Failure is an Option

What do television genius Steven Bochco, former NFL bust Brian Bosworth, Trump ex Marla Maples, and stunner Heather Graham have in common?

They all had television shows they were involved with canceled after exactly one episode aired. Ouch. Those are some quick trigger fingers.


'Public Morals', the detective-themed sitcom from Steve Bochco (creator/producer of 'Hill Street Blues', 'L.A. Law', and 'NYPD Blue') was pulled from CBS back in 1996 after one episode because of a combination of horrible reviews and a backlash from viewers upset by the fairly vulgar language. Marla Maples, along with such dignitaries as Clint Black, Danny Bonaduce, George Takei, and Malcolm Jamal-Warner, were performers on a CBS reality show called 'Secret Talents of the Stars' in 2008, that only had enough talent for one episode before cancellation. Austin Powers beauty Heather Graham was a victim of the one-and-done on her 2006 ABC sitcom 'Emily’s Reasons Why Not' after unsolvable script problems like it not being good. And the most famous incidence is that of football god-turned-washout Brian Bosworth (he of the stripes shaved in to his head), who unimaginably was given the reigns of a private investigator drama on FOX called 'Lawless'. No one was surprised when it got the boot after one 1997 airing.

Why do I mention these famous flameouts? Because it only goes to show that even the best and brightest (and even just the most well-known) of us can fail miserably and climb right back on the horse and move on to the next project, always fully expecting success at the next turn.

The communications industry – whether in television or broadcasting, film, public relations, music, writing, marketing, graphic design, print, or a million other careers – is a tough gig full of disappointment, rejection, and failure. And you have to be resilient and have tough skin. Sometimes the breakdown is of your own doing, sometimes it is completely out of your control. But you must learn to mourn quickly, and start right from the start again. No matter who you are, the fickle finger of fate will come a poking at you. Like the old NFL coach Bum Phillips once observed, "There are only two types of coaches: those that have been fired, and those that will be fired."

So maybe you didn’t get the job you were perfect for, or maybe you were let go from a position you loved. We’ve all been there (or will be there eventually). Grab a coffee, and get yourself in front of CommunicationsJobs.net and find that next new path that you’ll love even more.

Steve Bochco went on to helm critically-acclaimed shows like 'Brooklyn South', 'Philly', 'Commander-In-Chief', and 'Raising The Bar'. Marla Maples got her own TV show and radio talk program out of the deal. Heather Graham found no reasons why not to find success in Miss Conception, The Hangover, and Bobby. And even Brian Bosworth went on to have guest roles in movies like Three Kings and The Longest Yard, saved two lives – assisting in the rescue of a woman who rolled her SUV in Winnipeg and administering CPR to a fallen man in a parking lot in Oklahoma City – and seeing twin nephews both make NFL rosters. Beat that with a stick.

So, you too, fellow communications industry job seeker, can find success in the wake of failure.


Michael Hochman
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Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Broadcaster with 15 years in Programming, Marketing, Promotions, and New Media at television and radio stations in markets like Philadelphia, Syracuse, Albany, Wichita, and Kansas City, as an advertising writer in marketing departments and at ad agencies, and as a freelance copywriter. A Philly native and graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, Michael is available for freelance work, full-time writing, and wedding receptions.
 

"Good writers borrow from other writers. Great writers steal from them outright." - Aaron Sorkin, "The West Wing"