Thomas W. Moore

Network Executive

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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 five-and-a-half-hour Archive interview, Television executive Thomas W. Moore (1918-2007) talks about his early years at CBS radio in sales in the late '40s and early '50s. He describes his move to ABC, where he became head of programming and then president of the network. He discusses such shows as The Frank Sinatra Show, The Flintstones, The Jerry Lewis Show and Stage 67. He also discusses ABC's groundbreaking sports programming including Wide World of Sports and Monday Night Football. He talks about his founding of Tomorrow Entertainment which was responsible for such Emmy-winning programming as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and the Body Human series. Henry Colman conducted the interview in Los Angeles, California January 3 and January 31, 2003.

"I enjoyed the programming and the manufacture of programs more than anything else. You always take great joy and pride in successful programming -- you program a period and a hit comes out of it, that's a source of great pride."

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his hobbies growing up, and on movies and radio he liked growing up; on his experience with World War II

11:04

On the first time he saw television, and his early experience with the medium; on his role at CBS radio

08:09

On making the transition from radio to television; on the Hollywood Blacklist

08:50

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

On Edgar J. Scherick and Roone Arledge's role in bringing sports to ABC; on the genesis of ABC's Wide World of Sports; on the genesis of ABC's Monday Night Football

17:32

On various sports shows he programmed at ABC; on ABC's acquisition of the Olympic games in the 1960s and '70s; on ABC brining various sports like golf to television

10:52

Chapter 4

on Edgar J. Scherick at ABC; on the people who worked for him at ABC when he was head of programming, including Michael Eisner and Barry Diller; on his stint as head of programming at ABC, and on his goals at the time

12:22

on programming and developing The Frank Sinatra Show; on programming and developing The Jerry Lewis Show, and The Hollywood Palace; on programming and developing The Real McCoys and 77 Sunset Strip

16:03

Chapter 5

On programming and developing The Untouchables, Adventures in Paradise and The FBI; on programming and developing The Flintstones

15:18

On programming and developing Peyton Place, and on ABC dealing with the advent of color; on programming and developing Batman

06:38

On programming various series in the '60s, including That Girl with Marlo Thomas, and the long-running The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; on programming various shows including McHale's Navy and various game shows; on his duties at president of ABC

06:55

Chapter 6

On ABC chairman Leonard H. Goldenson; on ABC covering the 1952 conventions, and on how presidents starting with Dwight D. Eisenhower took to television

13:31

On the government attempting to require public service programming on the networks, and on William S. Paley and General David Sarnoff; on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960

14:13

Chapter 7

On the Kennedy-Nixon Debates; on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television; on what he sees as the FCC's role in broadcasting

20:42

On the ban on cigarette advertising on television; on the FCC regulation of the networks being able to own or control the rebroadcast of primetime shows; on the length of commercials and commercial breaks on network television

07:39

Chapter 8

Full Chapter Eight

Chapter 9

Full Chapter Nine

Chapter 10

Full Chapter Ten

Chapter 11

Full Chapter Eleven

Shows

77 Sunset Strip

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing 77 Sunset Strip

01:22

ABC's Wide World of Sports

Thomas Moore on the genesis of ABC's Wide World of Sports

04:55

Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet, The

Thomas W. Moore on programming various series in the '60s, including That Girl with Marlo Thomas, and the long-running The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

02:58

Adventures in Paradise

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Adventures in Paradise and The FBI produced by Quinn Martin

06:48

Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, The

Thomas Moore on the development of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

03:21

Batman

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Batman, and on the limited shelf life of shows that are instant hits

02:36

FBI, The

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Adventures in Paradise and The FBI produced by Quinn Martin

06:48

Flintstones, The

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Flintstones

04:25

Frank Sinatra Show, The (1957-58)

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Frank Sinatra Show, and on Elvis Presley appearing on that show

06:22

I Love Lucy

Thomas W. Moore on the freeze of FCC licences for television stations in 1949

Jerry Lewis Show, The (1963)

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Jerry Lewis Show, and The Hollywood Palace

05:54

McHale's Navy

Thomas W. Moore on programming various shows including McHale's Navy and various game shows

01:57

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing McHale's Navy

Mickey Mouse Club, The

Thomas W. Moore on The Mickey Mouse Club on ABC

04:17

Thomas W. Moore on the format of The Mickey Mouse Club

04:13

Monday Night Football

Thomas Moore on the genesis of ABC Monday Night Football

03:50

Olympics

Thomas Moore on ABC's acquisition of the Olympic games in the 1960s and '70s

02:01

Peyton Place

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Peyton Place, and on ABC dealing with the advent of color

04:02

Real McCoys, The

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Real McCoys

02:25

That Girl

Thomas W. Moore on programming various series in the '60s, including That Girl with Marlo Thomas, and the long-running The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

02:58

Untouchables, The

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Untouchables

04:05

Topics

'The Idiot Box'

Thomas W. Moore on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television

05:06

Advertising and Sponsorship

Thomas W. Moore on the ban on cigarette advertising on television

01:45

Thomas W. Moore on the length of commercials and commercial breaks on network television

04:14

Criticism of TV

Thomas W. Moore on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television

05:06

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Thomas W. Moore on ABC covering the 1952 conventions, and on how presidents starting with Dwight D. Eisenhower took to television

07:55

Historic Events and Social Change

Thomas W. Moore on his experience with World War II

03:06

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960

05:51

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates

10:10

Hollywood Blacklist

Thomas W. Moore on the Hollywood Blacklist

01:04

Industry Crossroads

Thomas W. Moore on the Hollywood Blacklist

01:04

John F. Kennedy

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960

05:51

Kennedy-Nixon Debates

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960

05:51

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates

10:10

Technological Innovation

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Peyton Place, and on ABC dealing with the advent of color

04:02

Television Industry

Thomas W. Moore on the Hollywood Blacklist

01:04

Thomas W. Moore on the creation of Viacom, and on being hired at ABC by Jim Aubrey

03:12

Thomas W. Moore on being vice president in charge of programming at ABC, and on the state of the network when he arrived

03:28

Thomas W. Moore on the people who worked for him at ABC when he was head of programming, including Michael Eisner and Barry Diller

05:30

Thomas W. Moore on his stint as head of programming at ABC, and on his goals at the time

03:25

Thomas W. Moore on his duties at president of ABC

02:00

Thomas W. Moore on the government attempting to require public service programming on the networks, and on William S. Paley and General David Sarnoff

08:22

Thomas W. Moore on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television

05:06

Thomas W. Moore on what he sees as the FCC's role in broadcasting

05:26

Thomas W. Moore on the ban on cigarette advertising on television

01:45

Thomas W. Moore on the FCC regulation of the networks being able to own or control the rebroadcast of primetime shows

01:37

Thomas W. Moore on the length of commercials and commercial breaks on network television

04:14

Thomas W. Moore on networks and their affiliates

02:59

Thomas W. Moore on his day-to-day responsibilities as president of ABC

02:48

Television and the Presidency

Thomas W. Moore on ABC covering the 1952 conventions, and on how presidents starting with Dwight D. Eisenhower took to television

07:55

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960

05:51

War

Thomas W. Moore on his experience with World War II

03:06

World War II

Thomas W. Moore on his experience with World War II

03:06

Professions

Television Executive

View Profession

Thomas Moore on the business aspects of The Mickey Mouse Club

04:19

Genres

Children's Programming

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Flintstones

04:25

Comedy Series

Thomas W. Moore on programming various series in the '60s, including That Girl, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and McHale's Navy

04:55

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing 77 Sunset Strip

01:22

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Untouchables, Adventures in Paradise, and The FBI

10:53

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Batman

02:36

Daytime/Primetime Serials

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Peyton Place, and on ABC dealing with the advent of color

04:02

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Frank Sinatra Show

06:22

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Jerry Lewis Show, and The Hollywood Palace

05:54

Sports

Thomas W. Moore on ABC's early sports programming

Thomas W. Moore on Edgar J. Scherick and Roone Arledge's role in bringing sports to ABC

08:47

Thomas W. Moore on various sports shows he programmed at ABC

05:27

Thomas W. Moore on ABC brining various sports like golf to television

03:24

Western Series

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Real McCoys

02:25

People

Roone Arledge

View Person Page

Thomas Moore on the genesis of ABC's Wide World of Sports

04:55

Thomas Moore on the genesis of ABC's Monday Night Football

03:50

Thomas Moore on ABC's acquisition of the Olympic games in the 1960s and 70s

01:53

Barry Diller

View Person Page

Thomas W. Moore on the people who worked for him at ABC when he was head of programming, including Michael Eisner and Barry Diller

05:30

Walt Disney

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Thomas Moore on how ABC and Walt Disney partnered; how the Barbie doll was advertised on The Mickey Mouse Club

05:57

Thomas Moore on the business aspects of The Mickey Mouse Club

04:19

Dwight D. Eisenhower

View Person Page

Thomas W. Moore on ABC covering the 1952 conventions, and on how presidents starting with Dwight D. Eisenhower took to television

07:55

Michael Eisner

View Interview Page

Thomas W. Moore on the people who worked for him at ABC when he was head of programming, including Michael Eisner and Barry Diller

05:30

Leonard H. Goldenson

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Thomas Moore on how ABC and Walt Disney partnered; how the Barbie doll was advertised on The Mickey Mouse Club

05:57

Thomas W. Moore on ABC chairman Leonard H. Goldenson

05:36

John F. Kennedy

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Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960

05:51

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates

10:10

Jerry Lewis

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Jerry Lewis Show, and The Hollywood Palace produced by Nick Vanoff

05:49

Quinn Martin

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Adventures in Paradise and The FBI produced by Quinn Martin

06:48

Jim McKay

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Thomas Moore on the genesis of ABC's Wide World of Sports

04:55

Thomas Moore on ABC's acquisition of the Olympic games in the 1960s and 70s

01:53

Ozzie Nelson

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Thomas W. Moore on programming various series in the '60s, including That Girl with Marlo Thomas, and the long-running The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet with Ozzie Nelson

02:58

Richard M. Nixon

View Person Page

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960

05:51

Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates

10:10

William S. Paley

View Person Page

Thomas W. Moore on the government attempting to require public service programming on the networks, and on William S. Paley and General David Sarnoff

08:22

David Sarnoff

View Person Page

Thomas W. Moore on the government attempting to require public service programming on the networks, and on William S. Paley and General David Sarnoff

08:22

Edgar J. Scherick

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Thomas W. Moore on Edgar J. Scherick at ABC

03:27

Frank Sinatra

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Frank Sinatra Show

06:22

Marlo Thomas

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Thomas W. Moore on programming various series in the '60s, including That Girl with Marlo Thomas, and the long-running The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet with Ozzie Nelson

02:58

Nick Vanoff

View Person Page

Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Jerry Lewis Show, and The Hollywood Palace produced by Nick Vanoff

05:49