A review by bak8382
Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes at Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! on PBS by Rebecca Eaton
4.0
Rebecca Eaton's book is both memoir of her life and a behind the scenes glimpse at what it is like to be in charge of Masterpiece on PBS. She's the 3rd executive producer for the program, so she wasn't there at the beginning, but she fills in the missing details with remembrances from others who were involved. She discusses both the highs and lows of the programming, the near misses, and the actual misses. Interestingly even when Masterpiece fails to acquire something many people still assume it was one of their programs anyway. It's a fascinating look at how British television is acquired in the US, and Eaton's life is interesting in its own right. Downton Abbey has made Masterpiece and consequently Eaton hot right now, so it's unsurprising to see the last several sections devoted to Downton Abbey and its success.
As many people did I began watching Masterpiece during the rebranding in 2008 when they showed Jane Austen films. I had just fallen in love with Austen's writing again, when the public library I was working at received the posters and bookmarks for Masterpiece. I was hooked on Masterpiece Classic right away, and eventually watched most of Mystery and Contemporary as well. Looking back I'm not sure why I wasn't already watching Masterpiece as I enjoy British television, but I suspect it was because I was not aware of it. Not really as much Masterpiece's or Eaton's fault as you might think, Eaton details that most of the money is used to acquire and produce the programs, and they have virtually no budget for advertising. They rely a lot on reviews and interviews to drum up interest. Masterpiece is doing a much better job of reaching its audiences via social media theses days. Though it's still odd to me why programs such as Call the Midwife, Last Tango in Halifax, and The Bletchley Circle air on PBS, but not as part of Masterpiece. Also Masterpiece Contemporary seems to have disappeared altogether. This is an interesting read for those eagerly awaiting the return of their favorite programs to Sunday night television.
As many people did I began watching Masterpiece during the rebranding in 2008 when they showed Jane Austen films. I had just fallen in love with Austen's writing again, when the public library I was working at received the posters and bookmarks for Masterpiece. I was hooked on Masterpiece Classic right away, and eventually watched most of Mystery and Contemporary as well. Looking back I'm not sure why I wasn't already watching Masterpiece as I enjoy British television, but I suspect it was because I was not aware of it. Not really as much Masterpiece's or Eaton's fault as you might think, Eaton details that most of the money is used to acquire and produce the programs, and they have virtually no budget for advertising. They rely a lot on reviews and interviews to drum up interest. Masterpiece is doing a much better job of reaching its audiences via social media theses days. Though it's still odd to me why programs such as Call the Midwife, Last Tango in Halifax, and The Bletchley Circle air on PBS, but not as part of Masterpiece. Also Masterpiece Contemporary seems to have disappeared altogether. This is an interesting read for those eagerly awaiting the return of their favorite programs to Sunday night television.