(FORTUNE Magazine) – In a business known for eating its young, Bernie Brillstein's career has lasted far longer than most of his clients. The producer and manager has guided hundreds of actors, comedians, writers, and producers, including Jim Henson and Saturday Night Live's John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Lorne Michaels. Brillstein, 72, sold his company, Brillstein Grey, to his partner, Brad Grey, in 1996, but he still represents Michaels, Martin Short, Wayne Brady, Rob Lowe, and many others. His new book, The Little Stuff Matters Most: 50 Rules From 50 Years of Trying to Make a Living, hit shelves in late September. He talked to Marc Gunther about reality TV, the mess at ABC, and cellphone etiquette.

What are you up to?

I'm still working at Brillstein Grey. I have the very fancy title of founding partner, and I go in to work every day. I love it as much as I ever did. I love the people there. And I love most of the clients.

Isn't comedy a young person's game?

I have five kids, three boys and two girls. They keep me young and aware. The other day, my son Michael gave me an album of R. Kelly, which he said sounds like Marvin Gaye. It's great.

Who do you like out there?

Jon Stewart is fantastic. Chris Rock is really great. The next big star will be Wayne Brady. And Marty Short makes me laugh all the time.

Do you watch reality shows?

No. When you look at Trump or Trading Spouses, I don't understand their success. They come up with all these terrible ideas. The Ugliest Girl in My Class. Yuck. It's rude. I don't care who the Survivor is. It's like when they used to have a circus, and down below there was a freak show.

How's the business of comedy on TV?

Here's the problem. Let's say Brillstein Grey is the production company. You walk in with the idea and the writer. Right away, 50% of the show belongs to the network. Then the writer gets anywhere from 10% to 20%. You then get a star who gets anywhere from 5% to 15%. The agent gets 10% of the package. Is it a good business anymore for an independent producer? Not really.

In the book you tell people to go with their gut when making decisions. Is there anyone at the broadcast networks who operates that way?

The one guy who really runs with his gut is Les Moonves at CBS, and he's made it a big success. Right now, NBC is in a reality craze. Kevin Reilly, who runs it, used to work for us. He's great at drama, and he has a funny sense of humor. I hope Kevin brings back a little of the old NBC. Steve McPherson of ABC is a good guy. I just don't know if he can get through that mess at ABC.

What would you do differently?

If I ran a network, I'd get the ten best writers around and give them series commitments, and let them go. They can't fail worse than they are failing now.

The title of your first book was You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead. Can nice guys thrive in show business?

I have a comedian, 77 years old, Norm Crosby. My first client. To this day he makes between $500,000 and $1 million a year. He was never a huge star, but everybody loves him. He goes on cruises, which is a big business now. It's a great gig, and you know why? Because he was nice to people. He'd always shake hands. On the other hand, one of his contemporaries, who I won't name, can't get a job even though he was a comedy genius.

You write that "only doctors and hookers need pagers."

The cellphone thing drives me crazy. If you're in an elevator with 20 people, why do you have to talk on the phone? I never could figure it out. Cellphones are like pacifiers. God forbid it should ring and they should miss a call. You know something? We're not that important.