Dan Wilcox

Writer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In the nearly two-hour solo portion of his interview, Dan Wilcox (1941-2024) talks about his early years, and his first job writing for television, on Captain Kangaroo. He describes going to work as a writer on Sesame Street, where he worked closely with producer Jon Stone, and wrote sketches and stories for both the human cast and for Jim Henson’s Muppets. He recounts his time as a writer on Fernwood 2 Night, and working with star Martin Mull on that show. He discusses writing for various other series, including Newhart, FM, and The Jeff Foxworthy Show. Wilcox recalls his involvement with the Writers Guild, and dealing with the writers strike of 2007. He outlines his own writing process, and how he deals with having writer's block. He concludes by detailing what he likes about writing, providing advice to an aspiring writer, and saying how he’d like to be remembered.

In the twenty-minute joint portion of their interview, Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford talk about how they met and became a writing team, as well as writing for That’s My Mama and Roots: The Next Generations. They recall being on the writing staff of M*A*S*H later in its run, and helping to write the finale to the series, “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.” Nancy Harrington conducted the interviews in a joint venture with the Writers Guild Foundation on April 20, 2016 in Tarzana, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I never felt that the writing stage by itself is everything. I tell the kids I’m teaching now, you’re not writing something literary -- you’re writing an instruction book. The instructions are going to tell somebody how to make this TV show or this movie. And I like seeing it get realized."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Dan Wilcox on working with Jim Henson on Sesame Street, and on writing for the Muppets
05:32
Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the M*A*S*H finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
04:32
Dan Wilcox on helping bring the Writers Guild into Sesame Street
01:38
Dan Wilcox on being in the "peanut gallery" as a child on Howdy Doody
01:29
Dan Wilcox on how he came to write for Fernwood 2 Night, and on working with Alan Thicke and Martin Mull on the show
05:17
Dan Wilcox on career achievements and regrets, and how he'd like to be remembered
03:00
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on television he watched as a child
On going to work on Captain Kangaroo; on the writing process on Captain Kangaroo, and writing the characters for the show; on leaving Captain Kangaroo for Sesame Street
On how he started writing for Sesame Street, and on what made it unique; on working with executive producer Jon Stone on Sesame Street; on the writing process of Sesame Street
On working with Jim Henson on Sesame Street, and on writing for the Muppets and the ensemble cast; on writing for Pete Seeger when he appeared on Sesame Street, and on the music of the show; on winning an Emmy for the Sesame Street, and on leaving it
On writing for Fernwood 2 Night; on working with Martin Mull and Alan Thicke on Fernwood 2 Night

Chapter 2

On being supervising producer for Newhart and working with Bob Newhart; on his favorite episodes of Newhart; on the final episode of Newhart and on leaving the show
On co-creating and writing the series FM with Allan Burns; on directing an episode of FM, and on the show only lasting one season; on writing for The Jeff Foxworthy Show
On his involvement with the Writers Guild; on the television writers strike of 2007; on his writing process and dealing with writers block
On what he likes about writing and advice to an aspiring writer; on career achievements and regrets, and how he'd like to be remembered

Chapter 3

START OF JOINT INTERVIEW WITH DAN WILCOX AND THAD MUMFORD: On how they met and became a writing team; on writing for That's My Mama; on writing the fifth installment of Roots: The Next Generations
On writing for M*A*S*H; on writing the M*A*S*H finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
Shows

Captain Kangaroo

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Dan Wilcox on going to work on Captain Kangaroo
03:42
Dan Wilcox on the writing process on Captain Kangaroo
01:54
Dan Wilcox on writing the characters of Captain Kangaroo
05:22
Dan Wilcox on leaving Captain Kangaroo for Sesame Street
00:51

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

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Dan Wilcox on winning a Daytime Emmy for his work on Sesame Street
03:33

FM

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Dan Wilcox on co-creating and writing the series FM with Allan Burns
06:04
Dan Wilcox on directing an episode of FM, and on the show only lasting one season
04:50

Fernwood 2 Night

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Dan Wilcox on how he came to write for Fernwood 2 Night, and on working with Alan Thicke, who was the executive producer
05:18

Howdy Doody

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Dan Wilcox on being in the "peanut gallery" as a child on Howdy Doody
01:29

Jeff Foxworthy Show, The

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Dan Wilcox on writing for The Jeff Foxworthy Show
02:00

M*A*S*H

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Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for M*A*S*H
03:21
Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the M*A*S*H finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
04:32

M*A*S*H: "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

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Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the M*A*S*H finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
04:32

Newhart

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Dan Wilcox on being supervising producer for Newhart and working with Bob Newhart
09:09
Dan Wilcox on his favorite episodes of Newhart
02:45
Dan Wilcox on the final episode of Newhart and on leaving the show
02:19

Newhart: "The Last Newhart"

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Dan Wilcox on the final episode of Newhart and on leaving the show
02:19

Roots: The Next Generations

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Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the fifth installment of Roots: The Next Generations
06:02

Sesame Street

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Dan Wilcox on how he started writing for Sesame Street and what made the show unique
05:02
Dan Wilcox on working with executive producer Jon Stone on Sesame Street
02:27
Dan Wilcox on the writing process of Sesame Street
07:55
Dan Wilcox on working with Jim Henson on Sesame Street, and on writing for the Muppets
05:32
Dan Wilcox on writing for the ensemble cast of Sesame Street
03:25
Dan Wilcox on writing for Pete Seeger when he appeared on Sesame Street, and on the music of the show
02:05
Dan Wilcox on winning a Daytime Emmy for his work on Sesame Street
03:33
Dan Wilcox on leaving Sesame Street, and on the legacy of the show
02:01

That's My Mama

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Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for That's My Mama
02:14
Topics

Advice

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Dan Wilcox on what he likes about writing and advice to an aspiring writer
02:09

Emmy Awards

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Dan Wilcox on winning a Daytime Emmy for his work on Sesame Street
01:54

Industry Crossroads

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Dan Wilcox on the television writers strike of 2007
02:08

Industry Strikes

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Dan Wilcox on the television writers strike of 2007
02:08

Television Industry

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Dan Wilcox on helping bring the Writers Guild into Sesame Street
01:38
Dan Wilcox on his involvement with the Writers Guild
02:54
Dan Wilcox on what he likes about writing and advice to an aspiring writer
02:09
Dan Wilcox on the television writers strike of 2007
02:08
Professions

Producers

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Dan Wilcox on how being a writer impacted his producing style
01:32

Writers

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Dan Wilcox on the writing process on Captain Kangaroo
01:54
Dan Wilcox on the writing process of Sesame Street
07:56
Dan Wilcox on writing the characters of Captain Kangaroo
05:17
Dan Wilcox on his writing process and dealing with writers block
04:49
Dan Wilcox on what he likes about writing and advice to an aspiring writer
02:09
Genres

Children's Programming

View Genre
Dan Wilcox on writing for Captain Kangaroo
11:51
Dan Wilcox on writing for Sesame Street
32:07

Comedy Series

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Dan Wilcox on writing for Fernwood 2 Night
05:18
Dan Wilcox on being supervising producer for Newhart
15:48
Dan Wilcox on co-creating and writing the series FM with Allan Burns
10:55
Dan Wilcox on writing for The Jeff Foxworthy Show
02:00
Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for That's My Mama
02:14
Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for M*A*S*H
07:54

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

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Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the fifth installment of Roots: The Next Generations
06:02
People

Alan Thicke

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Dan Wilcox on how he came to write for Fernwood 2 Night, and on working with Alan Thicke and Martin Mull on the show
05:18

Allan Burns

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Dan Wilcox on co-creating and writing the series FM with Allan Burns
06:04

Bob Newhart

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Dan Wilcox on being supervising producer for Newhart and working with Bob Newhart
09:09

Jim Henson

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Dan Wilcox on working with Jim Henson on Sesame Street, and on writing for the Muppets
05:31

Jon Stone

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Dan Wilcox on working with executive producer Jon Stone on Sesame Street
02:27

Pete Seeger

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Dan Wilcox on writing for Pete Seeger when he appeared on Sesame Street, and on the music of the show
02:05

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