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By Kati Johnston
Special to MSN Entertainment

Behind every successful TV exec (or monstrous egomaniac, or sought-after deep thinker), chances are there's an able assistant, keeping the boss from falling over the cliff, or acting as a one-person Greek chorus on the absurdities of ... more office life. Some are the brains behind the operation, and some have the jones to say what everyone else in the company is dying to. But, either way, the business wouldn't run without them -- and the shows they produce wouldn't be as delectably efficient. Not everyone on our list is an assistant to a TV executive of course, but each of them contributes in some way to keeping their business on track. Here are a few of our favorites, past and present.