About
"The world never has enough people who are passionate about ideas and passionate about supporting people with ideas. I think the demand is so great and the need is so great that many institutional equities are looking for talented people all the time. You need to prove to somebody that you're talented. The only way to do that is not to talk about it, not to make pitches, not to do all that crap that people are taught to do. Make things and put it up. Make stuff. That's the ultimate resume."
In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Dean Valentine talks about his early years, moving from Romania, where he was born, to New York City, where he grew up. He speaks about his work as a freelance journalist and his move into television, initially at NBC where he worked with Brandon Tartikoff, and then at Disney/Touchstone in development. He comments on the many television shows he oversaw including Home Improvement and Ellen. He then discusses his move to UPN, where he served as president and CEO. He recalls programming and developing several Star Trek series, as well as acquiring Buffy the Vampire Slayer during its run. Valentine describes the creation of the Archive of American Television, which was based on his idea, and talks about then-current projects. Dan Pasternack conducted the interview on February 3, 2009 in Santa Monica, CA.
Highlights
Dean Valentine on his role in the establishment of the Archive of American Television; on his friend, writer Danny Arnold
Dean Valentine on the filming of the Ellen episode "The Puppy Episode" and on the cultural impact of the character coming out
Dean Valentine on working for Life and various other magazines early in his career
Dean Valentine on career achievements and regrets
Dean Valentine on his frustrations as president of UPN; on the Paramount/Viacom deal
Dean Valentine on casting the role of "Jill Taylor" on Home Improvement, first with Frances Fisher, then Patricia Richardson
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his earliest impressions of television
On his early interest in writing; on working for Life and various other magazines early in his career; on being hired at NBC
On his personal and professional assessment of Brandon Tartikoff at NBC; on the state of NBC when he worked there in the 1980s; on his position and his responsibilities at NBC
On developing 227 and on Norman Lear's Embassy shows; on leaving NBC and on going to work in development for Disney, later Touchstone Television
On working with various writers while in development at Touchstone Television, including Matt Williams; on Touchstone Television's relationship with Witt/Thomas Productions, producers of The Golden Girls and Blossom
Chapter 2
On reinventing the television division of Disney with Touchstone Television, and on his rise within the company; on working for Disney head Michael Eisner during his time at Touchstone Television and on the culture at Disney; on navigating corporate politics and becoming president of Touchstone Television
On developing Home Improvement, starring Tim Allen as "Tim Taylor" and created by Matt Williams; on casting the role of "Jill Taylor" on Home Improvement; on the success of Home Improvement and on how the show evolved over its run
On the difficulty developing Ellen, starring Ellen DeGeneres; on Ellen DeGeneres' decision for her character "Ellen Morgan" to come out on Ellen and on ABC's reaction
On the filming of the Ellen episode "The Puppy Episode" and the cultural impact of the character coming out; on the Disney/ABC merger and on the main players including Michael Eisner and Tom Murphy; on taking over the Disney Television Animation division
Chapter 3
On reinventing ABC's Saturday morning lineup in the 1990s; on his philosophy for family and children's programming
On programming ABC's TGIF Friday nights and on Boy Meets World; on leaving ABC/Disney
On being named president and chief executive of UPN a year after it launched; on the steps he took as president and chief executive officer of UPN to boost ratings and on battling the WB; on programming and developing Star Trek: Voyager
On the fate of UPN and The CW; on acquiring Buffy the Vampire Slayer from The WB for UPN and on missing out on Survivor ; on his frustrations as president of UPN and on the Paramount/Viacom deal
On leaving UPN in 2001; on starting comedy.com and ways to generate revenues from digital media
Chapter 4
On his company, Symbolic Actions; on his involvement in establishing the first directors training program for the Directors Guild; on his role in the establishment of the Archive of American Television; on his friend, writer Danny Arnold
On then-current projects; on career achievements and regrets; on advice to an aspiring television executive and to a creator of programming
On his then-future and his name; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
227
Dean Valentine on developing 227 and on Norman Lear's Embassy shows
Blossom
Dean Valentine on Touchstone Television's relationship with Witt/Thomas Productions, producers of The Golden Girls and Blossom
Boy Meets World
Dean Valentine on programming ABC's TGIF Friday nights and Boy Meets World
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dean Valentine on acquiring Buffy the Vampire Slayer from The WB for UPN and missing out on Survivor
Dinosaurs
Dean Valentine on working with various writers, including Matt Williams and Michael Jacobs, creator of Dinosaurs
Ellen
Dean Valentine on the difficulty developing Ellen, starring Ellen DeGeneres
Dean Valentine on phase two of Ellen, starring Ellen DeGeneres
Dean Valentine on Ellen DeGeneres' decision for her character "Ellen Morgan" to come out on Ellen and on ABC's reaction
Dean Valentine on the filming of the Ellen episode "The Puppy Episode" and the cultural impact of the character coming out
Golden Girls, The
Dean Valentine on Touchstone Television's relationship with Witt/Thomas Productions, producers of The Golden Girls and Blossom
Home Improvement
Dean Valentine on developing Home Improvement, starring Tim Allen as "Tim Taylor" and created by Matt Williams
Dean Valentine on casting the role of "Jill Taylor" on Home Improvement, first with Frances Fisher, then Patricia Richardson
Dean Valentine on the success of Home Improvement and on how the show evolved over its run
Dean Valentine on ABC's scheduling of Home Improvement
Dean Valentine on the popularity of Home Improvement
Star Trek: Voyager
Dean Valentine on programming and developing Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise
Survivor
Dean Valentine on acquiring Buffy the Vampire Slayer from The WB for UPN and missing out on Survivor
Topics
Advice
Dean Valentine on advice to an aspiring television executive and to a creator of programming
Historic Events and Social Change
Dean Valentine on Ellen DeGeneres' decision for her character "Ellen Morgan" to come out on Ellen and on the cultural impact of "The Puppy Episode"
LGBTQIA+
Dean Valentine on Ellen DeGeneres' decision for her character "Ellen Morgan" to come out on Ellen and on the cultural impact of "The Puppy Episode"
Media Consolidation
Dean Valentine on the Disney/ABC merger and the main players, including Michael Eisner and Tom Murphy
Network Creation
Dean Valentine on being named president and chief executive of UPN a year after it launched
Dean Valentine on the steps he took as president and chief executive officer of UPN to boost ratings and battling The WB
Representation on Television
Dean Valentine on Ellen DeGeneres' decision for her character "Ellen Morgan" to come out on Ellen and on the cultural impact of "The Puppy Episode"
Television Industry
Dean Valentine on the state of NBC when he worked there in the 1980s
Dean Valentine on his position and his responsibilities in comedy development at NBC
Dean Valentine on leaving NBC and on going to work in development for Disney Television, later Touchstone Television
Dean Valentine on reinventing the television division of Disney with Touchstone Television
Dean Valentine on navigating corporate politics and becoming president of Touchstone Television
Dean Valentine on the Disney/ABC merger and the main players, including Michael Eisner and Tom Murphy
Dean Valentine on taking over the Disney Television Animation division
Dean Valentine on leaving ABC/Disney
Dean Valentine on being named president and chief executive of UPN a year after it launched
Dean Valentine on the steps he took as president and chief executive officer of UPN to boost ratings and battling The WB
Dean Valentine on the fate of UPN and The CW
Dean Valentine on leaving UPN in 2001
Dean Valentine on advice to an aspiring television executive and to a creator of programming
Professions
Executives
Dean Valentine on the differences between working on the network side as a buyer, and on the studio side as a seller
Dean Valentine on his position and his responsibilities at NBC
Dean Valentine on his philosophy for family and children's programming
Dean Valentine on his frustrations as president of UPN, and on the Paramount/Viacom deal
Dean Valentine on programming ABC's TGIF Friday nights, and on Boy Meets World
Dean Valentine on advice to an aspiring television executive and to a creator of programming
Television Executive
Dean Valentine on the differences between working on the network side as a buyer, and on the studio side as a seller
Dean Valentine on his position and his responsibilities at NBC
Dean Valentine on his philosophy for family and children's programming
Dean Valentine on his frustrations as president of UPN, and on the Paramount/Viacom deal
Dean Valentine on programming ABC's TGIF Friday nights, and on Boy Meets World
Dean Valentine on advice to an aspiring television executive and to a creator of programming
Genres
Animation
Dean Valentine on reinventing ABC's Saturday morning lineup in the 1990s
Comedy Series
Dean Valentine on developing 227 and on Norman Lear's Embassy shows
Dean Valentine on Touchstone Television's relationship with Witt/Thomas Productions, producers of The Golden Girls and Blossom
Dean Valentine on developing Home Improvement
Dean Valentine on developing Ellen
People
Tim Allen
Dean Valentine on developing Home Improvement starring Tim Allen as "Tim Taylor" and created by Matt Williams
Danny Arnold
Dean Valentine on founding the Archive of American Television in honor of his friend, Danny Arnold
Ellen DeGeneres
Dean Valentine on developing Ellen starring Ellen DeGeneres
Michael Eisner
Dean Valentine on working for Disney head Michael Eisner during his time at Touchstone Television, and on the culture at Disney
Dean Valentine on the Disney/ABC merger, and on the main players including Michael Eisner and Tom Murphy
Frances Fisher
Dean Valentine on casting "Jill Taylor" on Home Improvement, first with Frances Fisher, then Patricia Richardson
Thomas Murphy
Dean Valentine on the Disney/ABC merger, and on the main players including Michael Eisner and Tom Murphy
Brandon Tartikoff
Dean Valentine on his personal and professional assessment of Brandon Tartikoff at NBC
Tony Thomas
Dean Valentine on Touchstone Television's relationship with Witt/Thomas Productions (Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas,) producers of The Golden Girls and Blossom
Matt Williams
Dean Valentine on working with various writers, including Matt Williams and Michael Jacobs, creator of Dinosaurs
Dean Valentine on developing Home Improvement starring Tim Allen as "Tim Taylor" and created by Matt Williams
Paul Junger Witt
Dean Valentine on Touchstone Television's relationship with Witt/Thomas Productions (Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas,) producers of The Golden Girls and Blossom