after the success of the 1989 documentary "roger & me", michael moore and producer kathleen glynn, then a married couple, were approached by warner bros. television about creating ideas for a television series. however, moore was intent on making the full-length film "canadian bacon" after writing the script in the summer of 1991. after having his script passed on many times, it was on a visit to hollywood in november 1992 about the movie that moore received a phone call in his hotel room from nbc. without a single tv show idea in mind, moore agreed to meet with nbc executives about tv show ideas that afternoon. frantic for ideas, moore brainstormed over a carphone with producer glynn on his half-hour drive to burbank, out of which tv nation spawned. as moore and glynn would later describe it, "tv nation" "would be a humorous magazine show but with one distinct difference—it would have a point of view." expecting the concept to be quickly dismissed by nbc executives during the meeting, moore proceeded to describe the show in the most ludicrous ways possible, saying, "it would be a cross between "60 minutes" and fidel castro on laughing gas." instead of quickly dismissing moore's pitch, the nbc executives (including warren littlefield) were laughing. when moore returned to his hotel, a message had already been left for him saying that production of a pilot episode had the go-ahead.