Tick... Tick... Tick...: the Long Life and Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes

An insider's view of the most successful show in the history of TV, 60 Minutes.

The most popular TV show in America isn't American Idol, and it's not Survivor. Month in, month out, the most?watched program in America is 60 Minutes, drawing a staggering 25 million viewers in an average week.

For its entire 34?year history, 60 Minutes was the brainchild (and personal fiefdom) of Don Hewitt, the take?no?prisoners visionary who hustled the show into being and kept it afloat with a mixture of chutzpah, tough talk, scheming, and journalistic savvy. But now that Hewitt is 80 and grudgingly considering retirement, the show's direction is increasingly up for grabs, and the transition will surely be marked by some serious fireworks.

As author David Blum provides a fly?on?the?wall perspective on the show's upheavals, he'll also trace its past; although the show has aired some 5,000 pieces and has made household names of Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Leslie Stahl, and Morley Safer, much of the backstage story??the passionate pursuit of stories, the behind?the?scenes wrangling, and the stars' prima donnish behavior??has gone untold. With full access to the producers, stars, and executives, Blum will give readers an unprecedented view of the personalities and events that have shaped 60 Minutes ? and a new perspective on how current events become news.