There are two ages in the history of television: before HBO and after HBO. Before the launch of Home Box Office in 1972, the industry had changed little since the birth of broadcast network television in the late 1940s. The arrival of the premium cable channel began a revolution in the business and programming of TV. For the generation that has grown up with the vast array of viewing choices available today, it is almost inconceivable that our ever-expanding media universe began with a few hours of unimpressive programming on a single cable channel. Written by an insider, this is the story of HBO's reconfiguration of television and the company's continual reinvention of itself in a competitive and dynamic industry. "(Bill Mesce) has produced a very readable history of the network and the television landscape that created it...There are few books chronicling the network...so this personal account fills a need." -- LIBRARY JOURNAL "Drawing upon his twenty-seven years of experience working at HBO, Bill Mesce brings a very special expertise to laying out an informed and informative history of one of the most influential companies the entertainment industry in general, and the television industry in particular, has ever known. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented...a truly extraordinary corporate history and very highly recommended..." -- MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW "...Bill Mesce gives readers an insider's view of (HBO's) roots and ultimate revolution...it's a hoot to recall such ill-fated tries at 'original' programming as the footballs-and-tits sitcom 1ST AND TEN...the things I found MOST interesting are found in the appendices, in which Mesce shares the job details of those who select the movies to show and then put the schedule together like a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle." -- FLICK ATTACK/BOOKGASM "...(Bill Mesce's) unique perspective makes for the ideal coverage of events from an insider's perspective and makes for a powerful account of the advent, evolution, and golden age of paid television. No media collection should be without this thorough, detailed history." -- MBR Bookwatch Bill Mesce, Jr., is an adjunct instructor at several New Jersey universities and colleges, and an author, screenwriter, and playwright. He lives in Linden, New Jersey.