Arnie Kogen

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Arnie Kogen talks about his early life and writing for MAD Magazine starting in 1959. He recalls early gigs writing for the nightclub acts of Jackie Vernon and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, and later being on the writing staff of Candid Camera. He recounts writing for the Golden Globes, for the hosts of the Academy Awards, and for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He chronicles his stint as a writer on The Carol Burnett Show, detailing working with the cast, and in particular Tim Conway, and writing several well-known and recurring sketches for the series. He speaks of writing on several sitcoms, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and the four years he spent on the writing staff of Newhart. He discusses writing for the 1970s variety shows Donny & Marie and The Jacksons, and Alan Thicke’s ‘80s talk show Thicke of the Night. He concludes by discussing his writing process, discussing what he likes about writing, and giving advice to aspiring television writers. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview in a joint venture with the Writers Guild Foundation on December 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, CA.