Herbert F. Solow

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Herbert F. Solow (1930-2020) discusses his start in the business in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency and his move to NBC where he became involved in foreign sales. He describes his rise to program director for NBC's films division and his role as head of NBC Daytime on the West Coast. He recalls the effects of the Quiz Show Scandals and his time at Desilu Productions working with Lucille Ball, first as the program director and later as the vice president and executive in charge of production. Solow recounts the challenges of producing both Mission: Impossible and Star Trek concurrently, and details the process involved in producing Star Trek. He comments on the show's far-reaching success, the overwhelming popularity of "Mr. Spock," and the long-lasting impact the show has had around the world. Solow speaks of how he became the vice president of Paramount Pictures, later moving to MGM, and eventually starting his own company. He addresses misconceptions surrounding Star Trek that prompted his book about the show, and discusses his contributions to Mannix, Medical Center, and The Courtship of Eddie's Father. He recalls working with Elvis Presley on the documentary, Elvis: That's the Way It Is, and talks about the projects he produced through his own production company. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on May 26, 2008 in Westlake Village, CA.