Latest News from The Interviews

"Leave it to Beaver" Celebrates 50 Years

 Wed, 10/03/2007 Here's a note we received from Archive interviewee Jerry Mathers regarding Leave it to Beaver's 50th Anniversary -- which is October 4th! From Jerry Mathers: Leave it to Beaver is celebrating it's 50th anniversary on October 4th! Please join me in watching Tom Bergeron interview my tv family and friends, Barbara Billingsley, Tony Dow, Ken Osmond, Frank Bank and of course me, on Good Morning America (Ch. 7) on Thursday, October 4th at 7:00 am. And, we are also scheduled to be on the KTLA Morning...

"Playhouse 90" Producer Martin Manulis has Died -- His Full Archive Interview is Online

 Sun, 09/30/2007 Martin Manulis, one of the legendary producers who exemplified the "Golden Age" of television by seeking and nurturing both on-camera and behind-the scenes talent, died Friday at the age of 92. The Archive of American Television interviewed him in 1997, and in subsequent years, he was a great champion of the Archive -- donating his time to assist in the compilation of a comprehensive credits list for Playhouse 90 . Among the classic teleplays he produced during his 3 seasons at the helm of...

"Radio Days" Ended 45 Years Ago

 Thu, 09/27/2007 The last chapter of network dramatic radio programming came to pass with the final broadcasts of both “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar” and “Suspense” on September 30, 1962. Many series have kept the art form of radio alive, among the first and most ambitious being “The CBS Radio Mystery Theater” (1974-82), produced and directed by Himan Brown. The Archive of American Television, in capturing long-form career interviews with early TV on-camera and production talent, also captured stories about...

"The Jetsons" Turns 45!

 Sun, 09/23/2007 On September 23, 1962, following the success of The Flintston es, Hanna-Barbera's animated sitcom The Jetsons premiered as one of the first color television programs on ABC. Hard to believe, but only 24 "classic" episodes were made at that time -- another 50+ episodes were later created in the 1980s. The Creation of "The Jetsons" - From Part 5 of Joseph Barbera's 7-part interview When the network came in and said, “You want to do another show.” It's not particularly brainy to say, “Well, with...

30 Years Ago Today: Fonzie and "Happy Days" Jumped the Shark

 Thu, 09/20/2007 On September 20, 1977, in part three of the "Hollywood" episode , Fonzie, in bathing suit and leather jacket, faced jumping a caged shark on water skis. This moment in television history prompted the phrase "jump the shark" inaugurated by the website jumptheshark.com to describe "a defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill." In their Archive interviews, series stars Ron Howard and Henry...

The Bob Newhart Show Celebrates 35 Years!

 Mon, 09/10/2007 Join the Archive and TV Land in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the iconic series The Bob Newhart Show , which debuted on September 16, 1972. In an on-air and online tribute, TV Land is paying tribute to this Emmy Award-winning series that set the tone for a generation of TV shows. The network will showcase eight episodes personally selected by Newhart for being some of his favorites including "Blues for Mr. Borden," "Sorry Wrong Mother" and "Over The River & Through The Woods" (...

80 Years Ago Today...Inventor Philo Farnsworth Transmits His First Electronic Television Image

 Fri, 09/07/2007 80 years ago today, on September 7, 1927, 21-year-old television inventor Philo Farnsworth transmitted his first electronic television image using an image dissector camera tube created in his laboratory at 202 Green Street in San Francisco . The first image, a single straight line (on a glass slide), was one of the early successes in the race to create electronic television. In her Archive of American Television interview conducted in 1996, Farnsworth's widow, Elma Farnsworth discusses her...

Archive Interviewee Jerry Lewis Discusses the MDA Telethon

 Thu, 08/30/2007 The 42nd annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Monday, September 3rd. “I’ll never wave the white flag in the fight against muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting diseases,” Lewis says on the MDA website. “Not only is the Telethon a chance to help put an end to these debilitating diseases, but it’s also a way to inform and educate the public, while having a darn good time.” Jerry Lewis was interviewed in...

Archive Interviewee Brad Garrett Talks About "'Til Death" -- Now Out on DVD

 Tue, 08/21/2007 FOX comedy 'Til Death : Season One comes out on DVD today; the series has been renewed for its second season for 2007-08. Series star Brad Garrett is best known for playing Ray Romano's brother, policeman "Robert Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond . He's also the voice of "Gusteau" in the current Pixar feature Ratatouille . Brad Garrett sat down with the Archive of American Television on April 26, 2007 where he talked about starring in 'Til Death . Describe the character you play. Eddie, I...

Archive Interviewee Gerald Fried Joins the Topanga Symphony for a Free Concert

 Sat, 08/18/2007 LOS ANGELES RESIDENTS: ARCHIVE INTERVIEWEE GERALD FRIED WILL BE PERFORMING WITH THE TOPANGA SYMPHONY Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. Topanga Community House 1140 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. Topanga, CA 90290 *** Jerome Kessler - Music Director and Conductor Gerald Fried - Oboe Christoph Willibald Gluck - Airs de Ballet Suite #1 Benedetto Marcello - Oboe Concerto in C minor H. Maurice Jacquet - Pour un Petit Chien Clown Johannes Wenzeslaus Kalivoda - Symphony No. 6 in F No tickets or...