Entrepreneur Andrew Glassman Built ‘The Wall’ Into a 100-Episode Juggernaut With 1 Simple Idea
The entertainment mogul created a global hit by delivering genuine emotional stakes and inspiring stories.
EXPERT OPINION BY MARC BERMAN, FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PROGRAMMING INSIDER
When Andrew Glassman looks at television, he doesn’t see an industry in decline. He sees an industry at a turning point—and an opportunity.
Glassman’s journey from local television reporter to CNBC journalist to founder of an international production company offers a case study in how entrepreneurial instincts can turn a creative idea into global intellectual property.
His latest success is NBC’s The Wall, the high-stakes game show he created with LeBron James’ SpringHill Company and hosted by Chris Hardwick. Now celebrating its 100th episode, the show’s formula is simple: combine a universal game with genuine emotional stakes and give viewers people to root for.
For Glassman, however, The Wall’s longevity isn’t just about its enormous set, technology or millions of dollars in prize money. It’s about understanding what makes people care.
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From journalism to entertainment
Glassman grew up in Los Angeles with family roots in Philadelphia and was fascinated by journalism and game shows from an early age. After college, he worked in broadcast journalism, from Albuquerque to Philadelphia and New York and eventually CNBC, where he spent 13 years as an Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist.
At CNBC’s Los Angeles bureau, he began seeing a connection between journalism and unscripted television. As a reporter, he learned to get to the story quickly, understand the facts and put himself in someone else’s shoes.
“Those things were an incredible training ground for me,” he said.
Source: www.inc.com
