Dick Wolf

There are professional negotiators working for the writers and the actors, but basically you've got the writers and actors negotiating against businessmen. That's why you get rhetoric. ”

I get bored with establishing shots of people getting out of cars and walking into buildings, getting into elevators and then 45 seconds later they have a line. ”

People recognize certain things, like 'D' means 'this dialogue stinks.' We're dealing with shows that are written here, shot in New York and posted back here. Accurate communication is a necessity. ”

I don't think you can really make television based on what you think audiences want. You can only make stories that you like, because you have to watch it so many times. ”

TIVO executives stand up and say, 'Well, we're not getting rid of commercials, but we are letting them fast forward, because people like commercials, and if they see one that they like they stop and watch it.' I mean, please. ”

I think most people don't react well to being screamed at. It's counterproductive. ”

I do love television. But the business is accelerating and people are not getting the chance to fail. ”

The heart and soul of network programming is series programming, the weekly repetition of characters you like having in your house. ”

The threat to free television. The reason television is free is because it is a life support system for commercials. That fundamental aspect is about to change. ”

The agendas on the management side of the table now are not in sync like they used to be because you have vastly different entities supplying programming to networks. ”