Behind the Screens - (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Come explore where Lucy and Ethel baked a hilariously monstrous loaf of bread, where Phoebe performed "Smelly Cat," where Jim and Pam fell in love, and countless other homes, offices, and towns as familiar to you as your own living room. Illustrator Iänaki Aliste Lizarralde has expertly rendered thirty-six of the most memorable television floor plans in modern history-puzzling together the layouts with an architect's eye for detail and a director's sense of storytelling. TV fans will delight in the interiors and exteriors from shows like Friends, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons, where characters and plotlines converge to create worlds so mesmerizing you want to binge-watch season after season. With immersive illustrations from shows across decades and countries, this truly unique art collection offers hilarious TV moments, Easter eggs, and behind-the-scenes trivia to test even the biggest superfans"--

Book Synopsis

Hand-drawn floor plans and richly imagined architectural illustrations tell the story of television's most memorable on-screen sets and scenes.

Come explore where Lucy and Ethel baked a monstrous loaf of bread, where Phoebe performed "Smelly Cat," where Jim and Pam fell in love, and countless other homes, offices, and towns as familiar to you as your own living room. Illustrator Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde has expertly rendered sixty floor plans from thirty-five of the most memorable television shows in modern history, puzzling together the layouts with an architect's eye for detail and a director's sense of storytelling.

TV fans will delight in the interiors and exteriors from shows like Friends, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons, where characters and plotlines converge to create worlds so mesmerizing you want to binge-watch season after season. With immersive illustrations from shows across decades and countries, this truly unique art collection offers hilarious TV moments, Easter eggs, and behind-the-scenes trivia to test even the biggest superfans.

GIFT OF AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE: Here is a thorough deep dive and binge-worthy art collection for television superfans, cinephiles, fans of the Warner Brothers' studio tour, and anyone who likes to watch hours of TV at a time.

A NEW WAY TO BINGE YOUR FAVORITE TV: Rediscover your love of the classics like I Love Lucy and Little House on the Prairie; revisit childhood favorites like The Brady Bunch and Sesame Street;or explore recent classics like The Office, Sex and the City, and Friends.

HAND DRAWN, HIGHLY INTRICATE: Imagine living and working in your favorite fictional worlds--these floor plans are drawn as if they could exist in your neighborhood or town rather than on a soundstage. Created from memory and research by a trained architectural illustrator, each image gives you a sense of place in the context of the show's world.

INTERNATIONAL APPEAL: Throughout the book you'll find fan favorite shows from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Shows like Kim's Convenience, Schitt's Creek, Killing Eve, and Sherlock appear alongside U.S. favorites like Seinfeld, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, and The Big Bang Theory.

Perfect for:

• TV fans and cinephiles
• Pop culture enthusiasts
• Fans of Hollywood studio tours and interactive set re-creation experiences (like Friends or The Office)
• Gift for TV lovers who already have multiple streaming subscription services (like Netflix and HBO)
• Anyone interested in interior design

Review Quotes

"For the budding architect in your life, gift this book that imagines intricate floor plans of iconic architecture across TV, from the Friends apartment to the building facades on Sesame Street."

--House Beautiful

A Best Reference Books of 2023 selection

--Library Journal

"From the iconic Brady Bunch staircase to the instantly recognizable purple door of the Friends apartment, Lizarralde crammed so, so many details into this little coffee table book, you'll need more than a 30-minute block (with ad breaks) to explore them all."

--Vulture

"There is no denying the fun, whimsy, and commitment to detail in interior design illustrator Lizarralde's beautifully rendered TV-show floor plans...with accompanying background notes and key points by filmmaker and pop culture maven Fischer."

--Library Journal

"I remember little about the house I grew up in, but I can describe every room of Beaver Cleaver's home. The remarkable persistence of TV residences is the inspiration for a hypnotic new book called Behind the Screens. Created by Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde with Neal E. Fischer, it presents 'illustrated floor plans and scenes from the best TV shows of all time.' "

--The Washington Post Book Club

About the Author

Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde is a professionally trained interior designer and illustrator. His work has been featured in the renowned Venice Biennale. He lives in Azpeitia, Spain.

Neal E. Fischer is an award-winning filmmaker, author, podcast host, and pop culture fanatic.