Meta Rosenberg

Agent/ Producer

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In her four-hour interview, Meta Rosenberg (1915-2004) speaks of her early success as one of the first women literary executives in Hollywood. She recalls taking a break from Hollywood when her first child was born in 1950, and then her subsequent return to being an agent in 1960, and developing such series as Hogan's Heroes, Ironside, and Julia. She discusses her transition to producer and executive producer, and her long-term business partnership with James Garner. Rosenberg outlines her involvement with The Rockford Files as executive producer, and occasional writer and director. She speaks of co-writing and producing the Emmy-winning made-for-television movie Off the Minnesota Strip with David Chase. She recounts her stint as an executive consultant at Universal Television, and offers advice to aspiring television producers. She concludes by discussing her marriage to agent George "Rosy" Rosenberg. Sunny Parich conducted the interview on February 12, 1998 in Beverly Hills, CA.

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

"The important thing for an executive producer is to create an atmosphere where talented people are comfortable enough do their best work. And to make them feel respected and loved. Everybody must feel that it's a wonderful family to be part of, and the executive producer sets the tone of that. It's true of every show."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside starring Raymond Burr

02:46

Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase

05:26

Meta Rosenberg on going to work for Paramount during the golden age of Hollywood

09:34

Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files and her relationship with James Garner

04:56

Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

02:21

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her early life and influences; on her very first job in the story department of Fox; on her duties in the story department at Fox

On becoming the assistant to Irene Lee in the story department at Warner Bros. and the lack of discrimination she felt as a woman; on her duties as assistant to Irene Lee; on working in New York in the '30s

On going to work for Paramount during the golden age of Hollywood

Chapter 2

On working with Billy Wilder; on working with Charles Bracket; on her favorite aspects of working as a story editor for the movies and how she was treated

On trying to become a producer at Paramount and becoming an agent; on her duties as an agent and her experiences; on representing Dalton Trumbo and various other writers; on her marriage and being a mother

Chapter 3

On the agent/studio/client relationship in the 1940s; on her early experience with television; on returning to the business in 1959 and forming Bing Crosby Productions

On packaging Ben Casey for Bing Crosby Productions; on the process of an agent pitching a show to a network; on dealing with Standards and Practices on Ben Casey

On working in television as opposed to working in film; on selling the series Breaking Point and becoming Robert Redford's agent; on selling the series Slattery's People; on selling the Hogan's Heroes pilot to CBS

Chapter 4

On casting Hogan's Heroes with Ethel Winant; on the writing of Hogan's Heroes and her on-going involvement with the series; on developing the series Daniel Boone and working with star Fess Parker and the feature "The Americanization of Emily" for James Garner

On representing James Garner in the '60s; on developing the series Ironside and Julia

On going to work as an agent for International Famous Artists and developing the feature "The Skin Game" for James Garner; on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

Chapter 5

On executive producing Nichols for James Garner and working with writer Frank Pierson and Juanita Bartlett; on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files and her relationship with James Garner; on casting The Rockford Files

On what The Rockford Files was about; on public and critical reaction to The Rockford Files and hiring David Chase; on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

On her duties as executive producer on The Rockford Files and the production process; on season 2 of The Rockford Files going up against Hawaii Five-O

Chapter 6

On hiring directors for the The Rockford Files; on the supporting cast of The Rockford Files; on the producers of The Rockford Files

On the guest stars of The Rockford Files; on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files; on the success and end of The Rockford Files

On producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase; on producing Bret Maverick

Chapter 7

On being an executive consultant at Universal Television and how things in the industry had changed by 1980; on what she enjoyed most about working in television and her career highlights; on television she enjoyed in the then-present

On advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman; on knowing Liam O'Flaherty; on marrying Irving Reis

On various people with whom she worked in her career; on her husband George Rosenberg

Chapter 8

On her marriage to George Rosenberg

On b-roll picture from her career- with James Garner on the set of The Rockford Files

Shows

Ben Casey

Meta Rosenberg on packaging Ben Casey for Bing Crosby Productions

02:57

Meta Rosenberg on dealing with Standards and Practices on Ben Casey

01:09

Breaking Point

Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Breaking Point and becoming Robert Redford's agent

05:35

Bret Maverick

Meta Rosenberg on producing Bret Maverick

02:39

Daniel Boone

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Daniel Boone and working with star Fess Parker

01:13

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

Meta Rosenberg on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files

00:54

Hawaii Five-O

Meta Rosenberg on season 2 of The Rockford Files going up against Hawaii Five-O

01:34

Hogan's Heroes

Meta Rosenberg on selling the Hogan's Heroes pilot to CBS

00:59

Meta Rosenberg on casting Hogan's Heroes with Ethel Winant

02:34

Meta Rosenberg on the writing of Hogan's Heroes and her on-going involvement with the series

01:03

Ironside

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside starring Raymond Burr

02:47

Julia

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

03:57

Nichols

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

04:22

Meta Rosenberg on producing Nichols for James Garner and working with writer Frank Pierson and Juanita Bartlett

05:56

Off the Minnesota Strip

Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase

05:26

Rockford Files, The

Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files and her relationship with James Garner

04:56

Meta Rosenberg on casting The Rockford Files

02:07

Meta Rosenberg on what The Rockford Files was about

03:05

Meta Rosenberg on public and critical reaction to The Rockford Files and hiring David Chase

01:36

Meta Rosenberg on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

01:21

Meta Rosenberg on her duties as executive producer on The Rockford Files and the production process

04:50

Meta Rosenberg on season 2 of The Rockford Files going up against Hawaii Five-O

01:34

Meta Rosenberg on hiring directors for The Rockford Files

08:08

Meta Rosenberg on the supporting cast of The Rockford Files

01:13

Meta Rosenberg on the producers of The Rockford Files

01:53

Meta Rosenberg on the guest stars of The Rockford Files

03:16

Meta Rosenberg on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files

00:54

Meta Rosenberg on the success of The Rockford Files

02:23

Meta Rosenberg on the end of The Rockford Files

01:21

Slattery's People

Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Slattery's People

00:49

Topics

Advice

Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

02:21

Emmy Awards

Meta Rosenberg on winning an Emmy for The Rockford Files

00:54

Historic Events and Social Change

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

03:57

Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

02:21

Representation on Television

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

03:57

Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

02:21

Television Industry

Meta Rosenberg on being an executive consultant at Universal Television and how things in the industry had changed by 1980

04:06

Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

02:21

Underrepresented Voices

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

03:57

Women

Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

02:21

Professions

Producers

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Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

02:21

Genres

Comedy Series

Meta Rosenberg on selling the Hogan's Heroes pilot to CBS

00:59

Meta Rosenberg on producing Hogan 's Heroes

03:37

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

03:57

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside

02:46

Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files

19:28

Meta Rosenberg on executive producing The Rockford Files

20:20

Drama Series

Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Slattery's People

00:49

Medical Dramas

Meta Rosenberg on packaging Ben Casey

06:22

Meta Rosenberg on packaging Breaking Point

05:35

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase

05:26

Western Series

Meta Rosenberg on developing Daniel Boone

01:13

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

04:22

Meta Rosenberg on producing Nichols for James Garner

05:56

People

Alan Arkin

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Meta Rosenberg on her friendship with Alan Arkin

02:38

Billy Wilder

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Meta Rosenberg on working with Billy Wilder

03:06

Dalton Trumbo

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Meta Rosenberg on representing Dalton Trumbo and various other writers

05:08

David Chase

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Meta Rosenberg on public and critical reaction to The Rockford Files and hiring David Chase

01:36

Meta Rosenberg on producing Off the Minnesota Strip co-written with David Chase

05:26

Diahann Carroll

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Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

03:57

Edward R. Murrow

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Meta Rosenberg on her friendship with Edward R. Murrow

04:32

Ethel Winant

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Meta Rosenberg on casting Hogan's Heroes with Ethel Winant

02:34

Fess Parker

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Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Daniel Boone and working with star Fess Parker

01:13

James Garner

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Meta Rosenberg on representing James Garner in the '60s

02:40

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Nichols for James Garner

04:22

Meta Rosenberg on developing and executive producing The Rockford Files and her relationship with James Garner

04:56

Raymond Burr

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Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Ironside starring Raymond Burr

02:46

Robert Redford

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Meta Rosenberg on selling the series Breaking Point and becoming Robert Redford's agent

05:35

Roy Huggins

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Meta Rosenberg on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

01:21

Stephen J. Cannell

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Meta Rosenberg on hiring Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for The Rockford Files

01:21

William Faulkner

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Meta Rosenberg on knowing William Faulkner

01:32