I've been interested in both movies and the process of moviemaking since I was a tween and my parents bought a then-rare VCR. I was familiar with the concept of the bullying auteur (and when the Weinstein case broke thought that the culture of fear abetted his crimes), but Burn It Down tells me it's even worse than I imagined. Entertainment reporter and TV critic Maureen Ryan shows us "how the sausage is made" leaving behind broken people and driving many out of the business. Through interviews with current and former writers, directors, actors, and assistants (some who remain anonymous but others of whom spoke on the record) tell tales of harassment by imperial show runners and producers, sometimes resulting in great shows but just as often bringing down popular critical darlings as abuse drives away writers and stars and ego and prejudice tamper with plot lines. In an odd way, the Weinstein case which should have led to a reckoning is often used to semi-justify verbal and psychological abuse. As long as there's no physical contact...well, the perpetrator's behavior isn't as bad as Weinstein's so we can deal with it.
As well as being a critic, Ryan is a fan and she gives credit to those who treat their staffs well and gives examples and advice for how to produce a good TV show (which involves a lot of hard work from scores of talented people in a whole array of jobs) without, well, being a bastard. She convincingly argues that a communicative show runner who has a vision but listens to and considers feedback and who keeps the necessary 10-11 hours days predictable and doesn't allow them to turn into 16-18 hour days while actually produce a better show due to less turnover and fresher actors and crew. Burn It Down will make you look at some of your favorite shows differently, and perhaps show how they could have been even better.
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