About
"Be honest to yourself and always take stands. Don't be afraid to say what you think. You're not always going to win, but don't give up on a point just because somebody says you're wrong."
Jay Sandrich (1932-2021) describes his philosophy for directing as "...move the cameras, don't ever move the actors. Make a scene work, then worry about how you're gonna shoot it."
In his five-hour interview, Sandrich talks at length about his earliest professional experiences, working as a second assistant director and later first assistant director at Desilu on programs including I Love Lucy for much of its latter years and witnessing the tumultuous off-screen chemistry of its main stars. He acknowledges that his first lucky break was nepotism- being hired by Desilu because Lucille Ball remembered working with his father (director Mark Sandrich). He also speaks about working with director/producer Sheldon Leonard on programs including The Danny Thomas Show and The Andy Griffith Show, where his experience working with comic actor Don Knotts inspired him to make sure "laughs came out of the humanity of the character," rather than a laugh track. Next, he describes his experiences working with producer Leonard Stern on the sitcom Get Smart and his decision to leave that show after realizing he just didn't like producing as much as directing. He recalls teaming up again with Stern on He & She, where he learned the value of collaborative work between a director and writer. Sandrich details his long-term position as director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a break he calls "the luckiest day in my career," and chronicles his directing style and philosophy, as well as the evolving role the women's liberation movement played on the show. He talks about the "disaster run-through" of the show's first episode, the clashes with writer/producer James Brooks on-set and the challenges of working with actors from very different backgrounds. He talks about the role of the director in a comedy series and some classic episodes like "Toulouse-Lautrec is One of My Favorite Artists," "Lou Dates Mary," and "The Last Show." Sandrich praises the managerial style of executive Grant Tinker and explains how MTM Enterprises came to be formed. Sandrich discusses working on Phyllis and The Bob Newhart Show. He stresses the importance of casting for any director. He talks about his experiences on the program Soap, which dealt with non-traditional storylines, remarking on that show's controversies. He discusses at length his work as the director of The Cosby Show. He talks in detail about how that show was cast and its origin as being about the "war between parents and kids," as conceived by comedian Bill Cosby. He talks about his role in casting Betty White and Rue McClanahan on The Golden Girls. He touches on the changes in the role of a director on television and his belief that the key to good television "is to hire creative people who can write and direct" and then let them do their job without interference. He talks about being proud to have worked in a field where the comedy he helped create often got people through tough times and tough issues. Karen Herman conducted the interview on December 4, 2001 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Jay Sandrich on how good writing inspires him as a director
Jay Sandrich on the best way for a good show to be made: let creative people do their thing
Jay Sandrich on why casting is important and what he looks for in talent as a director
Jay Sandrich on his philosophy of directing, as gleaned from producer Sheldon Leonard
Jay Sandrich on the "luckiest day in his career," when another director turned down The Mary Tyler Moore Show and it was offered to him
Jay Sandrich on his fear over his first directing job on The Danny Thomas Show
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his childhood, his parents, and early influences; on his early interest in sports; on joining the Army
On early experience making documentaries for the Signal Corps while in the Army, and on what he learned; on first discovering television and his interest working for Desilu
On working for Desilu Studios as a second assistant director; on what that job entailed; on working as a first assistant director on I Love Lucy; Ziv Television; on deciding to never again work a job for money; on returning to work at Desilu on I Love Lucy; on the challenges of working on that set with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
Chapter 2
On the crew of I Love Lucy, and how he got hired on the show; on beginning to notice problems between Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, and their different approaches to business; on Lucy's talent
On the technical aspects of television in the 1950s and the three-camera setup for I Love Lucy; on some memorable episodes of I Love Lucy, and on leaving that show to work with Sheldon Leonard on The Danny Thomas Show
On directing a three-camera shoot, the technical aspects of directing; on his philosophy of shooting for comedy; on his first experience as a director on The Danny Thomas Show; on wanting to work on The Dick Van Dyke Show
Chapter 3
On having the opportunity to learn directing for television from some of the masters of the craft as an assistant director; on working on The Dick Van Dyke show pilot; on how Mary Tyler Moore was cast on the show
On working on The Andy Griffith Show; on the show's the laugh track
On producing the first season of Get Smart; on leaving to work on He & She
Chapter 4
On Get Smart and on Buck Henry and Barbara Feldon's contributions to that show; on the Hollywood Blacklist; on how The Mary Tyler Moore Show was conceived; on the role of the women's movement on the show
On the premise, concept, and evolution of The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on going from a terrible rehearsal of the first Mary Tyler Moore Show to a very successful taping
On working with very different actors and acting styles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on the titles, theme song, sets, and wardrobe considerations for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Chapter 5
On the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on working with the writers on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on dealing with script issues
On the role of a director on a comedy series; on his demeanor on set and the importance of a studio audience on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on some classic episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Chapter 6
On some classic episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Lars Affair" with Betty White, "Mary Moves Out," "Chuckles the Clown," and the final episode
On getting the pilot for Soap; on directing Phyllis and one episode of Rhoda
On the formation of MTM Enterprises; on Grant Tinker's executive style and his respect for him
Chapter 7
On directing The Bob Newhart Show pilot; on the role of a director in casting
On the show We'll Get By, created by Alan Alda; on the difference between film and tape; on Lou Grant; on his role in helping to cast WKRP in Cincinnati
On the controversial show Soap; on how Soap was cast; on the challenges of directing Soap
Chapter 8
On the ventriloquist Jay Johnson and his "figure," Bob, on Soap; on the fun he had directing that show; on the producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas; on Benson
On working on his first feature film, "Seems like Old Times," a Neil Simon movie; on Love, Sidney and his stint on Night Court
On putting together all the elements for The Cosby Show; on the pilot episode of The Cosby Show
Chapter 9
On the challenges of filming The Cosby Show; on different guest actors who appeared on The Cosby Show: Sheldon Leonard, Stevie Wonder, Lena Horne
On directing the Emmy-award winning episode of The Cosby Show: "Denise's Friend"; on other projects he directed after The Cosby Show; on A Different World; on casting for the pilot of The Golden Girls
Chapter 10
On guest actors on The Cosby Show; on the TV movie Richer or Poorer with Jack Lemmon; other television series he directed for a short time;
On what he looks for in taking a job as director; on the ways the role of a television director has changed; on the ways network interference has changed in television over the years; on his advice to young directors
On having no regrets; on the best advice he's gotten about directing
Shows
Andy Griffith Show, The
Jay Sandrich on how The Andy Griffith Show was conceived and cast
Benson
Jay Sandrich on his only concern with Benson: that Robert Guillaume might have trouble learning lines
Bill Dana Show, The
Jay Sandrich on directing The Bill Dana Show, and on honing his directing skills
Jay Sandrich on directing a few episodes of The Bill Dana Show before it was cancelled, and working with Don Adams on that set and later on Get Smart
Bob Newhart Show, The (1972-78)
Jay Sandrich on directing the pilot episode of The Bob Newhart Show and how nervous Bob Newhart was
Captain Nice
Jay Sandrich on working with Buck Henry on Captain Nice
Cosby Show, The
Jay Sandrich on putting together and casting The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on the technical aspects of The Cosby Show and the thrill of having the number one show be about an African American family, and working with Bill Cosby
Jay Sandrich on the technical challenges of filming The Cosby Show in New York
Jay Sandrich on how The Cosby Show stayed fresh: the premise being about the war between parents and their kids
Jay Sandrich on guest actors who appeared on The Cosby Show: Sheldon Leonard, Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend," and directing an episode that didn't start out as being funny and finding the humor
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Cosby Show, and knowing when a series has gone on too long
Jay Sandrich on Dizzy Gilllespie appearing on The Cosby Show and being unable to remember his lines
Danny Thomas Show, The aka Make Room for Daddy
Jay Sandrich on working with Sheldon Leonard and Danny Thomas on Make Room for Daddy, and their working relationship
Jay Sandrich on directing The Danny Thomas Show and his philosophy of directing comedy, which he learned from Sheldon Leonard
Jay Sandrich on working with and learning from Sheldon Leonard and a series of great directors on The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
Dick Van Dyke Show, The
Jay Sandrich on working on the pilot of The Dick Van Dyke Show, on how Mary Tyler Moore was cast, and the talents of Van Dyke
Different World, A
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World, and how it came about
For Richer, For Poorer
Jay Sandrich on working with Jack Lemmon on the TV movie For Richer, For Poorer
Get Smart
Jay Sandrich on getting offered the job of producing Get Smart by Leonard Stern and deciding he preferred directing to producing
Jay Sandrich on what made Get Smart work (the team of Buck Henry and Leonard Stern)
Jay Sandrich on Get Smart as being a cross between Inspector Clousseau and James Bond
Jay Sandrich on how Barbara Feldon was (almost not) cast as "Agent 99" on Get Smart, and how she handled Don Adams
Jay Sandrich on the many talents, sometimes unrecognized, of writer Buck Henry on the show Get Smart
Golden Girls, The
Jay Sandrich on his role in casting Betty White (originally as "Blanche") and Rue McClanahan on The Golden Girls
He & She
Jay Sandrich on the premise and cast of He & She
I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on how he was hired on I Love Lucy by Jack Aldworth because of his father's past working relationship with Lucille Ball, and on the subject of nepotism
Jay Sandrich on working as a first assistant director on the set of I Love Lucy during the tumultous period when Lucille Bal and Desi Arnaz were fighting off-screen, and how he survived this and learned from the experience
Jay Sandrich on the crew of I Love Lucy: Bill Asher, Jack Aldworth, Madeline Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll, and how they welcomed him on the set as an assistant director with very little experience
Jay Sandrich on the working relationship and particular talents of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on Desi Arnaz's innovative use of shooting film with three cameras for I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on memorable episodes of I Love Lucy, where he was assistant director
Lou Grant
Jay Sandrich on the one week he worked on Lou Grant and how it was not difficult to go from comedy to drama
Love & War
Jay Sandrich on the importance of good writing in choosing a project
Love, Sidney
Jay Sandrich on the show Love, Sidney based on a film, which had a gay character, though the network wouldn't allow a gay character on the television version
M*A*S*H
Jay Sandrich on how Gene Reynolds and Alan Alda had to fight the network to keep the laugh track off of M*A*S*H
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The
Jay Sandrich on the "luckiest day in his career," when another director turned down The Mary Tyler Moore Show and it was offered to him, and why he never directed more than 2/3 of any season
Jay Sandrich on the concept of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and how the women's movement came to play a role on the show
Jay Sandrich on his directing style for The Mary Tyler Moore Show and clashes with producer/writer James L. Brooks, and on the evolution of Ted Knight's character
Jay Sandrich on how a disastrous runthrough of the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show transformed into a very successful first taping
Jay Sandrich on the casting of Valerie Harper as "Rhoda" on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the relationship between "Mary" and "Rhoda" on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the difficulties of working with Cloris Leachman
Jay Sandrich on the cast and characters of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on working with the writers on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and dealing with script issues
Jay Sandrich on an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show with a character who is gay and getting that episode on air
Jay Sandrich on a favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that presented a difficult writing challenge: when "Lou" sleeps with "Sue Ann" and "Mary" tells "Ted's" secret
Jay Sandrich on dealing with network interference on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on classic episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "Toulouse-Lautrec is one of my Favorite Artists" and "Mary has a Disastrous Day"
Jay Sandrich on a classic episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Lars Affair" with Betty White
Jay Sandrich on The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Mary Moves Out," which featured Penny Marshall and Mary Kay Place
Jay Sandrich on the myth about why he did not direct the episode The Mary Tyler Moore Show "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
Jay Sandrich on directing the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the difficulty of finding the right leading man to play opposite Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on Valerie Harper leaving The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The: "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
Jay Sandrich on the myth about why he did not direct the episode The Mary Tyler Moore Show "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
Phyllis
Jay Sandrich on working with Cloris Leachman on Phyllis and dealing with the network on script issues
Soap
Jay Sandrich on getting the pilot script for Soap and having to make a tough choice about taking it versus working with Betty White again
Jay Sandrich on first thinking Soap might end his career, and on the writing talents of Susan Harris, as well as casting Billy Crystal, Robert Guillaume, the rest of the cast
Jay Sandrich on casting Robert Guillaume as "Benson" on Soap
Jay Sandrich on the joys of directing Soap, for all of its controversies and challenges
Jay Sandrich on "Jodie Dallas," the character who was gay, on Soap, and the controversies that and other storylines provoked
Jay Sandrich on the ventriloquist Jay Johnson and his "figure," Bob, on Soap
Jay Sandrich on how lucky they were to get great guest-actors on Soap
Jay Sandrich on having fun directing within time constraints, and finding ways to depict sex in a subtle way on Soap
Untouchables, The
Jay Sandrich on how his experience working on The Untouchables made him want to go back to directing comedy
WKRP in Cincinnati
Jay Sandrich on his role in helping to cast WKRP in Cincinnati
Topics
Censorship / Standards & Practices
Jay Sandrich on dealing with network interference on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Characters & Catchphrases
Jay Sandrich on the popularity of Don Adams' "Would you believe" catchphrase from Get Smart
Classic TV Series Episodes
Jay Sandrich on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does the Tango" (1957) in which Lucy dances and crushes the eggs she's trying to hide from Ricky
Jay Sandrich on how a disastrous runthrough of the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show transformed into a very successful first taping
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the classic episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which introduced Betty White as "Sue Anne Nivens"
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend," and directing an episode that didn't start out as being funny and finding the humor
Comedy
Jay Sandrich on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does the Tango" (1957) in which Lucy dances and crushes the eggs she's trying to hide from Ricky
Jay Sandrich on the classic episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which introduced Betty White as "Sue Anne Nivens"
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend," and directing an episode that didn't start out as being funny and finding the humor
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Jay Sandrich on learning a valuable lesson about directing from actor Richard Benjamin
Criticism of TV
Jay Sandrich on having fun finding ways to depict sex in a subtle way on Soap
Emmy Awards
Jay Sandrich on the episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that won Mary Tyler Moore an Emmy
Historic Events and Social Change
Jay Sandrich on the impact the women's movement came to have on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show with a character who is gay and getting that episode on air
Jay Sandrich on how Susan Harris brought a woman's perspective to the writing on Soap
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
Jay Sandrich on the controversies surrounding some of the gay themes of the show Soap
Jay Sandrich on the thrill of having the number one show in American be about an African American family (The Cosby Show)
Jay Sandrich on the show Love, Sidney based on a film, which had a gay character, though the network wouldn't allow a gay character on the television version
Jay Sandrich on what good comedy can do for us socially
Hollywood Blacklist
Jay Sandrich on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist and some colleagues who were affected, and why Lucille Ball was accused of being a Communist
Industry Crossroads
Jay Sandrich on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist and some colleagues who were affected, and why Lucille Ball was accused of being a Communist
LGBTQIA+
Jay Sandrich on an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show with a character who is gay and getting that episode on air
Jay Sandrich on the controversies surrounding some of the gay themes of the show Soap
Jay Sandrich on the show Love, Sidney based on a film, which had a gay character, though the network wouldn't allow a gay character on the television version
Memorable Moments on Television
Jay Sandrich on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does the Tango" (1957) in which Lucy dances and crushes the eggs she's trying to hide from Ricky
Jay Sandrich on the episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that won Mary Tyler Moore an Emmy
Jay Sandrich on a favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "Toulouse-Lautrec is one of my Favorite Artists"
Pivotal Career Moments
Jay Sandrich on learning a valuable lesson about directing from actor Richard Benjamin
Pop Culture
Jay Sandrich on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does the Tango" (1957) in which Lucy dances and crushes the eggs she's trying to hide from Ricky
Jay Sandrich on how Gene Reynolds and Alan Alda had to fight the network to keep the laugh track off of M*A*S*H
Jay Sandrich on the popularity of Don Adams' "Would you believe" catchphrase from Get Smart
Jay Sandrich on how a disastrous runthrough of the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show transformed into a very successful first taping
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the classic episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which introduced Betty White as "Sue Anne Nivens"
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend," and directing an episode that didn't start out as being funny and finding the humor
Representation on Television
Jay Sandrich on the impact the women's movement came to have on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show with a character who is gay and getting that episode on air
Jay Sandrich on the controversies surrounding some of the gay themes of the show Soap
Jay Sandrich on how Susan Harris brought a woman's perspective to the writing on Soap
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
Jay Sandrich on the thrill of having the number one show in American be about an African American family (The Cosby Show)
Jay Sandrich on the show Love, Sidney based on a film, which had a gay character, though the network wouldn't allow a gay character on the television version
Jay Sandrich on what good comedy can do for us socially
Sex & Violence
Jay Sandrich on having fun finding ways to depict sex in a subtle way on Soap
Studio and Network Management
Jay Sandrich on network interference and how Fred Silverman was a rare TV executive who knew how to leave creative people alone to do their job
Technological Innovation
Jay Sandrich on the way television was recorded on kinescopes to broadcast on both coasts and the innovation of Desi Arnaz in using film for I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on the inventor Charlie Douglas and his laugh track machine, which was used on The Andy Griffith Show
Jay Sandrich on the first show (We'll Get By) to tape all four cameras and the difference between film and tape
Television Industry
Jay Sandrich on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist and some colleagues who were affected, and why Lucille Ball was accused of being a Communist
Jay Sandrich on dealing with network interference on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on having fun finding ways to depict sex in a subtle way on Soap
Jay Sandrich on network interference and how Fred Silverman was a rare TV executive who knew how to leave creative people alone to do their job
TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)
Jay Sandrich on the technical challenges of shooting for both coasts in the 1950s
Jay Sandrich on how the television comedies of the 1950s, such as The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy), would have one, strong director
Underrepresented Voices
Jay Sandrich on the thrill of having the number one show in American be about an African American family (The Cosby Show)
We Laughed
Jay Sandrich on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does the Tango" (1957) in which Lucy dances and crushes the eggs she's trying to hide from Ricky
Jay Sandrich on the episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that won Mary Tyler Moore an Emmy
Jay Sandrich on a favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "Toulouse-Lautrec is one of my Favorite Artists"
Women
Jay Sandrich on the impact the women's movement came to have on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
Jay Sandrich on how Susan Harris brought a woman's perspective to the writing on Soap
Jay Sandrich on what good comedy can do for us socially
Professions
Casting Director
Jay Sandrich on why casting is important and what he looks for in talent
Directors
Jay Sandrich on working as a second assistant director at Desilu Studios in the 1950s, and what that job entailed
Jay Sandrich on working as a first assistant director on the set of I Love Lucy during the tumultous period when Lucille Bal and Desi Arnaz were fighting off-screen, and how he survived this and learned from the experience
Jay Sandrich on learning first-hand how the three-camera set up for shooting on film worked on the set of I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on getting the experience of running cameras on the set of The Danny Thomas Show and getting the technical practice he needed to be a director
Jay Sandrich on learning about directing for comedy from Sheldon Leonard on the set of The Danny Thomas Show
Jay Sandrich describes his fear over his first stint as director on The Danny Thomas Show
Jay Sandrich on being turned down by Sheldon Leonard when he asked to direct The Dick Van Dyke Show
Jay Sandrich on working with and learning from Sheldon Leonard and a series of great directors on The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
Jay Sandrich on directing comedy, where he'd "rather laughs came out of the humanity of the character" inspired by the comic talents of Don Knotts and Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show
Jay Sandrich on learning the importance of collaborative efforts between a director and a writer, as with Leonard Stern on He & She
Jay Sandrich on his directing style for The Mary Tyler Moore Show and clashes with producer/writer James L. Brooks
Jay Sandrich on how a disastrous runthrough of the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show transformed into a very successful first taping
Jay Sandrich on the differences in working with the actors Mary Tyler Moore, Valerie Harper, and Cloris Leachman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on finding different ways to do a scene on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on managing all the writers on the The Mary Tyler Moore show
Jay Sandrich on a favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that presented a difficult writing challenge
Jay Sandrich on a director's job: to know when it's working and when it's not, and his demeanor on-set of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the importance of a studio audience on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on directing the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on "the biggest part of the job" - casting, and why it's important for a director and what he looks for in actors
Jay Sandrich on the first show, We'll Get By, to tape all four cameras and the difference between film and tape
Jay Sandrich on the challenges of casting the controversial show Soap
Jay Sandrich on the challenges of directing Soap: keeping all the cast happy as well as dealing with groups protesting the show's religious and gay issues
Jay Sandrich on having fun directing within time constraints, and finding ways to depict sex in a subtle way on Soap
Jay Sandrich on how good writing is what inspires him as a director
Jay Sandrich on casting The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on some of the technical challenges of The Cosby Show, and on working with Bill Cosby
Jay Sandrich on the problems with cameras they had on The Cosby Show and why they had to replace them
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend"; directing an episode that didn't start out as being funny and finding the humor
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Cosby Show: on knowing when a series has gone on too long
Jay Sandrich on how the role of a television director has changed
Jay Sandrich on how he changed his own directorial style and how editing helped him as a director
Jay Sandrich on his advice to young directors: always take stands
Jay Sandrich on learning a valuable lesson about directing from actor Richard Benjamin
Executives
Jay Sandrich on his admiration for Grant Tinker as an executive
Jay Sandrich on working with Grant Tinker, on the formation of MTM Enterprises, and his respect for him as an executive manager
Producers
Jay Sandrich on producing the first season of Get Smart only to decide he preferred directing, and leaving the show
Puppeteer
Jay Sandrich on the ventriloquist Jay Johnson and his "figure," Bob, on Soap
Talent Professionals
Jay Sandrich on why casting is important and what he looks for in talent
Writers
Jay Sandrich on a favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that presented a difficult writing challenge
Genres
Comedy Series
Jay Sandrich on I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on watching Lucille Ball work with Red Skelton and honing her comedic talents on I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on directing comedy, where he'd "rather laughs came out of the humanity of the character" inspired by the comic talents of Don Knotts and Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show
Jay Sandrich on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the importance of a studio audience when filming a comedy series
Jay Sandrich on directing the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on Soap
Jay Sandrich on how Bill Cosby got the laughs on the first taping of The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on taking a serious topic and turning it into a funny scene on The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on how humor on television has changed
Jay Sandrich on what good comedy can do for us socially
People
Jack Aldworth
Jay Sandrich on how he was hired onto I Love Lucy by Jack Aldworth because of his father's past working relationship with Lucille Ball
Jay Sandrich on learning from his mentors: Sheldon Leonard, Leonard Stern, and Jack Aldworth
Desi Arnaz
Jay Sandrich on working as a first assistant director on the set of I Love Lucy during the tumultous period when Lucille Bal and Desi Arnaz were fighting off-screen, and how volatile Desi was during this time
Jay Sandrich on witnessing the marital problems between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, but their ability to work together, and how Desi was the one who had the business sense
Edward Asner
Jay Sandrich on how it took a while for Ed Asner to trust him when they were working on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Lucille Ball
Jay Sandrich on how he was hired onto I Love Lucy by Jack Aldworth because of his father's past working relationship with Lucille Ball
Jay Sandrich on working as a first assistant director on the set of I Love Lucy during the tumultous period when Lucille Bal and Desi Arnaz were fighting off-screen
Jay Sandrich on witnessing the marital problems between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, but their ability to work together, and how Desi was the one who had the business sense
Jay Sandrich on being amazed at the technicality of Lucille Ball's comedic approach, and watching her ask Red Skelton to teach her pantomime
Jay Sandrich on being amazed watching the comedic talents of Lucille Ball on the set of I Love Lucy
Jay Sandrich on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist and why Lucille Ball who was accused of being a Communist
Richard Benjamin
Jay Sandrich on working with Dick Benjamin on He & She and what he learned from the actor
Jay Sandrich on learning a valuable lesson about directing from actor Richard Benjamin
James L. Brooks
Jay Sandrich on working with writers James L. Brooks, Allan Burns, and others on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on a favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that presented a difficult writing challenge and how James L. Brooks resolved it
Allan Burns
Jay Sandrich on working with writers James L .Brooks, Allan Burns, and others on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Bill Cosby
Jay Sandrich on wanting to work with Bill Cosby even when there was no script for the pilot episode
Jay Sandrich on working with and directing Bill Cosby
Jay Sandrich on directing Sheldon Leonard and Bill Cosby on an episode of The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on directing Stevie Wonder and Bill Cosby on an episode of The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on working with Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show and where ideas for the show came from
Billy Crystal
Jay Sandrich on casting Billy Crystal to play the character of "Jodie Dallas" (who was gay) on Soap
Charlie Douglas
Jay Sandrich on the inventor Charlie Douglas and his laugh track machine, which was used on The Andy Griffith Show
Barbara Feldon
Jay Sandrich on how Barbara Feldon was (almost not) cast as "Agent 99" on Get Smart, and how she handled Don Adams
Greg Garrison
Jay Sandrich on how Greg Garrison got him a break by suggesting to Sheldon Leonard to let him direct The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
Dizzy Gillespie
Jay Sandrich on Dizzy Gilllespie appearing on The Cosby Show and being unable to remember his lines
Andy Griffith
Jay Sandrich on how Broadway performer Andy Griffith made the switch to television
Jay Sandrich on directing comedy, where he'd "rather laughs came out of the humanity of the character" inspired by the comic talents of Don Knotts and Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show
Robert Guillaume
Jay Sandrich on casting Robert Guillaume as "Benson" on Soap
Jay Sandrich on his only concern with Benson: that Robert Guillaume might have trouble with learning lines
Valerie Harper
Jay Sandrich on the casting of Valerie Harper as "Rhoda" on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the relationship between "Mary" and "Rhoda" and working with Valerie Harper, as an improv actress, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Susan Harris
Jay Sandrich on the writing talents of Susan Harris on Soap
Buck Henry
Jay Sandrich on Buck Henry being one-half of the success story behind Get Smart
Jay Sandrich on the many talents, sometimes unrecognized, of writer Buck Henry on the show Get Smart
Howard Hesseman
Jay Sandrich on his role in helping to cast Howard Hesseman on WKRP in Cincinnati
Jay Sandrich on Howard Hesseman's guest-appearance as a tennis pro on Soap
Lena Horne
Jay Sandrich on directing Lena Horne on an episode of The Cosby Show
Whitney Houston
Jay Sandrich on how Whitney Houston was almost cast as one of the daughters on The Cosby Show, but she turned the role down
Ron Howard
Jay Sandrich on how a young Ron Howard was cast on The Andy Griffith Show
Ted Knight
Jay Sandrich on Ted Knight's ad-libbing skills on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Don Knotts
Jay Sandrich on how Don Knotts wrote in his own role on The Andy Griffith Show
Jay Sandrich on directing comedy, where he'd "rather laughs came out of the humanity of the character" inspired by the comic talents of Don Knotts and Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show
Cloris Leachman
Jay Sandrich on the difficulties of working with Cloris Leachman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on working with Cloris Leachman again, on her show Phyllis
Jack Lemmon
Jay Sandrich on working with Jack Lemmon on the TV movie For Richer, For Poorer
Sheldon Leonard
Jay Sandrich on asking Sheldon Leonard for a job opportunity and working with him on The Danny Thomas Show
Jay Sandrich on learning about directing for comedy from producer Sheldon Leonard on The Danny Thomas Show
Jay Sandrich on Sheldon' Leonard's practice of using actors as directors, and working with him on The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
Jay Sandrich on how Sheldon Leonard conceived The Andy Griffith Show
Jay Sandrich on directing Sheldon Leonard and Bill Cosby on an episode of The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on Sheldon Leonard's guest role on The Cosby Show episode "Physician of the Year"
Jay Sandrich on learning from his mentors: Sheldon Leonard, Leonard Stern, and Jack Aldworth
Gavin MacLeod
Jay Sandrich on Gavin MacLeod's character, "Murray Slaughter," on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Rue McClanahan
Jay Sandrich on his role in casting Betty White (originally as "Blanche") and Rue McClanahan on The Golden Girls
Mary Tyler Moore
Jay Sandrich on how Mary Tyler Moore was cast on The Dick Van Dyke Show after being rejected for The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
Jay Sandrich on the relationship between "Mary" and "Rhoda" and working with Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on the episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that won Mary Tyler Moore an Emmy
Jay Sandrich on the last episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and how Mary Tyler Moore insisted she wouldn't get a laugh
Argyle Nelson
Jay Sandrich on how Argyle Nelson, then head of production at Desilu, gave him his first job and later finding out it was because of Nelson's friendship with his father, Mark Sandrich
Bob Newhart
Jay Sandrich on how comedian Bob Newhart was nervous until the cameras turned on on The Bob Newhart Show
Phylicia Rashad
Jay Sandrich on how Phylicia Rashad came to be cast on The Cosby Show
Jay Sandrich on how he could count on Phylicia Rashad's reactions to Bill Cosby to use as cut-aways on The Cosby Show
John Rich
Jay Sandrich on working with and learning from director John Rich on The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
John Ritter
Jay Sandrich on working with actor John Ritter on The Bob Newhart Show
Mark Sandrich
Jay Sandrich on growing up with his father, director Mark Sandrich, who brought him to the set of the feature film Holiday Inn, starring Fred Astaire
Tom Selleck
Jay Sandrich on how Tom Selleck was almost cast on Soap
Fred Silverman
Jay Sandrich on how Fred Silverman enabled him to take the necessary measures to assemble the right cast on Soap
Jay Sandrich on network interference and how Fred Silverman was a rare TV executive who knew how to leave creative people alone to do their job
Red Skelton
Jay Sandrich on being amazed at the technicality of Lucille Ball's comedic approach, and watching her ask Red Skelton to teach her pantomime
Leonard Stern
Jay Sandrich on being offered a job producing on Get Smart by writer and producer Leonard Stern
Jay Sandrich on learning the importance of collaborative efforts between a director and a writer, as with Leonard Stern on He & She
Jay Sandrich on Leonard Stern being one-half of the success story behind Get Smart
Jay Sandrich on learning from his mentors: Sheldon Leonard, Leonard Stern, and Jack Aldworth
Danny Thomas
Jay Sandrich on working with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard on The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
Jay Sandrich on how Mary Tyler Moore was cast on The Dick Van Dyke Show after being rejected for The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy)
Tony Thomas
Jay Sandrich on working with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas on Soap
Grant Tinker
Jay Sandrich on his admiration for Grant Tinker as an executive
Jay Sandrich on working with Grant Tinker and his respect for him as an executive manager
Jay Sandrich on calling Grant Tinker, head of NBC, to replace the cameras on The Cosby Show
Dick Van Dyke
Jay Sandrich on how Dick Van Dyke got cast on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which had originally been written to showcase Carl Reiner
Jay Sandrich on the genesis of The Dick Van Dyke Show
Jay Sandrich on the creative talents of Dick Van Dyke
Vivian Vance
Jay Sandrich on how welcoming Vivian Vance was to him when he was a young assistant director on I Love Lucy
Ed. Weinberger
Jay Sandrich on how Ed. Weinberger came to be a writer on The Cosby Show
Betty White
Jay Sandrich on working with Betty White on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Sandrich on a classic episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Lars Affair" with Betty White
Jay Sandrich on his role in casting Betty White (originally as "Blanche") and Rue McClanahan on The Golden Girls
Paul Junger Witt
Jay Sandrich on working with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas on Soap
Stevie Wonder
Jay Sandrich on directing Stevie Wonder and Bill Cosby on an episode of The Cosby Show