About
"Everything that I do is related in some way to work. I'm sure that if I didn't work, I'd find work. I just love telling people's stories and I love to hear people telling their stories."
In her two-hour interview, Sheila Nevins describes her early experience in documentary filmmaking for PBS' The Great American Dream Machine and CBS' Who's Who and details her hiring at HBO in the late 1970s. She talks of the state of the network during its early years and defines her role as director of documentaries. She discusses her short-lived production company, Spinning Wheels, and recounts several of the programs she produced for HBO, including the popular series Eros America (later called Real Sex). She outlines her return to HBO in 1986, as a vice president, and speaks of several notable documentary and family series that she oversaw, including Taxicab Confessions, The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter, Half-Past Autumn: The Life & Works of Gordon Parks, and Elaine Stritch: At Liberty. She also comments on the programming she's overseen at Cinemax. Karen Herman conducted the interview on May 2, 2006 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Sheila Nevins on being a woman in the entertainment business
Sheila Nevins on producing Eros America for HBO (later Real Sex)
Sheila Nevins on the HBO series Taxicab Confessions
Sheila Nevins on the documentary Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Sheila Nevins on the documentary Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her childhood and early influences; on keeping her maiden name; on not having hobbies as a child; on not being allowed to watch television as a kid; on attending Barnard for college and Yale for her M.A. in directing
On her start in television - as an actress in Adventures in English; on her first marriage; on jobs she held in New York; on working on CBS' Who's Who as a segment producer and hearing of an opening at HBO; on working on PBS' The Great American Dream Machine
On getting fired from 20/20; on working at CBS; on liking to have control
Chapter 2
On starting at HBO; on being asked to produce 60 Minutes; on not wanting to be on camera; on being hired by Michael Fuchs at HBO; on the state of HBO when she was hired; on documentaries of the day; on ideas for and developing her first documentaries; on having autonomy at HBO
On how she is as a boss; on personalities she works well with; on being a woman in the entertainment business; on her role model, Gloria Steinem; on the executive staff at HBO during her early years; on parlaying her 13 week deal into 25 years at HBO
On being a producer for 4 years at her company, Spinning Reels; on producing Eros America for HBO (later renamed Real Sex)
Chapter 3
On how she handled criticism of sexual content on HBO; on the audience of HBO's sex programming; on leaving Spinning Reels and returning to HBO in 1986 as a Vice-President
On the state of HBO in 1986; on the documentary series America Undercover
On the process of making a documentary: generating ideas, staying within budgets, and selecting producers
Chapter 4
On the HBO documentary In Memoriam 9/11; on the HBO series Taxicab Confessions; on family programming at HBO
On Cinemax Reel Time; on her favorite documentary projects; on Cathouse; on challenges with documentaries; on the documentaries The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter, Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks, and Elaine Stritch: At Liberty; on what makes a perfect documentary; on her imprint on the industry; on advice to aspiring television executives and to aspiring female television executives; on how important it is for her to keep working; on awards
Shows
20/20
Sheila Nevins on getting fired from 20/20
60 Minutes
Sheila Nevins on being asked to produce 60 Minutes
America Undercover
Sheila Nevins on the documentary series America Undercover
American Family, An
Sheila Nevins on PBS' An American Family
Cinemax Reel Life
Sheila Nevins on Cinemax Reel Time
Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Sheila Nevins on the documentary Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Eros America
Sheila Nevins on producing Eros America for HBO (later Real Sex)
Great American Dream Machine, The
Sheila Nevins on working on PBS' The Great American Dream Machine and cutting it into The History of America
Taxicab Confessions
Sheila Nevins on the HBO series Taxicab Confessions
Who's Who
Sheila Nevins on working on CBS' Who's Who as a segment producer and hearing of an opening at HBO
Sheila Nevins on wanting to be able to ask her own questions during interviews, but not wanting to be on camera
Topics
9/11
Sheila Nevins on the HBO documentary In Memoriam 9/11
Sex & Violence
Sheila Nevins on producing Eros America for HBO (later Real Sex)
Sheila Nevins on how she handled criticism of sexual content on HBO
War on Terror
Sheila Nevins on the HBO documentary Baghdad ER
Women
Sheila Nevins on being a woman in the entertainment business
Professions
Cable Executive
Sheila Nevins on what makes a perfect documentary
Sheila Nevins on the process of making a documentary for HBO
Sheila Nevins on telling Michael Fuchs she wanted to return to HBO as a Vice-President
Genres
News and Documentary
Sheila Nevins on Cinemax Reel Time
Sheila Nevins on what makes a perfect documentary
Sheila Nevins on the documentary Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks
Sheila Nevins on the documentary The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter
Sheila Nevins on the HBO series Taxicab Confessions
Sheila Nevins on the HBO documentary In Memoriam 9/11
Sheila Nevins on the documentary Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Sheila Nevins on getting fired from 20/20
Sheila Nevins on producing Eros America for HBO (later Real Sex)
Sheila Nevins on the documentary series America Undercover
Sheila Nevins on the process of making a documentary for HBO
People
Michael Fuchs
Sheila Nevins on being hired by Michael Fuchs at HBO
Sheila Nevins on the executive staff at HBO during her early years
Sheila Nevins on telling Michael Fuchs she wanted to return to HBO as a Vice-President
Don Hewitt
Sheila Nevins on being offered a job by Don Hewitt
Sheila Nevins on being asked to produce 60 Minutes
Don Mischer
Sheila Nevins on working with Don Mischer, and George Schlatter early in her career
Dan Rather
Sheila Nevins on meeting Mike Wallace and Dan Rather at CBS
George Schlatter
Sheila Nevins on working with Don Mischer, and George Schlatter early in her career
Bob Shanks
Sheila Nevins on getting fired from 20/20
Gloria Steinem
Sheila Nevins on her role model, Gloria Steinem
Elaine Stritch
Sheila Nevins on the documentary Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Mike Wallace
Sheila Nevins on meeting Mike Wallace and Dan Rather at CBS