I sold 'Time Life' books on the telephone. It's probably the only pure skill job I've ever had. When you're on and you're good, you get 'yes' after 'yes'. When you're slightly off, you get rejection after rejection. It was one of the greatest jobs I ever had. It was brutal.

I have very simple ambitions. If I can just not be boring, I'm ahead of the game. It's hard in television. I think you get enormous reward from the audience. Just give them something they didn't see coming, and you get enormous points.

I love being a producer, and I think I essentially still operate as a producer even though I now have control of marketing and the ability to green-light shows - something every producer wants but that they don't get!

I actually have very girly taste in television. I like a chicky relationship show probably more than anything. I really like 'Project Runway'.

One of the fundamental issues with The Vatican is that the world changed on us. That show was conceived and written while Pope Benedict was still in charge of the Vatican, and it was conceived in a world that now would feel very dated.

I like shows that are surprising and not predictable. That have deep, rich characters that are fully formed.

The enemy of good television is boredom and predictability.