Most Popular Books by Alan Sepinwall

Is The Wire better than Breaking Bad? Is Cheers better than Seinfeld? What's the best high school show ever made? Why did Moonlighting really fall apart? Was the Arrested Development Netflix season brilliant or terrible? For twenty years-since they shared a TV column at Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper-critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz have been debating these questions and many more, but it all ultimately boils down to this: What's the greatest TV show ever? That debate reaches an epic conclusion in TV (THE BOOK). Sepinwall and Seitz have identified and ranked the 100 greatest scripted shows in American TV history. Using a complex, obsessively all-encompassing scoring system, they've created a Pantheon of top TV shows, each accompanied by essays delving into what made these shows great. From vintage classics like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy to modern masterpieces like Mad Men and Friday Night Lights, from huge hits like All in the Family and ER to short-lived favorites like Firefly and Freaks and Geeks, TV (THE BOOK) will bring the triumphs of the small screen together in one amazing compendium. Sepinwall and Seitz's argument has ended. Now it's time for yours to begin!

On January 10, 1999, a mobster walked into a psychiatrist’s office and changed TV history. Celebrating one of the greatest television series of all time, the New York Times bestseller The Sopranos Sessions is a must-have for any fan of the groundbreaking show. Renowned television critics Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall, who were among the first to write about The Sopranos for New Jersey’s Star-Ledger, reunite to produce this comprehensive collection. The book features detailed recaps, insightful conversations, and critical essays covering every episode of the series. Dive deep into the artistry, themes, and legacy of The Sopranos with long-form interviews with series creator David Chase and highlights from the authors’ writings. Explore the show’s portrayal of Italian Americans, its graphic depictions of violence, and its deep connections to other cinematic and television classics. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the series, The Sopranos Sessions offers a rich, engaging exploration of the show that paved the way for the very best of modern prestige television. “This amazing book by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz has bigger twists than anything I could ever come up with.” —Sam Esmail, creator of Mr. Robot

“A fascinating peek behind the making of a megahit, and a delightful bit of nostalgia for those of us who remember life before streaming TV.” —Town & Country Welcome to the O.C., b*tch: it’s the definitive oral history of beloved TV show The O.C., from the show’s creators, featuring interviews with the cast and crew, providing a behind-the-scenes look into how the show was made, the ups and downs over its four seasons, and its legacy today. On August 5th, 2003, Ryan Atwood found himself a long way from his home in Chino—he was in The O.C., an exclusive suburb full of beautiful girls, wealthy bullies, corrupt real-estate tycoons, and a new family helmed by his public defender, Sandy Cohen. Ryan soon warms up to his nerdy, indie band-loving new best friend Seth, and quickly falls for Marissa, the stunning girl next door who has secrets of her own. Completing the group is Summer, Seth’s dream girl and Marissa’s loyal—and fearless—best friend. Together, the friends fall in and out of love, support each other amidst family strife, and capture the hearts of audiences across the country. Just in time for the show’s twentieth anniversary, The O.C.’s creator Josh Schwartz and executive producer Stephanie Savage are ready to dive into how the show was made, the ups and downs over its four seasons, and its legacy today. With Rolling Stone’s chief TV critic and bestselling author Alan Sepinwall conducting interviews with the key cast members, writers, and producers who were there when it all happened, Welcome to the O.C. will offer the definitive inside look at the beloved show—a nostalgic delight for audiences who watched when it aired, and a rich companion to viewers currently discovering the show while it streams on HBO Max and Hulu. The O.C. paved the way for a new generation of iconic teen soaps, launched the careers of young stars, and even gave us the gift of Chrismukkah. Now, it’s time to go back where we started from and experience it all over again. Includes exclusive interviews with: Ben McKenzie * Mischa Barton * Adam Brody * Rachel Bilson * Peter Gallagher * Kelly Rowan * Melinda Clarke * Tate Donovan * Chris Carmack * Autumn Reeser * Willa Holland * Samaire Armstrong * Alan Dale * Colin Hanks * Amanda Righetti * Navi Rawat * Shannon Lucio * Michael Cassidy * McG * Imogen Heap * Alex Greenwald * Ben Gibbard * Paul Scheer * Doug Liman * and many more!

From the updated edition of The Revolution Was Televised, Alan Sepinwall’s analysis of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, featuring new commentary and insights on the complete series and controversial finales.

A phenomenal account, newly updated, of how twelve innovative television dramas transformed the medium and the culture at large, featuring Sepinwall’s take on the finales of Mad Men and Breaking Bad. In The Revolution Was Televised, celebrated TV critic Alan Sepinwall chronicles the remarkable transformation of the small screen over the past fifteen years. Focusing on twelve innovative television dramas that changed the medium and the culture at large forever, including The Sopranos, Oz, The Wire, Deadwood, The Shield, Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 24, Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad, Sepinwall weaves his trademark incisive criticism with highly entertaining reporting about the real-life characters and conflicts behind the scenes. Drawing on interviews with writers David Chase, David Simon, David Milch, Joel Surnow and Howard Gordon, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, and Vince Gilligan, among others, along with the network executives responsible for green-lighting these groundbreaking shows, The Revolution Was Televised is the story of a new golden age in TV, one that’s as rich with drama and thrills as the very shows themselves.

"The Sopranos is the one [show] that made the world realize something special was happening on television. It rewrote the rules and made TV a better, happier place for thinking viewers, even as it was telling the story of a bunch of stubborn, ignorant, miserable excuses for human beings" (From All Due Respect…The Sopranos Changes Everything). In this chapter from the critically acclaimed book The Revolution Was Televised, Alan Sepinwall explores why The Sopranos was critical to ushering in a new golden age in television. Drawing on a new interview with creator David Chase, Sepinwall weaves fascinating behind-the-scenes details about the show with his trademark incisive criticism—including his theory on the controversial series finale.

AMC’s Breaking Bad is among the most beloved, critically acclaimed American television series of our time. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series charts the transformation of high school science teacher Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) into a cold, calculating meth kingpin. Breaking Bad 101 collects esteemed critic Alan Sepinwall’s (Uproxx) popular Breaking Bad recaps in book form, featuring new, exclusive essays and completely revised and updated commentary—as well as insights from and interviews with the creative masterminds behind Breaking Bad. The ultimate critical companion for one of the greatest television dramas of all time, Breaking Bad 101 offers fans Sepinwall’s smart, funny, and incisive analysis of the psychology and filmmaking craft behind each episode and celebrates the series’ unique place in pop-culture history.

Sepinwall's new book is a fun look at the television phenomenon, Fox's "The O.C.." Taking on the tongue-in-cheek voice of the series, the book looks at what makes the show work while glorifying its soap opera elements and taking a nostalgic step back to pay homage to the teen drama kings and queens who paved the way.

The complete critical companion to AMC’s Emmy- and Golden Globe–nominated series Better Call Saul from the author of Breaking Bad 101 and The Sopranos Sessions "If you love Better Call Saul this book will be a great pal to hang out with while you muse upon it; if you like Better Call Saul then I think this book might make you love it!” —Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman) Named one of the most anticipated books of the year by the AV Club Timed to the 10th anniversary of the first season, this ultimate companion book serves as a guide to the series’ greatness and place in pop-culture history as fans kick off celebratory rewatches and new fans discover the series for the first time. Saul Goodman v. Jimmy McGill: The Better Call Saul Critical Companion collects chief TV critic at Rolling Stone Alan Sepinwall’s critical essays on every episode of the Emmy- and Golden Globe–nominated series. Sepinwall covered Better Call Saul from start to finish, and conducted exhaustive interviews with creator Vince Gilligan and stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seahorn, reproduced here alongside new interviews with series cocreator Peter Gould. ​Across six critically acclaimed seasons, Better Call Saul surprised audiences and subverted Breaking Bad fans’ expectations for what a prequel/sequel series could be. Bob Odenkirk reprised his role as the morally compromised defensive attorney and revealed the tragic and inevitable downfall of Jimmy McGill, a small-time con artist with big dreams and even bigger schemes. Audiences were introduced to now iconic characters, including Rhea Seahorn’s Kim and Michael McKean’s Chuck, as well as villains like Tony Dalton’s Lalo, who rivaled Breaking Bad’s most sinister creations.

C'era una volta la tv: vintage e polverosa, deperiva nell'oblio assieme al suo tubo catodico. Poi arrivarono Twin Peaks, X-Files, ER. E dopo di loro I Soprano, The Wire, Buffy, 24: le serie americane dilagarono portando sul piccolo schermo sesso, violenza, antieroi senza rimorsi, attori semisconosciuti, trame articolate: un linguaggio composito e irresistibile che ha cambiato per sempre la televisione e il nostro modo di guardarla. Abbiamo assistito - e partecipato - al più imponente ribaltamento culturale del primo scorcio di millennio, e questo libro ci spiega come, quando, perché. Ma soprattutto chi. Alan Sepinwall ci accompagna infatti dietro le quinte delle produzioni seriali più indimenticabili, ad ascoltare la storia di questa avventura direttamente dalle parole dei suoi protagonisti: dal Tom Fontana di Oz allo Shawn Ryan di The Shield, dall'ormai mitica coppia Abrams/Lindelof di Lost al Matthew Weiner di Mad Men, fino al veterano Vince Gilligan, che con Breaking Bad ci ha consegnato una delle ultime grandi narrazioni televisive del Ventunesimo secolo. Il libro "definitivo", divertente e ricco di aneddoti, sulla spettacolare trasformazione delle serie che hanno stabilito il nuovo "canone letterario" della fiction mondiale.

Sepinwall's new book is a fun look at the television phenomenon, Fox's "The O.C.." Taking on the tongue-in-cheek voice of the series, the book looks at what makes the show work while glorifying its soap opera elements and taking a nostalgic step back to pay homage to the teen drama kings and queens who paved the way.