Herb Jellinek

Executive

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his four-hour Archive interview, Herb Jellinek talks about his 37-year tenure at ABC from 1952-89, where he rose through the ranks from billing clerk in the Accounting Department to Vice President in charge of production for ABC Entertainment and ABC Circle Films. He speaks in detail about ABC executives Leonard H. Goldenson, Elton Rule, Edgar Scherick, Si Siegal, Michael Eisner, Fred Silverman, and Barry Diller. He talks about ABC series ranging from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet to Soap. Jellinek discusses several noteworthy television movies and miniseries he oversaw at ABC Circle Films, including Love Among the Ruins (in which he fondly recalled working with Katharine Hepburn) and War and Remembrance. He concludes by recalling his association with the Televison Academy where he served as CFO (and later Executive Vice President) from 1991 to 2003. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on March 4, 2005 in Tarzana, CA.

"ABC was our family. When that family changed it became Capital Cities, it wasn't the same anymore. We'd started at nothing and we all built this company up and we had great affection for the company, and we felt strange it being owned by somebody else now. I'm sure Leonard Goldenson felt the same way."

Highlights

Herb Jellinek on the relationship between ABC's Leonard H. Goldenson and Walt Disney

03:42

Herb Jellinek on Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis

02:52

Herb Jellinek on The Day After

05:02

Herb Jellinek on his family fleeing Austria for the United States, and his father being in a concentration camp

07:01

Herb Jellinek on War and Remembrance, starring Robert Mitchum

15:26

Herb Jellinek on the sale of ABC to Capital Cities in 1985, and on his retirement from ABC

05:42

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early life and influences

12:29

On his family fleeing Austria for the United States, and his father being in a concentration camp; on why his family chose to come to the United States, and on settling in the US; on his early impressions arriving in New York, and on finding a job in the city

16:33

Chapter 2

On his decision to come to the United States from Vienna; on going to work as a gopher for ABC and his first experiences seeing television; on the state of ABC radio and television when he arrived, and on what he learned in his early years there

11:25

On the dire financial state of ABC when he first arrived, and how it eventually emerged as a competitor due to Leonard H. Goldenson; on his marriage in 1953; on becoming assistant supervisor of cost accounting at ABC in 1955

16:47

Chapter 3

On the financial specifics of ABC in the 1950s, and the shows on the air there at the time; on The Lawrence Welk Show, and on the different formats shows were shot in; on the relationship between ABC's Leonard H. Goldenson and Walt Disney

09:02

On ABC's coverage of the Senator Joseph McCarthy hearings; on how ABC created the business model for television networks; on his various positions moving up the ranks of ABC

21:17

Chapter 4

On organizing the budgets for ABC; on ITT's attempted takeover of ABC; on working with ABC President Elton H. Rule, and on moving back to New York

11:09

On becoming head of production at ABC Circle Films and on working with Barry Diller; on the vision of ABC Circle Films and on the various programming it produced including Love Among the Ruins starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier

13:40

Chapter 5

On ABC Circle Films' production of Eleanor and Franklin and art director Jan Scott; on ABC Circle Films' production of The Jericho Mile; on ABC Circle Films' production of Ike: The War Years, and on The Day After

13:13

On War and Remembrance, starring Robert Mitchum

15:26

Chapter 6

On Jane Seymour in War and Remembrance and other members of the cast and crew; on overseeing production for ABC Motion Pictures, ABC's then-feature film division, and on the feature "Young Doctors in Love"; on various ABC Motion pictures productions

12:14

On Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis; on being vice president in charge of entertainment for ABC in the '80s; on Soap

08:48

On the sale of ABC to Capital Cities in 1985, and on his retirement from ABC; on Leonard H. Goldenson's role at ABC after the sale to Capital Cities

07:37

Chapter 7

On various people with whom he's worked in his career; on coming to work with the Television Academy; on the staff he worked with at the Television Academy

15:04

On ABC getting the Emmys for three years starting in 1993, and on the "wheel" agreement; on adding an Emmy category for commercials, and on the Television Academy's relationship with the National Academy; on the growth of the Television Academy during his tenure, and on the then-future of the Academy

10:01

On his management style and on what he enjoyed about working for ABC

02:57

Chapter 8

On the nature of the competition between the networks during his tenure at ABC; on William S. Paley and Thomas W. Sarnoff; on how he would like to be remembered

06:29

On b-roll footage from his career- during the production of Love Among the Ruins; during the production of War and Remembrance with Dan Curtis; in London at Pinewood Studios with George Cukor; autographed photo of George Cukor; with Laurence Olivier; with Katharine Hepburn; with Katharine Hepburn and George Cukor

03:21

Shows

Day After, The

Herb Jellinek on The Day After

05:02

Eleanor and Franklin

Herb Jellinek on ABC Circle Films' Eleanor and Franklin

01:27

Herb Jellinek on ABC Circle Films' production of Eleanor and Franklin and art director Jan Scott

02:57

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

Herb Jellinek on ABC getting the The Emmy Awards for three years starting in 1993, and on the "wheel" agreement

02:31

Ike: The War Years

Herb Jellinek on ABC Circle Films' production of Ike: The War Years

02:20

Lawrence Welk Show, The

Herb Jellinek on The Lawrence Welk Show, and on the different formats shows were shot in

02:01

Love Among the Ruins

Herb Jellinek on the vision of ABC Circle Films and on the various programming it produced including Love Among the Ruins starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier

08:38

Moonlighting

Herb Jellinek on Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis

02:52

Soap

Herb Jellinek on Soap

03:08

War and Remembrance

Herb Jellinek on War and Remembrance, starring Robert Mitchum

15:26

Herb Jellinek on Jane Seymour in War and Remembrance and other members of the cast and crew

02:29

Topics

Cold War

Herb Jellinek on The Day After

05:02

Emmy Awards

Herb Jellinek on ABC getting the The Emmy Awards for three years starting in 1993, and on the "wheel" agreement

02:31

Herb Jellinek on adding an The Emmy Awards category for commercials, and on the Television Academy's relationship with the National Academy

02:40

Historic Events and Social Change

Herb Jellinek on The Day After

05:02

Hollywood Blacklist

Herb Jellinek on ABC's coverage of the Senator Joseph McCarthy hearings

04:34

Industry Crossroads

Herb Jellinek on ABC's coverage of the Senator Joseph McCarthy hearings

04:34

Media Consolidation

Herb Jellinek on the sale of ABC to Capital Cities in 1985, and on his retirement from ABC

05:42

Herb Jellinek on Leonard H. Goldenson's role at ABC after the sale to Capital Cities

01:52

Television Industry

Herb Jellinek on the dire financial state of ABC when he first arrived, and how it eventually emerged as a competitor due to Leonard H. Goldenson

09:59

Herb Jellinek on the financial specifics of ABC in the '50s, and the shows on the air there at the time

03:15

Herb Jellinek on ABC's coverage of the Senator Joseph McCarthy hearings

04:34

Herb Jellinek on how ABC created the business model for television networks

02:29

Herb Jellinek on becoming assistant director of sales service for ABC in 1958

06:22

Herb Jellinek on becoming cost control administer at ABC and on moving to Los Angeles

07:07

Herb Jellinek on organizing the budgets for ABC

03:45

Herb Jellinek on ITT's attempted takeover of ABC

01:26

Herb Jellinek on becoming head of production at ABC Circle Films and on working with Barry Diller

03:27

Herb Jellinek on the vision of ABC Circle Films and on the various programming it produced including Love Among the Ruins starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier

08:38

Herb Jellinek on overseeing production for ABC Motion Pictures, ABC's then-feature film division, and on the feature "Young Doctors in Love"

05:25

Herb Jellinek on the ABC Motion Pictures' production "Prizzi's Honor," and on their business model

02:59

Herb Jellinek on various ABC Motion Pictures features including "The Flamingo Kid," "Silkwood," and "Space Camp"

01:17

Herb Jellinek on being vice president in charge of entertainment for ABC in the 1980s

02:46

Herb Jellinek on the sale of ABC to Capital Cities in 1985, and on his retirement from ABC

05:42

Herb Jellinek on Leonard H. Goldenson's role at ABC after the sale to Capital Cities

01:52

Herb Jellinek on the nature of the competition between the networks during his tenure at ABC

02:05

War

Herb Jellinek on The Day After

05:02

Professions

Executives

View Profession

Herb Jellinek on his management style and on what he enjoyed about working for ABC

02:57

Genres

Awards Shows

Herb Jellinek on The Emmy Awards

05:11

Comedy Series

Herb Jellinek on Soap

02:58

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

Herb Jellinek on Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis

02:52

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Herb Jellinek on The Lawrence Welk Show, and on the different formats shows were shot in

02:01

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

Herb Jellinek on ABC Circle Films' Eleanor and Franklin

01:27

Herb Jellinek on the vision of ABC Circle Films and on the various programming it produced including Love Among the Ruins starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier

08:38

Herb Jellinek on ABC Circle Films' production of Eleanor and Franklin and art director Jan Scott

02:57

Herb Jellinek on ABC Circle Films' production of Ike: The War Years

02:17

Herb Jellinek on The Day After

05:02

Herb Jellinek on War and Remembrance, starring Robert Mitchum

15:26

Herb Jellinek on Jane Seymour in War and Remembrance and other members of the cast and crew

02:29

People

Roone Arledge

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Herb Jellinek on various people with whom he's worked in his career: Roone Arledge

00:21

James T. Aubrey

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Herb Jellinek on various people with whom he's worked in his career: James T. Aubrey

00:16

Barry Diller

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Herb Jellinek on becoming head of production at ABC Circle Films and on working with Barry Diller

03:27

Walt Disney

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Herb Jellinek on the relationship between ABC's Leonard H. Goldenson and Walt Disney

03:43

Michael Eisner

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Herb Jellinek on various people with whom he's worked in his career: Michael Eisner

00:45

Leonard Goldberg

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Herb Jellinek on various people with whom he's worked in his career: Leonard Goldberg

00:32

Leonard H. Goldenson

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Herb Jellinek on the dire financial state of ABC when he first arrived, and how it eventually emerged as a competitor due to Leonard H. Goldenson

09:59

Herb Jellinek on the relationship between ABC's Leonard H. Goldenson and Walt Disney

03:43

Herb Jellinek on Leonard H. Goldenson's role at ABC after the sale to Capital Cities

01:52

Katharine Hepburn

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Herb Jellinek on the vision of ABC Circle Films and on the various programming it produced including Love Among the Ruins starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier

08:38

Robert Mitchum

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Herb Jellinek on War and Remembrance, starring Robert Mitchum

15:26

Laurence Olivier

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Herb Jellinek on the vision of ABC Circle Films and on the various programming it produced including Love Among the Ruins starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier

08:38

William S. Paley

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Herb Jellinek on William S. Paley

01:58

Elton H. Rule

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Herb Jellinek on working with ABC President Elton H. Rule, and on moving back to New York

05:58

Thomas W. Sarnoff

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Herb Jellinek on Thomas W. Sanroff

01:16

Jan Scott

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Herb Jellinek on ABC Circle Films' production of Eleanor and Franklin and art director Jan Scott

02:57

Jane Seymour

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Herb Jellinek on Jane Seymour in War and Remembrance and other members of the cast and crew

02:28

Cybill Shepherd

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Herb Jellinek on Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis

02:52

Fred Silverman

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Herb Jellinek on various people with whom he's worked in his career: Fred Silverman

01:08

Brandon Stoddard

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Herb Jellinek on various people with whom he's worked in his career: Brandon Stoddard

00:30

Oliver E. Treyz

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Herb Jellinek on various people with whom he's worked in his career: Oliver E. Treyz

00:14

Bruce Willis

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Herb Jellinek on Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis

02:52