The story of an epic battle for a Hollywood media empire

While the parallels between the fictional Roy family from the mega hit television series Succession and the Murdochs are obvious. There is another media dynasty whose family squabbles are as much an influence on the show as Rupert and his children. At one time Sumner Redstone was one of the most powerful and wealthy men in American entertainment and media. At his peak Sumner owned Viacom, Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and publisher Simon & Schuster as well as a successful theatre chain. But a divorce, bedroom maneuvering, issues with naming a successor and the aging media mogel's philandering let to his empire's decline. Someone who knows the ins and outs of this story is New York Times reporter Rachel Abrams who along with her colleague James Stewart have weaved through court files, interviews and news stories to write the book Unscripted: The Epic Battle For a Hollywood Media Empire.