Nina Tassler

Executive
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her two-hour interview, Nina Tassler discusses her college years studying acting at Boston University and pursuing her acting career after graduation. She talks about moving to Los Angeles (precipitated by her husband, actor Jerry Levine, being cast as "Stiles" in the movie Teen Wolf) and her first industry job as a receptionist at a talent agency. She details her swift rise to agent and her move into development at Lorimar Television. Tassler then discusses her work in developing ER with John Wells, and eventually moving on to CBS. For her years at CBS, she details her duties as both president and chairman, as well as her role in developing shows including How I Met Your Mother, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The Big Bang Theory. Along the way, Tassler emphasizes her interest in creating dynamic roles for women and diverse voices at CBS, and discusses the then-recent shakeup in the CBS late-night lineup that involved the hiring of both Stephen Colbert and James Corden. She concludes by giving advice to aspiring television executives, and discussing her future plans following her then-upcoming departure from CBS. Amy Harrington conducted the interview on September 24, 2015 in Studio City, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"My old boss used to say, 'You know, there's no limit to what a man can do if he doesn't mind who gets the credit.' And I, of course, augmented that to, 'There's no limit to what a man or woman can do if he or she doesn't mind who gets the credit.'" 

People Talking About ...
Nina Tassler
Highlights
Nina Tassler on the importance of developing shows that provide leading roles for women as well as a work-life balance for lead actresses
02:36
Nina Tassler on the development and casting of How I Met Your Mother
02:52
Nina Tassler on buying CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as an executive at CBS
03:44
Nina Tassler on giving Chuck Lorre a chance to shoot a second pilot of The Big Bang Theory when the first one didn't work
02:35
Nina Tassler on advice to aspiring television executives 
02:25
Nina Tassler on hiring Stephen Colbert to host The Late Show
02:52
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On her childhood and early influences; on applying to Skidmore College in Saratoga, NY; on studying acting at Boston University and eventually moving to Los Angeles (Ed. note: Ms. Tassler would like to correct that Skidmore is in Saratoga, not Syracuse)
On quickly moving up from receptionist to agent at The Irv Schecter Company; on working at Triad Artists and her move into development at Lorimar Television
On her duties as Director, Movies and Miniseries at Lorimar Television; on her move into serialized television as Vice President, Drama Development at Warner Bros. Television (which had merged with Lorimar)
On the development and casting of ER; on becoming the Head of Drama for CBS Productions

Chapter 2
On CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its spinoffs; on developing shows that provide leading roles for women
On her promotion to President of CBS Entertainment; on How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory; on her promotion to Chairman of CBS Entertainment
On diversity in television; on changes to CBS's late-night lineup
On her proudest career achievement; on advice to aspiring television executives; on her then-upcoming plan to move on from CBS Entertainment
Shows

Big Bang Theory, The

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Nina Tassler on giving Chuck Lorre a chance to shoot a second pilot of The Big Bang Theory when the first one didn't work
02:35

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

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Nina Tassler on buying CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as an executive at CBS
03:44
Nina Tassler on the then-upcoming end of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
02:47

CSI: Cyber

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Nina Tassler on the development of CSI: Cyber
03:23

Chicago Hope

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Nina Tassler on ER and Chicago Hope going up against each other when both shows debuted
02:08

ER

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Nina Tassler on the development and casting of ER
07:08
Nina Tassler on ER and Chicago Hope going up against each other when both shows debuted
02:08

How I Met Your Mother

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Nina Tassler on the development and casting of How I Met Your Mother
02:52

Late Late Show, The

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Nina Tassler on hiring James Corden to host The Late Late Show
02:10

Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The

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Nina Tassler on hiring Stephen Colbert to host The Late Show
02:52
Topics

Advice

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Nina Tassler on advice to aspiring television executives 
02:25

First Big Break

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Nina Tassler on how agent David Windsor helped her to see her potential to become an agent
01:45

Historic Events and Social Change

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Nina Tassler on the importance of developing shows that provide leading roles for women as well as a work-life balance for lead actresses
02:36
Nina Tassler on diversity in television
03:52

Interactive Technology

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Nina Tassler on the importance of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden creating digital content and viral clips
03:54

Media Consolidation

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Nina Tassler on the merger of Lorimar Television and Warner Bros. Television and her concurrent move from Director, Movies and Miniseries to Vice President, Drama Development at the newly merged company
03:12

New Media

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Nina Tassler on the importance of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden creating digital content and viral clips
03:54

Pivotal Career Moments

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Nina Tassler on how agent David Windsor helped her to see her potential to become an agent
01:45
Nina Tassler on her proudest career achievement
02:29

Representation on Television

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Nina Tassler on the importance of developing shows that provide leading roles for women as well as a work-life balance for lead actresses
02:36
Nina Tassler on diversity in television
03:52

Television Industry

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Nina Tassler on television packaging (Ed. Note: Ms. Tassler would like to correct that agencies receive a percentage of the budget, not the license fee)
00:47
Nina Tassler on the merger of Lorimar Television and Warner Bros. Television and her concurrent move from Director, Movies and Miniseries to Vice President, Drama Development at the newly merged company
03:12
Nina Tassler on the "selling season" for network television and how she pitched shows with writers when she was Vice President, Drama Development at Warner Bros. Television
03:05
Nina Tassler on what she looks for when hearing a pitch for a television show
03:48
Nina Tassler on the importance of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden creating digital content and viral clips
03:54
Nina Tassler on advice to aspiring television executives 
02:25

Women

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Nina Tassler on the importance of developing shows that provide leading roles for women as well as a work-life balance for lead actresses
02:36
Professions

Executives

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Nina Tassler on her responsibilities as Vice President, Drama Development at Warner Bros. Television
02:10
Nina Tassler on her responsibilities and duties as President of CBS Entertainment and Chairman of CBS Entertainment
03:34
Nina Tassler on what she looks for when hearing a pitch for a television show
03:48
Nina Tassler on advice to aspiring television executives 
02:25

Television Executive

View Profession
Nina Tassler on her responsibilities as Vice President, Drama Development at Warner Bros. Television
02:10
Nina Tassler on her responsibilities and duties as President of CBS Entertainment and Chairman of CBS Entertainment
03:34
Nina Tassler on what she looks for when hearing a pitch for a television show
03:48
Nina Tassler on advice to aspiring television executives 
02:25
Genres

Comedy Series

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Nina Tassler on the development and casting of How I Met Your Mother
02:52
Nina Tassler on giving Chuck Lorre a chance to shoot a second pilot of The Big Bang Theory when the first one didn't work
02:35

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

View Genre
Nina Tassler on buying CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as an executive at CBS
03:44
Nina Tassler on the then-upcoming end of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
02:47
Nina Tassler on the development of CSI: Cyber
03:23

Late Night

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Nina Tassler on changes in CBS's late-night lineup
12:13

Medical Dramas

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Nina Tassler on the development and casting of ER
07:08
Nina Tassler on ER and Chicago Hope going up against each other when both shows debuted
02:08
People

Chuck Lorre

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Nina Tassler on giving Chuck Lorre a chance to shoot a second pilot of The Big Bang Theory when the first one didn't work
02:35

Geena Davis

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Nina Tassler on how her college roommate, Geena Davis, helped her to get a job as a receptionist at a talent agency when she first moved to Los Angeles
01:17

George Clooney

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Nina Tassler on George Clooney being cast on ER
02:15

John Wells

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Nina Tassler on the development and casting of ER, and working with John Wells
07:08

Julianna Margulies

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Nina Tassler on the fact that Julianna Margulies' character "Carol Hathaway" was supposed to have died at end of the pilot episode of ER
00:42

Leslie Moonves

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Nina Tassler on her successful interview with Leslie Moonves for a job at Lorimar Television
03:36
Nina Tassler on her first impression of Leslie Moonves
01:39
Nina Tassler on her move to CBS after Leslie Moonves became President of the company
02:13
Nina Tassler on what she has learned from Leslie Moonves
00:57

Patricia Arquette

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Nina Tassler on the development of CSI: Cyber and casting Patricia Arquette on the show
03:23

Stephen Colbert

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Nina Tassler on hiring Stephen Colbert to host The Late Show
02:52

All Interviews

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