Jay Sandrich

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.