About
"When I was starting out, I thought my camera work was awful, and I tried to make it more interesting. As I got older and more experienced, I learned to tell the story with the actors first, cameras second. Sometimes you can just do something with the camera that's just so good and you see you love it, but it's the actors and the script."
In his four-hour interview, Bruce Bilson talks about his early experiences as an assistant editor on classic television shows You Bet Your Life and The Liberace Show. He recalls his tenure at Desilu Studios, where he served as an assistant director on the lot's many sitcoms. He speaks with fondness about his work as an assistant director on The Andy Griffith Show, commenting on the show's production and ensemble, and identifying regular director Bob Sweeney as his mentor. Bilson describes his work on the syndicated adventure program Whirlybirds, noting the show's stunt work, and talks about his transition to becoming a full-fledged director. He speaks of directing The Patty Duke Show, directing the satirical series Get Smart, and winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in Comedy in 1968. He describes his experiences on dozens of series he directed over the subsequent three decades, representing nearly four hundred hours of television. Among the series he discusses are: The Doris Day Show, Love, American Style, Bonanza, The Odd Couple, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, The Brady Bunch, Hawaii Five-0, Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, Dallas, Hotel, Life with Lucy, Dinosaurs, and Touched by an Angel. He remembers working with his son, Danny, who followed in his footsteps (with such shows as The Flash and The Sentinel) and outlines the advice he gave to his granddaughter, The O.C. star Rachel Bilson. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on August 19, 2008 in Studio City, CA.
Highlights
Bruce Bilson on working at Desilu
Bruce Bilson on the popularity of Get Smart and winning an Emmy for directing it
Bruce Bilson on directing the cast of The Andy Griffith Show
Bruce Bilson on single camera verses multi-camera and being fired from Sanford and Son
Bruce Bilson on his granddaughter, actress Rachel Bilson
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on being on movie sets as a child and his first job in the entertainment industry; on getting into the Director's Guild
On his early experiences in television and entering the Air Force; on working as an editor on various shows
On working at Desilu; on working with Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life; on assistant directing The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and Whirlybirds
On various people he worked with early in his career; on assistant directing The Andy Griffith Show
Chapter 2
On directing the cast of The Andy Griffith Show; on making the transition from Assistant Director to Director
On directing The Patty Duke Show; on directing Get Smart; on his favorite episode of Get Smart
On winning an Emmy for Get Smart; on directing Hogan's Heroes; on working with television agents
On his process as a director; on working with a crew and changes in television directing over the years
Chapter 3
On shooting in a submarine; on his approach to directing actors and ensemble casts; on the difference between directing comedy and drama
On directing single camera verses multi-camera and being fired from Sanford and Son; on directing various series including Gidget, That Girl, Bewitched, Love, American Style and The Odd Couple
On directing Bonanza and M*A*S*H; on directing The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Brady Bunch and its spin-off The Bradys
On directing Hawaii Five-O, Alice and Wonder Woman; on directing The Love Boat, S.W.A.T, B.J. and the Bear and Harper Valley PTA
Chapter 4
On directing The Fall Guy and Knight Rider; on directing Dallas, Spencer for Hire and Dynasty
On directing Life with Lucy; on directing The Flash; on directing Dinosaurs
On how television directing has changed over the years; on advice to aspiring directors, his greatest achievements and regrets, and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Alice
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of Alice
Andy Griffith Show, The
Bruce Bilson on assistant directing The Andy Griffith Show
Bruce Bilson on directing the cast of The Andy Griffith Show
Bruce Bilson on the supporting characters on The Andy Griffith Show
Baileys of Balboa, The
Bruce Bilson on making the transition from Assistant Director to Director
Barney Miller
Bruce Bilson on directing Barney Miller
Bewitched
Bruce Bilson on directing ensemble casts
Bruce Bilson on directing Bewitched
BJ and the Bear
Bruce Bilson on directing B.J. and the Bear
Bonanza
Bruce Bilson on directing a comedy episode of Bonanza "Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing" (airdate: March 29, 1970)
Brady Bunch, The
Bruce Bilson on directing four episodes (including one which guest starred Joe Namath) of The Brady Bunch
Bradys, The
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of The Bradys
Dallas
Bruce Bilson on directing Dallas
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Bruce Bilson on working on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders; on challenges from network interference
December Bride
Bruce Bilson on various early shows he worked on as assistant director
Dinosaurs
Bruce Bilson on directing Dinosaurs
Doris Day Show, The
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of The Doris Day Show
Dynasty
Bruce Bilson directing Dynasty
Emergency!
Bruce Bilson on his approach to directing actors
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Bruce Bilson on the popularity of Get Smart and winning an Emmy for directing it
Fall Guy, The
Bruce Bilson on directing The Fall Guy
Flash, The
Bruce Bilson on directing The Flash
Get Smart
Bruce Bilson on directing Get Smart
Bruce Bilson on the cast of Get Smart
Bruce Bilson on working with Don Adams and his favorite episode of Get Smart
Bruce Bilson on the popularity of Get Smart and winning an Emmy for directing it
Gidget
Bruce Bilson on directing Gidget
Harper Valley PTA
Bruce Bilson on directing Harper Valley PTA which led to his directing the feature film Chattanooga Choo Choo
Hawaii Five-O
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of Hawaii Five-O
Hogan's Heroes
Bruce Bilson on directing Hogan's Heroes
Horace Heidt Show, The
Bruce Bilson on his early experience in television and his time in the Air Force
Hotel
Bruce Bilson on his approach to directing actors
Knight Rider
Bruce Bilson directing Knight Rider
Liberace Show, The
Bruce Bilson on second assistant directing The Liberace Show
Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The
Bruce Bilson on assistant directing The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
Life With Lucy
Bruce Bilson on directing Life with Lucy
Love Boat, The
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes (including one with Milton Berle) of The Love Boat
Love, American Style
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of Love, American Style
M*A*S*H
Bruce Bilson on directing one episode of M*A*S*H "Bananas Crackers and Nuts" (airdate:November 5, 1972)
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The
Bruce Bilson on his difficulties directing the "Just a Lunch" episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (airdate: January 16, 1971)
My Favorite Husband
Bruce Bilson on various early shows he worked on as assistant director
Odd Couple, The (1970-75)
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of The Odd Couple
Our Miss Brooks
Bruce Bilson on various early shows he worked on as assistant director
Partridge Family, The
Bruce Bilson on directing two episodes of The Partridge Family
Patty Duke Show, The
Bruce Bilson on directing The Patty Duke Show
S.W.A.T.
Bruce Bilson on directing a Christmas episode of S.W.A.T.
Sanford and Son
Bruce Bilson on single camera verses multi-camera and being fired from Sanford and Son
Sentinel, The
Bruce Bilson on directing Viper and The Sentinel and how the rules of directing television have changed
That Girl
Bruce Bilson on directing That Girl
Touched By an Angel
Bruce Bilson on directing Touched by and Angel
Viper
Bruce Bilson on directing Viper and The Sentinel and how the rules of directing television have changed
Walter Winchell File, The
Bruce Bilson on various early shows he worked on as assistant director
Whirlybirds
Bruce Bilson on assistant directing Whirlybirds
Wonder Woman
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of Wonder Woman
You Bet Your Life
Bruce Bilson on working as an editor on You Bet Your Life
Bruce Bilson on working with Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life
Topics
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Bruce Bilson on important skills you need as a director and his mentor Bob Sweeney
Emmy Awards
Bruce Bilson on the popularity of Get Smart and winning an Emmy for directing it
Television Industry
Bruce Bilson on ageism in the television industry
Professions
Directors
Bruce Bilson on working with a crew and changes in directing over the years
Bruce Bilson on his work process as a director
Bruce Bilson on his approach to directing actors
Bruce Bilson on directing ensemble casts
Bruce Bilson on advice to an aspiring television director, skills you need to be a television director and his mentor Bob Sweeney
Genres
Comedy Series
Bruce Bilson on directing The Andy Griffith Show
Bruce Bilson on directing Get Smart
Bruce Bilson on directing Dinosaurs
People
Don Adams
Bruce Bilson on directing Get Smart
Robert Altman
Bruce Bilson on assistant directing Whirlybirds
Lucille Ball
Bruce Bilson on various people he worked with early in his career
Bruce Bilson on directing Life with Lucy
Milton Berle
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes (including one with Milton Berle) of The Love Boat
Rachel Bilson
Bruce Bilson on his granddaughter, actress Rachel Bilson
Lynda Carter
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of Wonder Woman
Doris Day
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of The Doris Day Show
Ron Howard
Director Bruce Bilson on Andy Griffith Show star Ron Howard; on the relationship between Howard and Griffith
Don Knotts
Director Bruce Bilson on Andy Griffith Show actor Don Knotts
Liberace
Bruce Bilson on various people he worked with early in his career
Jack Lord
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of Hawaii Five-O
Groucho Marx
Bruce Bilson on working with Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life
Argyle Nelson
Bruce Bilson on working at Desilu
Sherwood Schwartz
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of The Bradys
Danny Thomas
Bruce Bilson on various people he worked with early in his career
Debra Winger
Bruce Bilson on directing episodes of Wonder Woman