"I would advise someone who wants to be a writer to observe behavior. To understand that there’s a gap between what people say they want, and what they really want, and that the line between good and evil is not between people. We all have the capacity to do great good or evil, given the setting or given the stimuli."

    About This Interview

    In the one-hour fifteen-minute solo portion of his interview, Thad Mumford (1951-2018) talks about his early years, and being a batboy for the New York Yankees. He describes becoming a page at NBC and going on to write jokes for Joan Rivers. He recounts writing for the PBS children’s series The Electric Company, learning to write sketches and characters from writer Tom Whedon, and eventually winning an Emmy for his work on the show. Mumford discusses writing for The Flip Wilson Show with Lorne Michaels, and eventually writing for the Norman Lear series Maude and Good Times. He details writing for A Different World, and being a supervising producer on ALF. He concludes by commenting on what he likes about writing, and offering advice for aspiring writers. Amy Harrington conducted the solo portion of the interview.

    In the twenty-minute joint portion of their interview, Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford talk about how they met and became a writing team, as well as writing for That’s My Mama and Roots: The Next Generations. They recall being on the writing staff of M*A*S*H later in its run, and helping to write the series finale, “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.” Amy Harrington and Nancy Harrington conducted the interviews in a joint venture with the Writers Guild Foundation on April 20, 2016 in Tarzana, CA.

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

    Thad Mumford on writing for The Electric Company

    03:42
    Thumbnail of Thad Mumford

    Thad Mumford on writing for Maude

    02:11
    Thumbnail of Thad Mumford

    Thad Mumford on writing for A Different World, and dealing with the departure of Lisa Bonet, and on working with director Debbie Allen

    04:58
    Thumbnail of Thad Mumford

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the fifth installment of Roots: The Next Generations

    06:02
    Thumbnail of Thad Mumford

    Thad Mumford on acting as supervising producer on ALF

    03:17
    Thumbnail of Thad Mumford

    Thad Mumford on being a batboy for the New York Yankees, and on racism in baseball in those years

    10:02
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his early life and influences; on being a batboy for the New York Yankees, and on racism in baseball in those years; on going off to college, but sneaking back to New York to finish the season as a batboy for the Yankees

    22:58

    On being fired from the New York Yankees; on his first television job as an NBC page; on writing jokes for Joan Rivers

    07:22

    On writing for The Electric Company; on learning from Tom Whedon on The Electric Company, and the process of writing for the show; on favorite sketches and characters on the show, and winning an Emmy for it

    14:08

    On writing songs for Sesame Street with Joe Raposo; on writing for The Flip Wilson Show with Lorne Michaels; on writing for Good Times,Maude, and various other Norman Lear shows

    16:24

    Chapter 2

    On writing for Maude; on acting as supervising producer on ALF; on writing for A Different World, and dealing with the departure of Lisa Bonet; on working with director Debbie Allen

    10:28

    On what he likes about writing; on his advice to aspiring writers and on how he'd like to be remembered

    03:23

    Chapter 3

    START OF JOINT INTERVIEW WITH DAN WILCOX AND THAD MUMFORD: On how they met and became a writing team; on writing for That's My Mama; on writing the fifth installment of Roots: The Next Generations

    12:49

    On writing for M*A*S*H; on writing the M*A*S*H finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

    07:54

    ALF

    Thad Mumford on acting as supervising producer on ALF

    03:17

    Different World, A

    Thad Mumford on writing for A Different World, and dealing with the departure of Lisa Bonet, and on working with director Debbie Allen

    04:58

    Electric Company, The

    Thad Mumford on writing for The Electric Company

    03:42

    Thad Mumford on learning from Tom Whedon on The Electric Company, and on the process of writing for the show

    04:52

    Thad Mumford on favorite sketches and characters of The Electric Company, and on Joan Ganz Cooney

    04:02

    Thad Mumford on winning an Emmy for The Electric Company

    01:29

    Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

    Thad Mumford on winning an Emmy for The Electric Company

    01:29

    Flip Wilson Show, The

    Thad Mumford on writing for The Flip Wilson Show with Lorne Michaels

    05:50

    Good Times

    Thad Mumford on writing for Good Times, Maude, and various other Norman Lear shows

    06:36

    M*A*S*H

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for M*A*S*H

    03:21

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the M*A*S*H finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

    04:32

    M*A*S*H: "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the M*A*S*H finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

    04:32

    Maude

    Thad Mumford on writing for Good Times, Maude, and various other Norman Lear shows

    06:36

    Thad Mumford on writing for Maude

    02:11

    Roots: The Next Generations

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the fifth installment of Roots: The Next Generations

    06:02

    Sesame Street

    Thad Mumford on writing songs for Sesame Street with Joe Raposo

    03:56

    That's My Mama

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for That's My Mama

    02:14

    Advice

    Thad Mumford on his advice to aspiring writers and on how he'd like to be remembered

    01:44

    Emmy Awards

    Thad Mumford on winning an Emmy for The Electric Company

    01:29

    Television Industry

    Thad Mumford on being fired from the New York Yankees and on his first television job as an NBC page

    05:15

    Thad Mumford on his advice to aspiring writers and on how he'd like to be remembered

    01:44

    Writers

    Thad Mumford on what he likes about writing

    01:32

    Thad Mumford on his advice to aspiring writers and on how he'd like to be remembered

    01:44

    Children's Programming

    Thad Mumford on writing for The Electric Company

    14:08

    Thad Mumford on writing songs for Sesame Street with Joe Raposo

    03:56

    Comedy Series

    Thad Mumford on writing for Good Times, Maude, and various other Norman Lear shows

    06:36

    Thad Mumford on writing for Maude

    02:11

    Thad Mumford on acting as supervising producer on ALF

    03:17

    Thad Mumford on writing for A Different World

    04:58

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for That's My Mama

    02:14

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing for M*A*S*H

    07:54

    Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

    Thad Mumford on writing for The Flip Wilson Show

    05:50

    TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

    Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford on writing the fifth installment of Roots: The Next Generations

    06:02

    Debbie Allen

    Thad Mumford on writing for A Different World, and dealing with the departure of Lisa Bonet and on working with director Debbie Allen

    04:58

    Lisa Bonet

    Thad Mumford on writing for A Different World, and dealing with the departure of Lisa Bonet, and on working with director Debbie Allen

    04:58

    Joan Ganz Cooney

    Thad Mumford on favorite sketches and characters of The Electric Company, and on Joan Ganz Cooney

    04:03

    Norman Lear

    Thad Mumford on writing for Good Times, Maude, and various other Norman Lear shows

    06:36

    Lorne Michaels

    Thad Mumford on writing for The Flip Wilson Show with Lorne Michaels

    05:50

    Joe Raposo

    Thad Mumford on writing songs for Sesame Street with Joe Raposo

    03:56

    Joan Rivers

    Thad Mumford on writing jokes for Joan Rivers

    02:06

    Tom Whedon

    Thad Mumford on learning from Tom Whedon on The Electric Company, and on the process of writing for the show

    04:52

    Flip Wilson

    Thad Mumford on writing for The Flip Wilson Show with Lorne Michaels

    05:50

    All Interviews

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