Music Industry Book Optioned For Potential TV Drama

Interesting report via Spinner today about the team behind the (totally awesome) HBO series The Wire who are switching gears from mean streets and political corruption to the music industry – a subject rich with its own drama, success, failure and greed.

That’s a recipe for good TV.

The rights to the book ‘Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age,’ written by Rolling Stone journalist Steve Knopper, have been scooped up by the Wire team, which might be developed into a project for HBO.

Appetite for Self-Destruction recounts the epic story of the wild rise and fall of the recording industry over the past thirty years, when the incredible success of the CD turned the music business into one of the most glamorous, high-profile industries in the world — and the advent of file sharing brought it to its knees.

Based on interviews with more than two hundred music industry sources — from Warner Music chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. to renegade Napster creator Shawn Fanning — Knopper offers a detailed and contemporary history of the industry’s crazy ride through the past three decades.

“It’s a rise and fall story of a once, very incredibly healthy, great, rich, throwing its weight and money around kind of industry, that is no longer quite as grand,” explained Knopper.

Playwright Victoria Stewart is attached as the head writer and Knopper is hoping to get musicians involved in the adaptation.

According to the Spinner article, Knopper told BBC 6 Music he wanted the input of some musicians in the story.

“Since the book came out I have heard from some musicians who have liked it and I would think, philosophically, hopefully many would want to be attached to a project like this.

“Of course, you never know. Some of these guys already have labels and don’t want to burn any bridges. I criticise the record labels pretty harshly in my book,” he said.

The central narrative of Knopper’s book screams mini-series, but perhaps the team will boil it down to a 3-hour movie. I’m not sure a series is in order, but the subject matter is ideal – if executed properly. And for fans of The Wire, there’s no worry about that.

Do you think the music ‘biz story of ‘Appetite for Self-Destruction’ is a good idea for a TV project?