This is a great complement to the Tinderbox oral history by James Andrew Miller, a great read that I write about here. I recommend both to anyone interested in the history of HBO. There's a lot of fascinating stuff about the prehistoric HBO days in Miler's book, and its massiveness means more detail in many places.
That said, It's Not TV might be the more enjoyable book. It is a broader view of HBO as a channel and programming source, whereas Tinderbox focuses on HBO as a business. There are other big differences, and maybe the most prominent one is the treatment of Chris Albrecht. The former HBO exec left after strangling a woman in the office, and Miller's book treads quite lightly on that incident and the corporate response (or lack thereof) to it. It's Not TV refers to it frequently, almost relishing in making sure we don't forget it when Albrecht is mentioned, and it also gives significant space and "the last word" of sorts to the victim. I will say that the oral history quotes Albrecht extensively. Just saying.
This one shares one big thing in common with the Miller book: It just isn't as fun after AT&T takes over. The whole HBO story just gets sadder at that point.
One interesting difference in approach is the creation of Nineties original sitcom Dream On. Miller focuses on the creators coming up with the idea but leaves out one of the most fascinating aspects, that Universal forced John Landis to "earn his keep" on the lot by coming up with a way to use that old library footage. This is particularly funny because It's Not TV is more from the ground up in general, while Tinderbox is focused on the suits who ran HBO and everything is usually coming top down.
I think It's Not TV is the more compelling read and the more cohesive one. It makes its points with more precision and with less effort, I feel, but I did enjoy each book. I wish each were more about the earlier days and less about the modern ones, but that's the way it is.
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