick up some fun trivia like facts here and there, but overall most of the details seem to get a bit lost in translation as the amount of information seems to be excessive at times. On the up side, we got a peak behind the scenes, but I wanted more of that and less interview excerpts.
Final Thoughts: Overall this memoir was an enjoyable read and a nice change of pace. I recommend this books if you also love British TV and want a closer look into the history of Masterpiece and the Executive Producer of many memorable shows.
Disclaimer: I received this book as a courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As you all can tell (possibly from the content on my blog) that I rarely read nonfiction so this one is a tad bit out of my comfort zone, but I had to read it. I adore Masterpiece Theatre, especially Downton Abbey, Mr Selfridge, and The Paradise. Not mention, my husband LOVES to watch Sherlock. What can I say, I'm addicted to British TV....as are many of us PBS/BBC watchers. When I was asked if I'd like to review this, I jumped at it just to get a small peak behind the curtains.
Pros: This book was written by the current Executive Producer of the institution that is Masterpiece (now comprised by Masterpiece Contemporary, Masterpiece Mystery and Masterpiece Classic). The book is not only a memoir about her life, but it is a history of Masterpiece Theatre which first aired in 1971, focusing a large part on the last 25 years during which the author has been involved with its production. It was intriguing to read about the inception of several popular shows. I also enjoyed the photos enclosed in the center of the book. The "backstage" stories are all pretty entertaining as well. The authors style is very witty and blunt, which is refreshing. I can appreciate that she's able to take ownership of her valleys as well as her peaks. She readily admits "I've been very, very lucky in my career, in spite of myself." This rings true throughout the book. As far as the writing style goes, Ms.Eaton's writing style seems more laid back and conversational, which appealed to me.
Cons: Honestly I was expecting more of a coffee table style book about the Masterpiece programs with some history and blurbs from the Executive Producer. So I was slightly thrown when I received a novel. That was my fault for misunderstanding what type of book I was getting, but with that said, I moved forward and began reading. There is a lot of history, names, places, situations, so much that you'll find that you pick up some fun trivia like facts here and there, but overall most of the details seem to get a bit lost in translation as the amount of information seems to be excessive at times. On the up side, we got a peak behind the scenes, but I wanted more of that and less interview excerpts.
Final Thoughts: Overall this memoir was an enjoyable read and a nice change of pace. I recommend this books if you also love British TV and want a closer look into the history of Masterpiece and the Executive Producer of many memorable shows.
squidbag's review
3.0
As it initially sets out to be as much a memoir of Eaton herself as of the Masterpiece production process, it's a little startling the short shrift Eaton gives her personal details - a divorce is left to the epilogue, other details glossed over - but the meat of this book is in the show business stories and the "learning how they make television" stuff, and in this, Eaton delivers. Finding about the sponsorship wrangling is far more engaging than I would have anticipated, and the good stuff - details about Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Benedict Cumberbatch and so on, reward the reader.
Good stuff, but more of an overview than I would have liked, but also containing some stuff you're probably not going to see anywhere else.
Good stuff, but more of an overview than I would have liked, but also containing some stuff you're probably not going to see anywhere else.
lkwhitehead's review
3.0
This book deserves a two-star rating for writing. A writer Rebecca Eaton is not. Large parts of the book are merely paragraphs of direct quotes from the people involved. However, as many of these interviewees are British actors, writers, directors, and producers I mostly got over that. I learned a great deal about the history and workings of Masterpiece and PBS. I continue to be a fan of both.
The book is hardly a memoir per se, but Eaton does briefly discuss her career path, parents, and the difficulties of being a working mom and breadwinner (with a stay at home husband in the 1980s looking after their young daughter, no less). For true fans of British television drama only, I think.
The book is hardly a memoir per se, but Eaton does briefly discuss her career path, parents, and the difficulties of being a working mom and breadwinner (with a stay at home husband in the 1980s looking after their young daughter, no less). For true fans of British television drama only, I think.
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