Tom Fontana Quotations

We did not go in and pitch a show about accounting. And so the nature of the show is, we're dealing with sexuality.

My goal is to stay here. I've certainly grown as a reporter on TV. I have more confidence.

I'd do the crime flashbacks when I felt it was important to kick that character's story up, ... A lot of times what I wanted to do was to say, 'This is who you think this guy is, the stereotype that you have of him,' by showing the crime, and over the course of the series reveal other aspects of him.

I'd write one character's story for all eight episodes, then the next character, while one of the other writers may be working on pieces of another character's story.

It certainly made me feel like there were ample stories to tell. It is a different experience than being in high school. All the issues have gotten more intense because the safety net is gone.

It is about love and sex, when they cohabit and when they are in opposition to each other. There are some very frank conversations and some silly conversations.

It is about her evolution as a woman coming to understand it. She's not hiding her sexuality, she's trying to define her sexuality.

I said no. I told him I found the ruling incomprehensible. He said the censor would do the edit.

I was very inspired by what now looks like a golden age of television drama in the early to mid '90s--the first year of 'N.Y.P.D. Blue,' first few years of 'X-Files,' and 'Homicide,' which I consider one of the top three television shows ever created, ... OZ.

We wanted to tell the truth about what it is like to go to college in 2006.

There is nothing in this show that a caring, informed parent would not want to discuss with their child. This is not a public service announcement. But who knows, it may spark a conversation that the parents should be having. Maybe they won't want to have the conversation. There isn't anything in any episode that I would say to the parents of teenagers, cover your eyes.

People don't date anymore. It is like a prehistoric notion.

The candidates were involved in a very thorough and inclusive interview process that involved coordinating their schedules to visit the CVC to see the project firsthand.

I made it up off the top of my head, ... At this point I can't even remember why I came up with that term. It just popped into my head one day and made me laugh.

I'm usually known for having the ugliest casts, so it's been kind of refreshing to go, 'OK, hey, look, she's great looking.' That's great.

I hope I have the lead story on the final day.

I don't want somebody who writes like me [in my writing staff]. Because I can write like me. I know what I'm capable of and what my limitations are. If you're going to build an orchestra, you don't want all tubas - you want a violin and you want a cello and you want a drum set.

I believe [in God], and then there are times when I don't, because the nature of the universe tells me that I'm a fool to believe in something greater than myself. And then there are times when I'm absolutely in awe of the greatness of God, or whatever name you want to attach to whatever it is that's controlling our lives.

I'm a Catholic, and I have always been fascinated by not just my religion, but religion in general, in the sense that it is the ultimate brand that they're trying to sell. Whereas Ford is trying to sell cars, the Vatican is trying to sell salvation, which is a much better product to be peddling.