"The important thing for an executive producer is to create an atmosphere where talented people are comfortable enough do their best work. And to make them feel respected and loved. Everybody must feel that it's a wonderful family to be part of, and the executive producer sets the tone of that. It's true of every show."

    About This Interview

    In her four-hour interview, Meta Rosenberg (1915-2004) speaks of her early success as one of the first women literary executives in Hollywood. She recalls taking a break from Hollywood when her first child was born in 1950, and then her subsequent return to being an agent in 1960, and developing such series as Hogan's Heroes, Ironside, and Julia. She discusses her transition to producer and executive producer, and her long-term business partnership with James Garner. Rosenberg outlines her involvement with The Rockford Files as executive producer, and occasional writer and director. She speaks of co-writing and producing the Emmy-winning made-for-television movie Off the Minnesota Strip with David Chase. She recounts her stint as an executive consultant at Universal Television, and offers advice to aspiring television producers. She concludes by discussing her marriage to agent George "Rosy" Rosenberg. Sunny Parich conducted the interview on February 12, 1998 in Beverly Hills, CA.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Meta Rosenberg

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside starring Raymond Burr

    02:46
    Thumbnail of Meta Rosenberg

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase

    05:26
    Thumbnail of Meta Rosenberg

    Meta Rosenberg on going to work for Paramount during the golden age of Hollywood

    09:34
    Thumbnail of Meta Rosenberg

    Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files and her relationship with James Garner

    04:56
    Thumbnail of Meta Rosenberg

    Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

    02:21
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On her early life and influences; on her very first job in the story department of Fox; on her duties in the story department at Fox

    11:39

    On becoming the assistant to Irene Lee in the story department at Warner Bros. and the lack of discrimination she felt as a woman; on her duties as assistant to Irene Lee; on working in New York in the '30s

    08:21

    On going to work for Paramount during the golden age of Hollywood

    09:34

    Chapter 2

    On working with Billy Wilder; on working with Charles Bracket; on her favorite aspects of working as a story editor for the movies and how she was treated

    10:00

    On trying to become a producer at Paramount and becoming an agent; on her duties as an agent and her experiences; on representing Dalton Trumbo and various other writers; on her marriage and being a mother

    18:10

    Chapter 3

    On the agent/studio/client relationship in the 1940s; on her early experience with television; on returning to the business in 1959 and forming Bing Crosby Productions

    13:56

    On packaging Ben Casey for Bing Crosby Productions; on the process of an agent pitching a show to a network; on dealing with Standards and Practices on Ben Casey

    06:24

    On working in television as opposed to working in film; on selling the series Breaking Point and becoming Robert Redford's agent; on selling the series Slattery's People; on selling the Hogan's Heroes pilot to CBS

    10:12

    Chapter 4

    On casting Hogan's Heroes with Ethel Winant; on the writing of Hogan's Heroes and her on-going involvement with the series; on developing the series Daniel Boone and working with star Fess Parker and the feature "The Americanization of Emily" for James Garner

    08:51

    On representing James Garner in the '60s; on developing the series Ironside and Julia

    09:35

    On going to work as an agent for International Famous Artists and developing the feature "The Skin Game" for James Garner; on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

    10:46

    Chapter 5

    On executive producing Nichols for James Garner and working with writer Frank Pierson and Juanita Bartlett; on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files and her relationship with James Garner; on casting The Rockford Files

    12:58

    On what The Rockford Files was about; on public and critical reaction to The Rockford Files and hiring David Chase; on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

    06:03

    On her duties as executive producer on The Rockford Files and the production process; on season 2 of The Rockford Files going up against Hawaii Five-O

    07:21

    Chapter 6

    On hiring directors for the The Rockford Files; on the supporting cast of The Rockford Files; on the producers of The Rockford Files

    11:13

    On the guest stars of The Rockford Files; on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files; on the success and end of The Rockford Files

    09:07

    On producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase; on producing Bret Maverick

    08:20

    Chapter 7

    On being an executive consultant at Universal Television and how things in the industry had changed by 1980; on what she enjoyed most about working in television and her career highlights; on television she enjoyed in the then-present

    07:53

    On advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman; on knowing Liam O'Flaherty; on marrying Irving Reis

    06:33

    On various people with whom she worked in her career; on her husband George Rosenberg

    15:17

    Chapter 8

    On her marriage to George Rosenberg

    02:13

    On b-roll picture from her career- with James Garner on the set of The Rockford Files

    00:52

    Ben Casey

    Meta Rosenberg on packaging Ben Casey for Bing Crosby Productions

    02:57

    Meta Rosenberg on dealing with Standards and Practices on Ben Casey

    01:09

    Breaking Point

    Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Breaking Point and becoming Robert Redford's agent

    05:35

    Bret Maverick

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Bret Maverick

    02:39

    Daniel Boone

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Daniel Boone and working with star Fess Parker

    01:13

    Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

    Meta Rosenberg on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files

    00:54

    Hawaii Five-O

    Meta Rosenberg on season 2 of The Rockford Files going up against Hawaii Five-O

    01:34

    Hogan's Heroes

    Meta Rosenberg on selling the Hogan's Heroes pilot to CBS

    00:59

    Meta Rosenberg on casting Hogan's Heroes with Ethel Winant

    02:34

    Meta Rosenberg on the writing of Hogan's Heroes and her on-going involvement with the series

    01:03

    Ironside

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside starring Raymond Burr

    02:47

    Julia (1968-71)

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

    03:57

    Nichols

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

    04:22

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Nichols for James Garner and working with writer Frank Pierson and Juanita Bartlett

    05:56

    Off the Minnesota Strip

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase

    05:26

    Rockford Files, The

    Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files and her relationship with James Garner

    04:56

    Meta Rosenberg on casting The Rockford Files

    02:07

    Meta Rosenberg on what The Rockford Files was about

    03:05

    Meta Rosenberg on public and critical reaction to The Rockford Files and hiring David Chase

    01:36

    Meta Rosenberg on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

    01:21

    Meta Rosenberg on her duties as executive producer on The Rockford Files and the production process

    04:50

    Meta Rosenberg on season 2 of The Rockford Files going up against Hawaii Five-O

    01:34

    Meta Rosenberg on hiring directors for The Rockford Files

    08:08

    Meta Rosenberg on the supporting cast of The Rockford Files

    01:13

    Meta Rosenberg on the producers of The Rockford Files

    01:53

    Meta Rosenberg on the guest stars of The Rockford Files

    03:16

    Meta Rosenberg on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files

    00:54

    Meta Rosenberg on the success of The Rockford Files

    02:23

    Meta Rosenberg on the end of The Rockford Files

    01:21

    Slattery's People

    Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Slattery's People

    00:49

    Advice

    Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

    02:21

    Emmy Awards

    Meta Rosenberg on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files

    00:54

    Historic Events and Social Change

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

    03:57

    Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

    02:21

    Representation on Television

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

    03:57

    Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

    02:21

    Television Industry

    Meta Rosenberg on being an executive consultant at Universal Television and how things in the industry had changed by 1980

    04:06

    Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

    02:21

    Underrepresented Voices

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

    03:57

    Women

    Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

    02:21

    Producers

    Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

    02:21

    Comedy Series

    Meta Rosenberg on selling the Hogan's Heroes pilot to CBS

    00:59

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Hogan 's Heroes

    03:37

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

    03:57

    Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside

    02:46

    Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files

    19:28

    Meta Rosenberg on executive producing The Rockford Files

    20:20

    Drama Series

    Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Slattery's People

    00:49

    Medical Dramas

    Meta Rosenberg on packaging Ben Casey

    06:22

    Meta Rosenberg on packaging Breaking Point

    05:35

    TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase

    05:26

    Western Series

    Meta Rosenberg on developing Daniel Boone

    01:13

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

    04:22

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Nichols for James Garner

    05:56

    Alan Arkin

    Meta Rosenberg on her friendship with Alan Arkin

    02:38

    Raymond Burr

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside starring Raymond Burr

    02:46

    Stephen J. Cannell

    Meta Rosenberg on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

    01:21

    Diahann Carroll

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

    03:57

    David Chase

    Meta Rosenberg on public and critical reaction to The Rockford Files  and hiring David Chase

    01:36

    Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip  co-written with David Chase

    05:26

    William Faulkner

    Meta Rosenberg on knowing William Faulkner

    01:32

    James Garner

    Meta Rosenberg on representing James Garner in the '60s

    02:40

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

    04:22

    Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files  and her relationship with James Garner

    04:56

    Roy Huggins

    Meta Rosenberg on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

    01:21

    Edward R. Murrow

    Meta Rosenberg on her friendship with Edward R. Murrow

    04:32

    Fess Parker

    Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Daniel Boone and working with star Fess Parker

    01:13

    Robert Redford

    Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Breaking Point and becoming Robert Redford's agent

    05:35

    Dalton Trumbo

    Meta Rosenberg on representing Dalton Trumbo and various other writers

    05:08

    Billy Wilder

    Meta Rosenberg on working with Billy Wilder

    03:06

    Ethel Winant

    Meta Rosenberg on casting Hogan's Heroes with Ethel Winant

    02:34

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