Tom Werner

In his two-hour Archive interview, Tom Werner is interviewed solo for a half hour and together with partner Marcy Carsey for one-and-a-half hours. Carsey discusses her first job as an NBC tour guide and how it led to working on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, at an advertising agency, and at other production companies. She discusses moving to ABC in 1974, where she worked in comedy programming and development and hired future producing partner Tom Werner. Werner speaks of working first in documentaries, then joining ABC's planning and development department. Carsey recalls leaving ABC in 1980 to start her own production company, and Werner joining her a year later. The two talk about developing a number of shows before creating their major 1984 hit, The Cosby Show. They speak of producing hit series A Different World, Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, and 3rd  Rock from the Sun. Carsey and Warner also speak about their longtime partner Caryn Mandabach and the challenges facing independent production companies today. Karen Herman conducted the interview on March 10, 2003 in Los Angeles, CA.