Tammy Faye Bakker Messner

Televangelist


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her one-hour interview, Tammy Faye Bakker Messner (1942-2007) talks about her childhood desire to become an evangelist. She describes meeting her future husband Jim Bakker at Bible college and their subsequent collaboration as traveling evangelists. She details getting discovered by Pat Robertson, and how they were launched on the fledgling Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Bakker Messner speaks about their children's show, The Jim and Tammy Show, as well as Jim's tenure as host of The 700 Club. She then discusses their creation of Trinity Broadcasting and their eventual split with their co-founders, which led to the formation of the PTL Club. Although she does not discuss the subsequent "PTL scandal," she speaks of the devastation it left on her life. She also speaks about The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show and her appearance on The Surreal Life. Karen Herman conducted the interview on January 19, 2005 in Palm Springs, CA.

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

"With television, you can reach so many more people. You'll reach people who would never go to church and that's the people we were after. We wanted to let them know that there was a wonderful God out there who loved them and cared for them just the way they were. It worked so well that before we knew it, people were copying us all over the country." 

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on finding God
00:49
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on meeting and marrying Jim Bakker in college
01:15
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her first television appearance and creating The Jim and Tammy Show
02:24
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her trademark eyelashes
00:29
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on how she'd like to be remembered
00:17
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her early years and influences; on finding God and wanting to be an evangelist or a preacher; on performing
On attending bible college and meeting Jim Bakker; on spreading the gospel; on their first ministry and first appearances on television; on creating The Jim and Tammy Show; on Jim Bakker starting The 700 Club and the growth of CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network)
On leaving CBN, moving to California, and starting Trinity Broadcasting; on forming PTL Club and her role on the show
On The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show; on some of her post-PTL-scandal TV appearances on shows including The Surreal Life

Chapter 2

On appearing on The Surreal Life
On the documentary film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"; on then-current projects; on celebrity
On misconceptions about her; on how she would like to be remembered
Shows

700 Club, The

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on Jim Bakker starting The 700 Club
01:10

Drew Carey Show, The

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on appearing on The Drew Carey Show
00:27

Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show, The

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show  
00:42

Jim and Tammy Show, The

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her first television appearance and creating The Jim and Tammy Show
02:24
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on the puppets on The Jim and Tammy Show
00:07

PTL Club

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on co-hosting PTL Club with Jim Bakker
00:55
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on the music on PTL Club  
00:19
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on a typical day on PTL Club  
01:01
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on viewer and critical reaction to PTL Club  
00:44
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on topics covered on PTL Club  
00:08
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her on-screen persona on PTL Club  
00:27
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on the growth of PTL Club and her growing fame
01:07
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on life after the PTL Club scandal
00:49

Roseanne

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on appearing on Roseanne 
00:09

Surreal Life, The

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on appearing on The Surreal Life
01:33
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on appearing on The Surreal Life with Ron Jeremy
01:15
Topics

Advice

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on advice to aspiring televangelists
00:49

Fame and Celebrity

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on celebrity
00:40

Representation on Television

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her experience as a woman in Christian television
00:18

Television Industry

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on celebrity
00:40
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on the power of television
00:08
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on advice to aspiring televangelists
00:49

Women

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her experience as a woman in Christian television
00:18
Professions

Hosts

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her first television appearance and creating The Jim and Tammy Show
02:24

Religious Broadcaster

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her first television appearance and creating The Jim and Tammy Show
02:24
Genres

Reality TV

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on appearing on The Surreal Life
01:33

Religious Programming

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her first television appearance and creating The Jim and Tammy Show
02:31
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on co-hosting PTL Club with Jim Bakker
05:30
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on how Christian television has changed
00:18
People

Jerry Falwell

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on talking about Jerry Falwell in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" (regarding the PTL Club scandal)
00:39

Jim Bakker

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on meeting and marrying Jim Bakker
00:18
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on meeting and marrying Jim Bakker in college
01:15
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her and Jim Bakker's mission to spread gospel
01:02
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her first television appearance
02:24
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on Jim Bakker starting The 700 Club
01:10
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on co-hosting PTL CLub with Jim Bakker
00:55

Pat Robertson

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on her first television appearance
02:24
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on working with Pat Robertson at CBN
00:21

Paul Crouch

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Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on Paul Crouch ousting Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker from Trinity Broadcast Network
00:33

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