Thomas W. Moore

Network Executive


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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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.

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

"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." 

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Chapter 1

On his hobbies growing up, and on movies and radio he liked growing up; on his experience with World War II
On the first time he saw television, and his early experience with the medium; on his role at CBS radio
On making the transition from radio to television; on the Hollywood Blacklist

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
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

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
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

Chapter 5

On programming and developing The Untouchables, Adventures in Paradise and The FBI; on programming and developing The Flintstones
On programming and developing Peyton Place, and on ABC dealing with the advent of color; on programming and developing Batman
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

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
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

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
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

Chapter 8

Full Chapter Eight

Chapter 9

Full Chapter Nine

Chapter 10

Full Chapter Ten

Chapter 11

Full Chapter Eleven
Shows

77 Sunset Strip

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing 77 Sunset Strip
01:22

ABC's Wide World of Sports

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Thomas Moore on the genesis of ABC's Wide World of Sports
04:55

Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet, The

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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
02:58

Adventures in Paradise

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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

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Thomas Moore on the development of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
03:21

Batman

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Batman, and on the limited shelf life of shows that are instant hits
02:36

FBI, The

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Adventures in Paradise and The FBI produced by Quinn Martin
06:48

Flintstones, The

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Flintstones
04:25

Frank Sinatra Show, The (1957-58)

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Frank Sinatra Show, and on Elvis Presley appearing on that show
06:22

I Love Lucy

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

Jerry Lewis Show, The (1963)

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Jerry Lewis Show, and The Hollywood Palace
05:54

McHale's Navy

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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

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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

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Thomas Moore on the genesis of ABC Monday Night Football
03:50

Olympics

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Thomas Moore on ABC's acquisition of the Olympic games in the 1960s and '70s
02:01

Peyton Place

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Peyton Place, and on ABC dealing with the advent of color
04:02

Real McCoys, The

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Real McCoys
02:25

That Girl

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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
02:58

Untouchables, The

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Untouchables
04:05
Topics

'The Idiot Box'

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Thomas W. Moore on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television
05:06

Advertising and Sponsorship

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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

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Thomas W. Moore on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television
05:06

Dwight D. Eisenhower

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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

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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

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Thomas W. Moore on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:04

Industry Crossroads

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Thomas W. Moore on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:04

John F. Kennedy

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Thomas W. Moore on the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960
05:51

Kennedy-Nixon Debates

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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

Technological Innovation

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing Peyton Place, and on ABC dealing with the advent of color
04:02

Television Industry

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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

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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

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Thomas W. Moore on his experience with World War II
03:06

World War II

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Thomas W. Moore on his experience with World War II
03:06
Professions

Television Executive

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Thomas Moore on the business aspects of The Mickey Mouse Club
04:19
Genres

Children's Programming

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Flintstones
04:25

Comedy Series

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Thomas W. Moore on programming and developing The Real McCoys
02:25
People

Roone Arledge

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

William S. Paley

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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

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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

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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

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