Steve Carlin

Producer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his three-hour-and-fifteen-minute interview, Steve Carlin (1919-2003) talks about his early years, including working at WMCA radio and producing children's records. He recalls his first foray into television, creating and producing Rootie Kazootie, a Howdy Doody-inspired live children's television show that featured puppets, kids, and songs. He recalls creating and producing The $64,000 Question, as well as its companion show The $64,000 Challenge. He speaks of the huge success of the show, its host Hal March, and its contestants, including Dr. Joyce Brothers and Patty Duke. He details another game show called The Big Surprise, hosted by Mike Wallace, and describes other quiz shows with which he was involved. Carlin outlines the Quiz Show Scandals of the 1950s, which ensnared Twenty-One and Dotto, and effectively ended all the game shows of the era, including The $64,000 Question. He discusses his role in creating You're in the Picture, the Jackie Gleason-hosted game show that lasted one episode, after which Gleason felt the need to apologize on air. He speaks of his later career, including working in international television and at QVC. Don Carlton conducted the interview on June 23, 1999 in New York, NY. 

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

"I volunteered to testify in front of the grand jury about the Quiz Show Scandals. I said 'I want to do this because I want to completely clear my name.' And they said, 'You're fine, listen, you're a little tired. Go home and go to sleep, and then go back to work.' And that's what I did."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Steve Carlin on creating The $64,000 Question
05:56
Steve Carlin on The $64,000 Challenge
02:09
Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals 
04:00
Steve Carlin on the Congressional Investigation into the game show Twenty-One
03:35
Steve Carlin on creating the children's television show Rootie Kazootie
06:28
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on writing an early magazine article
On attending and then leaving college; on going to work for radio station WMCA; on producing a show for New York radio station WMCA

Chapter 2

On changing his name and dealing with anti-Semitism; on going to work for NBC radio; on creating the comic strip "Happy the Humbug"
On doing a radio version of "Happy the Humbug" and the popularity of the strip; on being fired from NBC

Chapter 3

On heading up the children's record division at RCA; on children's albums he produced
On creating the children's television show Rootie Kazootie; on the cast and characters of Rootie Kazootie; on taking Rootie Kazootie national

Chapter 4

On doing Rootie Kazootie live; on the scripts of Rootie Kazootie; on the end of the show
On getting involved with game shows; on creating The $64,000 Question; on hiring Hal March as the announcer for The $64,000 Question

Chapter 5

On the host and crew of The $64,000 Question; on Louis G. Cowan leaving The $64,000 Question; on creating the game show The Big Surprise
On creating The $64,000 Challeng e; on the Quiz Show scandals

Chapter 6

On Dr. Joyce Brothers' appearance as a contestant on The $64,000 Question  ; on the end of The $64,000 Question; on creating the series The Circle
Steve Carlin on creating Jackie Gleason's infamous You're in the Picture game show

Chapter 7

On creating Science All-Stars; on going to work for 20th Century Fox and getting involved in international television and interactive television 
On his involvement in QVC; on the key to a successful game show; on career highlights and regrets and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows

$64,000 Question

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Steve Carlin on getting involved with game shows
04:21
Steve Carlin on creating The $64,000 Question
05:56
Steve Carlin on getting Revlon to sponsor The $64,000 Question and developing the show
05:36
Steve Carlin on the contestants for The $64,000 Question
01:03
Steve Carlin on Hal March as the host of The $64,000 Question
02:39
Steve Carlin on convincing Hal March to host The $64,000 Question and the first episodes of the show
04:21
Steve Carlin on the crew of The $64,000 Question
01:48
Steve Carlin on Louis G. Cowan leaving The $64,000 Question and his role in creating the show
02:52
Steve Carlin on Mike Wallace hosting The Big Surprise
02:25
Steve Carlin on The $64,000 Challenge
02:09
Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals 
04:00
Steve Carlin on testifying to the Grand Jury investigating quiz shows
03:24
Steve Carlin on Dr. Joyce Brothers' appearance as a contestant on The $64,000 Question 
04:35
Steve Carlin on the end of The $64,000 Question
01:43

Big Surprise, The

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Steve Carlin on creating the game show The Big Surprise
03:05

Dotto

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Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals
04:00

Rootie Kazootie Club, The

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Steve Carlin on creating the children's television show Rootie Kazootie
06:28
Steve Carlin on the premise of Rootie Kazootie
02:13
Steve Carlin on the cast and characters of Rootie Kazootie
05:22
Steve Carlin on taking Rootie Kazootie national
01:43
Steve Carlin on doing Rootie Kazootie live
03:35
Steve Carlin on submitting the Rootie Kazootie scripts before they went on-air
01:17
Steve Carlin on the stories of the Rootie Kazootie show
01:11
Steve Carlin on the end of Rootie Kazootie
02:01
Steve Carlin on the merchandising for Rootie Kazootie
01:59

Twenty One

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Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals 
04:00
Steve Carlin on the Congressional Investigation into the game show Twenty-One
03:35
Topics

Advertising and Sponsorship

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Steve Carlin on getting Revlon to sponsor The $64,000 Question and developing the show
05:36

Creative Influences and Inspiration

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Steve Carlin on his early mentors
01:57
Steve Carlin on his early mentors
01:57

Industry Crossroads

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Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals
04:00
Steve Carlin on the Congressional Investigation into the game show Twenty-One
03:35
Steve Carlin on testifying to the Grand Jury investigating quiz shows
03:24

Pivotal Career Moments

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Steve Carlin on his early mentors
01:57

Quiz Show Scandals

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Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals
04:00
Steve Carlin on the Congressional Investigation into the game show Twenty-One
03:35
Steve Carlin on testifying to the Grand Jury investigating quiz shows
03:24

Technological Innovation

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Steve Carlin on being involved in an early attempt at interactive television
02:08

Television Industry

View Topic
Steve Carlin on getting Revlon to sponsor The $64,000 Question and developing the show
05:36
Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals
04:00
Steve Carlin on the Congressional Investigation into the game show Twenty-One
03:35
Steve Carlin on testifying to the grand jury investigating quiz shows
03:24
Genres

Children's Programming

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Steve Carlin on creating and producing Rootie Kazooite
15:48
Steve Carlin on creating Rootie Kazootie (Part 2)
10:18

Game Shows

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Steve Carlin on creating and producing The $64,000 Question  (Part 1)
15:14
Steve Carlin on creating and producing The $64,000 Question (Part 2)
29:36
Steve Carlin on creating and producing The $64,000 Question (Part 3)
08:05
Steve Carlin on creating Jackie Gleason's infamous You're in the Picture  game show
11:38
People

Hal March

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Steve Carlin on Hal March as the host of The $64,000 Question
02:39
Steve Carlin on convincing Hal March to host The $64,000 Question and the first episodes of the show
04:14

Jackie Gleason

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Steve Carlin on creating Jackie Gleason's infamous You're in the Picture  game show
11:38

Jimmy Stewart

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Steve Carlin on heading up the children;s record division of RCA
09:40

Joyce Brothers

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Steve Carlin on Dr. Joyce Brothers' appearance as a contestant on The $64,000 Question
04:32

Louis G. Cowan

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Steve Carlin on Louis G. Cowan leaving The $64,000 Question  and his role in creating the show
02:52

Mike Wallace

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Steve Carlin on creating the game show The Big Surprise
03:06
Steve Carlin on Mike Wallace hosting The Big Surprise
02:25

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