Bob Schiller

In the half-hour solo portion of his interview, Bob Schiller (1918-2017) talks about his early childhood and service in the Army during World War II. He then explains how he got his start in the entertainment industry. He discusses radio shows and performers with which he was associated in his early career, including Duffy’s Tavern, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and The Kimmy Durant show. He also details his transition from radio to television and working on Four Star Revue and The Red Buttons Show.

In the three-hour joint portion of their interview, Bob Weiskopf (1914-2001)  and Bob Schiller talk about their work together. They remember how they formed their partnership, and recall their years as staff writers on I Love Lucy and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. They talk of their collaborations with Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh Davis, and Bob Carroll, as well as with the stars of I Love Lucy. They look back on the writing process for the show, and on the events that took place behind the scenes each week. They outline their work on The Lucy Show, The Red Skelton Show, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Flip Wilson Show. Schiller and Weiskopf then detail their collaboration with producer Norman Lear on Maude, and comment on the balance that was often required of them as writer/producers to find humor in dramatic situations. They chronicle their work on other Lear shows including All in the Family, Archie Bunker's Place, Sanford and Son, and Checking In. Finally, they discuss their then-most-recent work on various television projects and pilots and speak of being honored with the Writers Guild of America's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Achievement in 1988. Karen Herman conducted the interviews on April 4, 2000 in Santa Monica, CA.