--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That is the godawful thing about…" description: "\"That is the godawful thing about television today. Performers don't have any place to hit and miss. You're either in or you're out; you don't have a ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/donald-o-connor-32077_chance_that-is-the-godawful-thing-about-televis_2208272.jpg" --- # That is the godawful thing about television today… ![“That is the godawful thing about television today. Performers don't have any place to hit and miss. You're either in or you're out; you don't have a chance to become good at your craft. If you make three pictures in a row and they don't go over, you're out of the business.” quote by Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/donald-o-connor-32077_chance_that-is-the-godawful-thing-about-televis_2208272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/donald-o-connor-32077_chance_that-is-the-godawful-thing-about-televis_2208272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/donald-o-connor-32077_chance_that-is-the-godawful-thing-about-televis_2208272.jpg) > “That is the godawful thing about television today. Performers don't have any place to hit and miss. You're either in or you're out; you don't have a chance to become good at your craft. If you make three pictures in a row and they don't go over, you're out of the business.” [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Television offers no room for gradual improvement; success requires immediate hits, making the industry unforgiving. **In simple terms:** TV success demands instant hits, no room for learning. Key Takeaway Accept the high stakes of TV. Themes media career risk performance Mood reflective critical Type observation analysis When to use this quote - pilot production - career planning - creative projects Key Concepts industry volatility talent development Questions to Reflect On - Can you thrive without early success? - How can creators prepare for sudden failure? A Different Perspective The model may overlook long‑term artistic growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Crafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crafts/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [That crossover of whether it's entertainment or news is the biggest crock of b.s. in television today, because it's all entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-mcmahon/that-crossover-of-whether-it-s-entertainment-or-news-is-the-biggest/) [Vince McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-mcmahon/) > [The radio for these women is like television is for us today, which is really like looking at the radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-allen/the-radio-for-these-women-is-like-television-is-for-us-today-which-is/) [Debbie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-allen/) > [The good television of today is probably better than the best television of the old days. The bad television of today is worse. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-humphrys/the-good-television-of-today-is-probably-better-than-the-best/) [John Humphrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-humphrys/) > [ I really enjoyed working with Daniel \[Craig\], because he's a brilliant actor at the top of his game. That gave me an opportunity to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomie-harris/i-really-enjoyed-working-with-daniel-craig-because-he-s-a-brilliant/) [Naomie Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomie-harris/) > [Of all the awards, the Stand-up Comic Audience Award is our favorite. It is a chance to honor the performers who spend much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schlatter/of-all-the-awards-the-stand-up-comic-audience-award-is-our-favorite/) George Schlatter > [It takes stamina to get up like an athlete every single night, seven to eight performances a week, 20 weeks in a row. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/it-takes-stamina-to-get-up-like-an-athlete-every-single-night-seven/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [My goal is to work. That's the goal of most actors or performers: to work and keep working, and do the best you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/my-goal-is-to-work-that-s-the-goal-of-most-actors-or-performers-to/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [All of them - my father, mother, step-mother, and grandmother - were all wonderful actors and performers and they are an inspiration to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/all-of-them-my-father-mother-step-mother-and-grandmother-were-all/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You don't merely give over your creativity to making a film - you give over your life! In theatre, by contrast, you live these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/you-don-t-merely-give-over-your-creativity-to-making-a-film-you-give/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [Happiness, I do not know where to turn to discover you on earth, in the air or the sky; yet I know you exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalia-de-castro/happiness-i-do-not-know-where-to-turn-to-discover-you-on-earth-in-the/) [Rosalia de Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalia-de-castro/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Somehow the river is louder when you cover your ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-williams/somehow-the-river-is-louder-when-you-cover-your-ears/) [Niall Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-williams/) > [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More by Donald O'Connor > [I'm not a good choreographer: I can't remember what I put down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-m-not-a-good-choreographer-i-can-t-remember-what-i-put-down/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [I think you should make more movies, more musicals. I think the public deserves that. I think this country deserves to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-think-you-should-make-more-movies-more-musicals-i-think-the-public/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [Doing those costume pictures was wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/doing-those-costume-pictures-was-wonderful/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [I didn't smoke. I didn't smoke then, and I don't smoke now. We worked every day - that keeps you in pretty good shape.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-didn-t-smoke-i-didn-t-smoke-then-and-i-don-t-smoke-now-we-worked/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [Short people have long faces, and long people have short faces. Big people have little humor, and little people have no humor at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/short-people-have-long-faces-and-long-people-have-short-faces-big/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [Going up the walls doing somersaults, that trick took a couple of days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/going-up-the-walls-doing-somersaults-that-trick-took-a-couple-of-days/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [Remember, if you do the same act for 20, 30 years it gets a little boring unless you've got something else going for you...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/remember-if-you-do-the-same-act-for-20-30-years-it-gets-a-little/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [Dancing is so wonderful. Once they start the music, your whole day, if it's been rotten, seems to melt away. You get carried away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/dancing-is-so-wonderful-once-they-start-the-music-your-whole-day-if/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [You see, as far as the man's personality goes, there's no one who can touch Fred Astaire. He's unique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/you-see-as-far-as-the-man-s-personality-goes-there-s-no-one-who-can/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [I'd like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-d-like-to-thank-the-academy-for-my-lifetime-achievement-award-that/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [I'm basically a hoofer, a tap dancer. I was always very good from the waist down, moving with the feet... I became what's known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-m-basically-a-hoofer-a-tap-dancer-i-was-always-very-good-from-the/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [They put me in a harness, like a horse, to learn the back somersault. It was weird up there when I put on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/they-put-me-in-a-harness-like-a-horse-to-learn-the-back-somersault-it/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [It's so wonderful... if your whole day is rotten, once they start the music, it seems to melt away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/it-s-so-wonderful-if-your-whole-day-is-rotten-once-they-start-the/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [I was born and raised to entertain other people. I've heard laughter and applause and known a lot of sorrow. Everything about me is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-was-born-and-raised-to-entertain-other-people-i-ve-heard-laughter/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) > [I can picture things, like a painter would, though Im not good at painting, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-can-picture-things-like-a-painter-would-though-im-not-good-at/) [Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) [Explore all 16 Donald O'Connor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) Alejandro Taubas > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That is the godawful thing about television today. Performers don't have any place to hit and miss. You're either in or you're out; you don't have a chance to become good at your craft. 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