Latest News from The Interviews

"Playhouse 90" Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary!

 Wed, 10/04/2006 In Americ an television in the 1940s and 50s, one of the staple genres of the day was the "live" drama tic anthology series. Productions within these series featured the writing of such luminaries as Paddy Chayefsky, Rod Serling, and Horton Foote and defined what has been termed the "golden age of television." Among the anthology series were Kraft Television Theater , Philco-Goodyear Playhouse , Studio One , The U.S. Steel Hour , and Playhouse 90 . As described by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh in...

Longtime Jack Benny Radio and TV Writer George Balzer Has Died

 Tue, 10/03/2006 George Balzer (pictured above with interviewer Dan Pasternack), who spent twenty-five years writing for Jack Benny, was interviewed by the Archive of American Television for two hours on January 25, 2001. Balzer died on September 28, at the age of 91. Here are some excerpts from his Archive of American Television Interview: On moving to Los Angeles: [When I was] four, my dad came home one night and said to my mother … our family was eight … eight people, my mother and father and six kids. Came...

Don Hastings' Archive of American Television Interview Is Now Online

 Mon, 10/02/2006 This is part two of Don Hastings's six part interview, where he talks about Captain Video and his Video Rangers . Click here to watch the entire interview. Don Hastings has played "Dr. Bob Hughes" on As the World Turns since 1960. Interview Description: Hastings begins by talking about his early years in theater and radio. He then talks about his television debut on the Du Mont network. He describes in great detail his regular role as the “the Ranger” on the popular Du Mont children’s...

Students: Be All That You Can TV!

 Thu, 09/28/2006 Although we usually highlight things from television's past, we thought we'd pass on this terrific opportunity for television's future.... Each year, hundreds of students from all across the nation enter the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation's College Television Awards competition. If someone you know is in a degree program at a small community college or a large university, this is an opportunity to make their film, video or digital work known to the television community...

Fifty years ago today... The Last Original Episode of "The Honeymooners" Aired

 Fri, 09/22/2006 The Honeymooners was a sketch on Jackie Gleason's variety series before and after it ran for a single season as its own half-hour series. The episodes from that season, known to fans as the "Classic 39," ended their run on September 22, 1956. Actress Joyce Randolph ("Trixie Norton") reminisces about The Honeymooners . Click here to access her interview. Writer Leonard Stern discusses the episodes he wrote with partner Sydney Zelinka. To access his interview click here. What is your favorite...

Charles Fox's Archive of American Television Interview Is Now Online

 Thu, 09/21/2006 Composer Charles Fox's two-and-a-half hour Archive of American Television interview has been added to the online collection at Google Video. This is tape 2 of Charles Fox's interview in which he talks about the early days of electronic music. Click here to view the entire 7-part interview. Charles Fox is the composer of many of television's most memorable theme songs including the theme songs for "Love, American Style," "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," "Wonder Woman," "The Love Boat," and...

Carroll O'Connor's Archive of American Television Interview is Now Online

 Mon, 09/18/2006 Actor Carroll O'Connor's 4-hour Archive of American Television interview has been added to the online collection at Google Video. This is tape 4 of Carroll O'Connor's interview in which he talks about Archie Bunker and All in the Family . Click here to access all eight parts of the interview. Carroll O'Connor (1924-2001) won Emmy Awards for portraying "Archie Bunker" on All in the Family and "Sheriff Bill Gillespie" on In the Heat of the Night . O'Connor on Archie Bunker (from Part 2): The...

25 Years Ago Today: "Hill Street Blues" Swept the Emmy Awards

 Wed, 09/13/2006 On September 13, 1981, Hill Street Blues set the record for the most Emmy Awards ever won by a primetime show in one season: eight. The record would stand until The West Wing won nine Emmys in 2000. At the time, Hill Street Blues was one of the poorest-rated shows of the season (ranking 87 among 96 primetime shows) when it made Emmy history (Its 21 nominations was also a record). As headlined by Variety : "'Hill Street' Cops Most Emmys: NBC-TV Series Busts Awards Open." Co-Creator/Producer...

Stardate: 2006

 Fri, 09/08/2006 Star Trek , the orginal series celebrates its 40th anniversary today! The series ran three years from September 8, 1966 to September 2, 1969. The Archive of American Television has interviewed several of the significant contributors to the series, including Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner. Click here to access all 5 interview segments . This is Part 5 of the interview. (Remember, if you'd like to watch the interview in the order in which it was conducted, select the parts in...