Bob Claver

Producer

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his nearly two-hour interview, Bob Claver (1928-2017) talks about breaking into television in Chicago and his move to New York, where he worked as a writer on various children's shows. He speaks in detail about working with Bob Keeshan as a writer-producer for five years on Captain Kangaroo. He then talks about his work with Four Star Playhouse and his subsequent employment at Screen Gems. He discusses such Screen Gems properties as The Farmer's Daughter, the pilot of Gidget, and Occasional Wife. Claver details the creation of The Partridge Family, for which he served as executive producer and occasional director. Finally, he talks about his work as a freelance director on such series as Gloria and Welcome Back, Kotter. Karen Herman conducted the interview on October 11, 2004 in Chicago, IL.

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

"People forget that nobody tunes in a television show to see producers. So, if sometimes you have to step back a little bit, that's OK."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Bob Claver on his directing style

00:57

Bob Claver on working with the kids of The Partridge Family and how they dealt with celebrity

01:10

Bob Claver on the early Captain Kangaroo broadcasts

01:01

Bob Claver on directing one season of Welcome Back, Kotter

04:38

Bob Claver on advice to an aspiring television director

01:07

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on the first time he saw television and his interest in theater; on early television-related jobs and meeting Bob Keeshan

On how he came to write Captain Kangaroo; on the early Captain Kangaroo broadcasts and coming up with ideas for the show; on the different elements of the Captain Kangaroo broadcasts

On a typical work week on Captain Kangaroo; on Bob Keeshan on the set of Captain Kangaroo; on the guest stars and legacy of the show

On associate-producing Four Star Playhouse and directing Ensign O'Toole; on deciding to go into directing

Chapter 2

On directing Four Star Playhouse and going to work for Screen Gems; on producing The Farmer's Daughter, The Second Hundred Years, Gidget, The Girl with Something Extra, Occasional Wife, Here Come the Brides, and The Interns

On producing and directing The Partridge Family; on casting The Partridge Family; on the characters of The Partridge Family and the musical aspects of the show

On the opening sequence and theme song of The Partridge Family; on The Partridge Family bus; on working with the kids of The Partridge Family and how they dealt with celebrity

Chapter 3

On his duties on The Partridge Family, the addition of Rick Segall to the cast, and the end of the show; on his favorite episodes of The Partridge Family and the show being a product of its time; on the questions he gets asked about the show and its continuing popularity

On working with Grant Tinker at MTM; on directing All's Fair; on directing one season of Welcome Back, Kotter

On directing one season of Mork & Mindy; on directing The Facts of Life; on the craft of directing television

On directing Gloria

Chapter 4

On directing Gloria, Small Wonder, and The New Leave it to Beaver; on directing T he New Love, American Style, The Munsters Today, Automan, and Charles in Charge

On the way sitcoms have changed since he started and things he wanted to do as director but couldn't; on moving back to Chicago in 1993 and then-current activities; on advice to an aspiring television director

On choosing what projects he wanted to direct; on career highlights and regrets and his mentors Hy Averback and Jackie Cooper; on his directing style and how he'd like to be remembered

Shows

All in the Family

Bob Claver on directing Gloria

03:15

All's Fair

Bob Claver on directing All's Fair

01:14

Captain Kangaroo

Bob Claver on how he came to write Captain Kangaroo

02:27

Bob Claver on the early Captain Kangaroo broadcasts

01:01

Bob Claver on writing early Captain Kangaroo and coming up with ideas for the show

01:03

Bob Claver on Hugh Brannum as "Mr. Green Jeans" on Captain Kangaroo

00:55

Bob Claver on the puppets of Captain Kangaroo

01:14

Bob Claver on Alan Rafkin, stage manager for Captain Kangaroo

00:44

Bob Claver on a typical work week on Captain Kangaroo

01:45

Bob Claver on the cartoons of Captain Kangaroo

00:59

Bob Claver on Bob Keeshan on the set of Captain Kangaroo

01:20

Bob Claver on the guest stars of Captain Kangaroo

01:47

Bob Claver on the legacy of Captain Kangaroo

01:15

Bob Claver on leaving Captain Kangaroo

01:16

Charles in Charge

Bob Claver on directing Charles in Charge

00:29

Ensign O'Toole

Bob Claver on associate producing Four Star Playhouse and directing Ensign O'Toole

01:31

Facts of Life, The

Bob Claver on directing The Facts of Life

01:03

Farmer's Daughter, The

Bob Claver on producing The Farmer's Daughter starring Inger Stevens

01:52

Four Star Playhouse

Bob Claver on associate producing Four Star Playhouse and directing Ensign O'Toole

01:31

Bob Claver on directing Four Star Playhouse

02:15

Gidget

Bob Claver on producing the pilot of Gidget

01:03

Girl With Something Extra, The

Bob Claver on the problems of producing The Girl with Something Extra

00:53

Gloria

Bob Claver on directing Gloria

02:55

Bob Claver on directing Gloria

01:25

Here Come the Brides

Bob Claver on producing Here Come the Brides

02:26

Interns, The

Bob Claver on producing and directing The Interns

02:03

Mork & Mindy

Bob Claver on directing one season of Mork & Mindy

03:44

Munsters Today, The

Bob Claver on directing The Munsters Today and Automan

00:59

New Leave it to Beaver, The

Bob Claver on directing The New Leave it to Beaver

01:12

New Love American Style, The

Bob Claver on directing The New Love, American Style

00:52

Occasional Wife

Bob Claver on producing Occasional Wife

00:59

Partridge Family, The

Bob Claver on producing and directing The Partridge Family

02:23

Bob Claver on casting The Partridge Family

07:07

Bob Claver on the characters of The Partridge Family and the musical aspects of the show

02:33

Bob Claver on the opening sequence and theme song of The Partridge Family

00:34

Bob Claver on The Partridge Family bus

01:07

Bob Claver on working with the kids of The Partridge Family and how they dealt with celebrity

01:10

Bob Claver on his duties on The Partridge Family, the addition of Rick Segall to the cast, and the end of the show

01:22

Bob Claver on his favorite episodes of The Partridge Family and the show being a product of its time

01:34

Bob Claver on meeting President Richard Nixon during the run of The Partridge Family

00:41

Bob Claver on the questions he gets asked about The Partridge Family and the continuing popularity of the show

01:52

Bob Claver on the Partridge Family spin-off Getting Together

01:02

Second Hundred Years, The

Bob Claver on producing The Second Hundred Years

00:33

Small Wonder

Bob Claver on directing Small Wonder

03:27

Welcome Back, Kotter

Bob Claver on directing one season of Welcome Back, Kotter

04:38

Topics

Advice

Bob Claver on advice to an aspiring television director

01:07

Bob Claver on advice to aspiring television producers

00:52

Characters & Catchphrases

Bob Claver on the characters of The Partridge Family and the musical aspects of the show

02:33

Creative Influences and Inspiration

Bob Claver on his mentors Hy Averback and Jackie Cooper

00:49

Fame and Celebrity

Bob Claver on working with the kids of The Partridge Family and how they dealt with celebrity

01:10

Pop Culture

Bob Claver on the characters of The Partridge Family and the musical aspects of the show

02:33

Bob Claver on the opening sequence and theme song of The Partridge Family

00:34

Bob Claver on The Partridge Family bus

01:07

TV Theme Songs

Bob Claver on the opening sequence and theme song of The Partridge Family

00:34

Television Industry

Bob Claver on working with the kids of The Partridge Family and how they dealt with celebrity

01:10

Bob Claver on the way sitcoms have changed since he started

01:35

Bob Claver on advice to an aspiring television director

01:07

Bob Claver on advice to aspiring television producers

00:52

Professions

Directors

View Profession

Bob Claver on the craft of directing television

05:53

Bob Claver on advice to an aspiring television director

01:07

Bob Claver on choosing what projects he wanted to direct

00:43

Bob Claver on his directing style

00:57

Producers

View Profession

Bob Claver on advice to aspiring television producers

00:52

Genres

Adventure/Espionage Series

Bob Claver on directing The Munsters Today and Automan

00:59

Children's Programming

Bob Claver on working on Time for Fun with Bob Keeshan

01:53

Bob Claver on writing for Captain Kangaroo

15:45

Classic Anthology Series

Bob Claver on associate producing Four Star Playhouse and directing Ensign O'Toole

01:31

Bob Claver on directing Four Star Playhouse

02:15

Comedy Series

Bob Claver on associate producing Four Star Playhouse and directing Ensign O'Toole

01:31

Bob Claver on producing The Farmer's Daughter starring Inger Stevens

01:52

Bob Claver on producing The Second Hundred Years

00:37

Bob Claver on producing the pilot of Gidget

01:02

Bob Claver on the problems of producing The Girl with Something Extra

00:53

Bob Claver on producing Occasional Wife

00:59

Bob Claver on producing Here Come the Brides

02:26

Bob Claver on producing and directing The Partridge Family

14:54

Bob Claver on writing and directing The Partridge Family (Part 2)

06:31

Bob Claver on directing All's Fair

01:14

Bob Claver on directing one season of Welcome Back, Kotter

04:38

Bob Claver on directing one season of Mork & Mindy

03:44

Bob Claver on directing Gloria

02:55

Bob Claver on directing Gloria ( Part 2)

01:25

Bob Claver on directing Small Wonder

03:27

Bob Claver on directing The New Leave it to Beaver

01:12

Bob Claver on directing The New Love, American Style

00:52

Bob Claver on directing The Munsters Today and Automan

00:59

Bob Claver on directing Charles in Charge

00:29

Medical Dramas

Bob Claver on producing and directing The Interns

02:03

People

Alan Rafkin

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Bob Claver on Alan Rafkin, stage manager for Captain Kangaroo

00:44

Ben Stein

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Bob Claver on directing All's Fair on which Ben Stein was a political consultant

01:35

Bob Keeshan

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Bob Claver on working on Time for Fun with Bob Keeshan

01:53

Bob Claver on Bob Keeshan on the set of Captain Kangaroo

01:21

Danny Bonaduce

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Bob Claver on casting The Partridge Family: Danny Bonaduce

00:25

David Cassidy

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Bob Claver on casting The Partridge Family: David Cassidy

01:12

David Madden

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Bob Claver on casting The Partridge Family: David Madden

00:16

Gabe Kaplan

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Bob Claver on directing one season of Welcome Back, Kotter starring Gabe Kaplan

04:38

Grant Tinker

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Bob Claver on working with Grant Tinker at MTM

01:35

Hugh Brannum

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Bob Claver on Hugh Brannum as "Mr. Green Jeans" on Captain Kangaroo

00:55

Hy Averback

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Bob Claver on his mentors Hy Averback and Jackie Cooper

00:49

Inger Stevens

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Bob Claver on producing The Farmer's Daughter starring Inger Stevens

01:52

Jackie Cooper

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Bob Claver on his mentors Hy Averback and Jackie Cooper

00:49

John Travolta

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Bob Claver on directing one season of Welcome Back, Kotter starring John Travolta

04:38

Robin Williams

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Bob Claver on directing one season of Mork & Mindy starring Robin Williams

03:44

Sally Field

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Bob Claver on producing the pilot of Gidget starring Sally Field

01:05

Shirley Jones

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Bob Claver on casting The Partridge Family: Shirley Jones

00:31

Susan Dey

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Bob Claver on casting The Partridge Family: Susan Dey

01:31