Latest News from The Interviews

Robert Halmi, Sr.

Remembering Robert Halmi, Sr.

 Thu, 07/31/2014 We're sad to learn that producer/executive Robert Halmi, Sr. passed away yesterday, on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at the age of 90 in New York City. Halmi moved to the United States from his native Hungary in 1950 and soon found work as a photographer for Life magazine. He transitioned from a still photographer to motion picture photography, shooting documentaries for television and subsequently producing TV movies. He disliked working directly with the broadcast networks and major studios, so...
Bill Davis

Remembering Bill Davis

 Wed, 07/30/2014 We're sad to hear that Producer/Director Bill Davis passed away on Monday, July 28, 2014 at the age of 81. Davis began his career at the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and became a television director during the medium's infancy. He soon moved to New York to work in American television and got his first job on The Jimmy Dean Show . Throughout the 1960s Davis directed the specials Rogers and Hart Today and Herb Alpert's The Brass is Coming , as well as several episodes of the...
Carol Burnett

Another Reason To Be a Fan of Carol Burnett

 Fri, 07/25/2014 We're fans of the do-gooder stories here at the Archive. Those wonderful tales of people going out of their way to make someone's life easier or happier in some way. Here's one such story that gives us a little extra faith in humanity, courtesy of the one and only Carol Burnett . Watch as she shares how the kindness of a stranger launched her career, and how she paid that kindness forward. People helping people. That's what it's all about.
James Garner

Remembering James Garner

 Sun, 07/20/2014 We're sad to hear of the passing of actor James Garner , who died at the age of 86 on Saturday, July 19, 2014 at his home in Los Angeles, CA. Garner started out in entertainment as an actor/model and got his first break on Broadway in "The Cain Mutiny." His first big television role came when he was cast as "Bret Maverick" in the classic western series, Maverick . He enjoyed a prolific feature film career as well, starring in "The Americanization of Emily," and "Gran Prix," before his next...
Bob Costello

Remembering Bob Costello

 Fri, 07/18/2014 We're sad to hear of the recent passing of producer Bob Costello , who died on May 30, 2014 at the age of 93. Costello began his career as a production manager at NBC in 1951, working on live shows like Mr. Peepers . He served as an associate producer on the sitcom Bonino , and moved up to the role of producer on The Armstrong Circle Theatre when the program switched to an hour-long format in 1955. Costello went on to produce The Nurses , The Patty Duke Show , and Dark Shadows . He also...
Seinfeld

The Seinfeld Chronicles: No Elaine, No Gain

 Fri, 07/04/2014 So Jerry Seinfeld's manager George Shapiro has some talks with NBC. Then Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David chat about what they'd do if they had a TV show. Yadda yadda yadda, you get Seinfeld . Well, here's the yadda explained: how 25 years ago, the relatively unsuccessful pilot "The Seinfeld Chronicles" became the start of one of NBC's biggest hits. Turns out some network notes ARE worth taking. The secret to successful sitcom episodes? Just ask yourself, "How will we make our friends laugh?...
Ruby Dee

Remembering Ruby Dee

 Thu, 06/12/2014 We're sad to hear of the passing of Ruby Dee , who died yesterday at the age of 91. Dee started out in show business as a feature film and Broadway actress, and soon won roles on the small screen, as well. She played "Martha Frazier" on Guiding Light for many years, and was also a regular on Peyton Place . Dee was heavily involved with the Civil Rights Movement, calling both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. friends, and enjoyed numerous roles in television movies and miniseries in the...
David Chase

So You Want To Write For Television...

 Tue, 06/10/2014 As a cataloguer for The Archive of American Television, each day I work here is an education. I listen to the life and career stories of the actors, producers, directors and tech professionals who have created and shaped television for the last 70 years. But by far the biggest treat and best education for me has been cataloging the writers in our collection. Early on in my job here, I viewed our three-and-a-half-hour long interview with writer Ellen M. Violett from 2008. She was not a person I’...