Warren Littlefield Quotes

Powerful Warren Littlefield for Daily Growth

About Warren Littlefield

Warren Littlefield, born on August 19, 1957, in New York City, is an eminent figure in American television broadcasting who served as the President of NBC Entertainment from 1991 to 1998. His tenure was marked by a series of groundbreaking decisions and innovative programming that significantly impacted the landscape of television. Born into a Jewish family with roots traced back to Russia, Littlefield's interest in television began early. He graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a degree in Political Science and Communications. His career took off when he joined NBC as an assistant in 1980, working his way up through various roles before assuming the presidency. During his tenure, Littlefield oversaw some of the most successful shows in television history, including "Friends," "Seinfeld," "ER," "Frasier," and "The West Wing." He also greenlit popular sitcoms like "Saturday Night Live" and "Mad About You." His approach focused on finding distinctive voices and nurturing creative talent. In 1998, Littlefield left NBC to become the President of Programming at ABC Studios, where he worked until 2003. Since then, he has been involved in various projects as a producer and executive consultant. Warren Littlefield's influence on television is undeniable. His commitment to creative excellence and risk-taking has made him a respected figure in the industry. Despite his achievements, Littlefield remains humble, attributing his success to the exceptional talents he worked with during his time at NBC.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The best ideas often start as a whisper."

This quote by Warren Littlefield suggests that great ideas are not always loud or obvious; they may begin subtly, like a whisper rather than a shout. It encourages us to listen carefully, pay attention to the seemingly insignificant, and be open to subtle suggestions that might lead to groundbreaking ideas or innovative solutions.


"Risk more than others, and enjoy the rewards."

This quote encourages individuals to take calculated risks in life, understanding that greater risk often leads to potentially greater rewards. By taking chances and stepping outside of one's comfort zone, one can experience growth, learn valuable lessons, and create opportunities for success. However, it is essential to balance risk with sound judgment and careful consideration, as the potential for loss or failure should never be ignored. Ultimately, embracing calculated risks allows us to seize new experiences, challenge ourselves, and unlock our true potential.


"In show business, it's about timing, but it's also about storytelling and character development."

This quote by Warren Littlefield highlights two crucial elements in the entertainment industry: timing and storytelling. 1. Timing refers to the appropriate moment for a project to be released or broadcasted, when public interest is at its peak. A good example would be a holiday-themed movie released during the winter season. 2. Storytelling and character development are the artistic aspects of creating engaging content. A compelling storyline that evokes emotions, paired with well-crafted characters that audiences can connect with, are key factors in capturing and holding viewer attention. In essence, the quote emphasizes the importance of balancing commercial considerations (timing) with creative elements (storytelling and character development) to create successful content in show business.


"If you can find a way to make people care, that's when you have something special."

This quote suggests that the key to creating something remarkable or successful is to evoke emotions or interest in your audience. When people genuinely care about what you're offering – be it a product, service, idea, or story – it becomes more than just an ordinary experience for them. It transcends into a personal connection, making it memorable and potentially long-lasting. Therefore, the focus should be on finding effective ways to engage and connect with people's emotions to make a meaningful impact.


"Success is a series of small victories, not a single triumph."

Warren Littlefield's quote underscores that success doesn't stem from one grand achievement, but rather from a consistent accumulation of small wins. It suggests that the path to success is often long and filled with obstacles, requiring persistence, determination, and a series of incremental improvements. This view emphasizes that every step forward counts, even if it seems minor at the time, and encourages the pursuit of small daily victories that can eventually lead to significant overall progress.


At the end of Season 1 of 'Cheers', it was the lowest rated show in all of network television... So we turn to 'Bill Cosby'; when he came to Thursday night, he just exploded. And once the audience was there, we said, 'Hey, by the way, we also have this other great show. It's called 'Cheers'.'

- Warren Littlefield

Turn, Other, Show, Exploded

A 'Friends' shoot night could extend well into the small hours of the morning.

- Warren Littlefield

Small, Hours, Could, Extend

When we developed the 'Seinfeld' show, we took a bet on Jerry Seinfeld, who was not a household name. But Jerry had a voice. He was appearing on 'Late Night', on 'The Tonight Show', had some commercials out there, his voice of observational comedy, looking at the world around him, that voice was really starting to come into its own.

- Warren Littlefield

Voice, Some, Tonight, Observational

My last series was on A.B.C., a one-hour called 'My Generation'. Critics liked it. I was on for two weeks, and that was a tough one.

- Warren Littlefield

Generation, Last, Weeks, Two Weeks

What Must-See T.V. was all about was one network, one night, for one decade. And a third of the country would come and watch Must-See T.V. And you didn't dare go to work the next day, because if you hadn't watched, you would be left out of the conversation, that water-cooler conversation.

- Warren Littlefield

Country, Next, Decade, Conversation

'A Different World' didn't have the blazing success that 'Cosby' had, but it was on for seven seasons, and we got a lot of awards, and a lot of faces came out of that show and have had great careers.

- Warren Littlefield

Seasons, Show, Blazing, Cosby

When you're still in the broadcast business, you're still trying to reach tens of millions. You're trying to still aim for a broader audience, and I think that's a more difficult task to spread yourself across that audience, connect with them, as opposed to a very, very small, pinpointed audience. Difficult to do.

- Warren Littlefield

Small, Broadcast, Tens, Broader

'Friends' played in this territory of being funny, and then also just grabbing your heart. And not afraid of that. It was a comedic soap opera. Not being afraid to have an audience feel something, laugh and cry, was quite extraordinary and quite wonderful.

- Warren Littlefield

Opera, Feel, Your, Being Afraid

You don't know what the country is ready for unless you're pushing that envelope, and I was told that I couldn't develop 'Will and Grace'.

- Warren Littlefield

Country, Will, Develop, Envelope

NBC's pilot season of 1994 is legendary in the business. In a world where failure is commonplace, we midwifed the birth of both 'Friends' and 'ER'. While 'ER' came essentially out of the blue, we'd been casting around for a 'Friends'-like show for some time at the network.

- Warren Littlefield

Some, Show, Been, Season

Our D.V.R.s make up the schedule of the shows that we're passionate about. You want Jon Stewart? You've got it. Your D.V.R. will give that to you, as opposed to making the destination and the choice to spend that evening with a network.

- Warren Littlefield

Passionate, About, Jon, Evening

One way in which 'Friends' did resemble 'Seinfeld' is that it really found its audience over the summer of 1995 in reruns. That's when the main title song, 'I'll Be There for You', by the Rembrandts, exploded, too.

- Warren Littlefield

Title, Seinfeld, Main, Resemble

There's no reason that there has to be a fringe network that illuminates an urban or a multiethnic experience.

- Warren Littlefield

Reason, Urban, Illuminates, No Reason

While 'Friends' was about a 20-something population and what they were going through, they were also dealing with issues with their family.

- Warren Littlefield

Through, Dealing, Going, Population

Two hundred channel choices in most homes certainly gives you the world of choice. And so slicing it, dicing it, and offering someone their favorite thing - by the way, if it's not good enough, make it yourself and post it.

- Warren Littlefield

Not Good Enough, Hundred, Post

Innovation comes to you from creators who do have a vision and a passion, and that is how we succeeded.

- Warren Littlefield

Innovation, Vision, How, Succeeded

Audiences want and need a shared viewing experience.

- Warren Littlefield

Want, Need, Shared, Audiences

I loved growing up in Montclair... I think it's grown and changed and embraced change.

- Warren Littlefield

Change, Think, I Think, Embraced

The writers and actors on 'Friends' were notoriously particular about what made it onto the air.

- Warren Littlefield

Made, About, Were, Onto

I was the network president. I thought I knew everything.

- Warren Littlefield

Thought, Everything, Knew, Network

In the history of pilot reports, 'Seinfeld' has got to be one of the worst of all time.

- Warren Littlefield

Pilot, Reports, Seinfeld

I fought to make a multiple series commitment with John Wells.

- Warren Littlefield

Commitment, Fought, Series, Multiple

I believe America wants and needs the shared experience of television. We far too often see in crises how television brings us together.

- Warren Littlefield

Needs, Crises, Shared, Brings

When in life do you get a black and white printout that says this is what you should do? It just doesn't happen.

- Warren Littlefield

Life, Black, Happen, Black And White

My job was to find interesting material that would give us a quality television show.

- Warren Littlefield

Give, Material, Would, Television Show

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