Jac Venza

Producer
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his three-hour interview, Jac Venza (1926-2024) talks about his early years and moving to New York City for a career in theater. He describes going to work for CBS in the Art Department for shows like Wonderful Town, Mama, The Blue Angel and Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman’s Life. He chronicles the creation of NET (National Education Television, the forerunner of PBS) and recalls shepherding new programs like NET Playhouse, as well as acquiring programming from the BBC in the United Kingdom. He recounts NET getting folded into PBS, where he produced several series, including Masterpiece Theatre, The Adams Chronicles, Great Performances, Live from Lincoln Center, and American Masters. Venza discusses winning Emmy awards for the Great Performances productions of "Itzhak Perlman: Fiddling for the Future" and "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House," and for producing the first hour of the Tony Awards broadcast for several years. He concludes with remarks about the then-current state of PBS and offers advice to aspiring television producers. Daisy Pommer conducted the interview on June 29, 2009 in New York, NY.

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

"I don’t think having programming directed by millions of people at home emailing is a way to create any artistry. Most of the fine arts historically have been done by the uniqueness of one person’s vision."

People Talking About ...
Jac Venza
Highlights
Jac Venza on the creation of American Masters
02:51
Jac Venza on re-designing the news set for CBS news
02:23
Jac Venza on the creation of NET Playhouse and on acquiring BBC programs for the show
05:13
Jac Venza on the creation of Great Performances
05:48
Jac Venza on developing new techniques for filming dance on Great Performances: Dance in America
02:32
Jac Venza on advice to an aspiring television producer
01:02
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on getting into design for theater after he finished high school; on moving to New York
On his first job in television at CBS; on working on shows like Mama and on what he learned in those early years at CBS; on doing production design for several shows including Wonderful Town and The Blue Angel; on the Hollywood Blacklist; on Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life starring Ingrid Bergman and Rip Torn
On re-designing the news set for CBS news; on producing Adventure
On working on a "History of Television" exhibit at MOMA; on producing the local Boston series A Time to Dance

Chapter 2
On helping to create NET (National Education Television - the forerunner of PBS); on producing dance documentaries for NET and on working with George Balanchine; on the creation of NET Playhouse and on acquiring BBC programming for the show
On some of the early memorable NET Playhouse productions, including "The Journey of the Fifth Horse" starring Dustin Hoffman; on the fate of NET after the Public Broadcasting Act was passed; on the creation of Masterpiece Theatre and Theatre in America
On PBS' early cinema programming, including shows on the history of cinema and foreign films; on The Adams Chronicles
On the creation of Great Performances; on the logistics of getting cameras, lights, and sound equipment in theaters to tape Great Performances; on sponsorship by Exxon and Texaco; on programming and choosing plays for Great Performances

Chapter 3
On the challenges of making a stage performance compelling for television audiences on shows like Great Performances; on bringing George Balanchine's ballet to the Grand Ole Opry on Great Performances: Dance in America; on tracing the history of dance on Great Performances: Dance in America
On making opera more palatable to modern audiences on shows like Live from Lincoln Center; on his role as producer of Great Performances; on commissioning new operas like "Nixon in China" by John Adams for Great Performances; on corporate sponsorships
On the creation of American Masters; on becoming director of culture and arts programs at PBS; on producing "Itzhak Perlman: Fiddling for the Future" and "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House" for Great Performances (for which he won an Emmy); on the qualities that make a good producer; on bringing musical theater productions from Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber to Great Performances
On awards he's won throughout his career; on executive producing the first hour of the Tony Awards
On executive producing City Arts; on executive producing Broadway: The American Musical, his final project; on advice to an aspiring television producer
Shows

Adams Chronicles, The

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Jac Venza on The Adams Chronicles, created by Virginia Kassel
03:43

Adventure

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Jac Venza on producing Adventure
08:58

American Masters

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Jac Venza on the creation of American Masters
02:51

Big Record, The

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Jac Venza on production design for The Big Record
00:47

Blue Angel, The

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Jac Venza on becoming an associate producer on The Blue Angel and learning the ins and outs of directing live television
01:06

Broadway: The American Musical

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Jac Venza on executive producing Broadway: The American Musical -- his final project -- created by Michael Kantor
03:48

CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite

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Jac Venza on re-designing the news set for CBS news
02:23

City Arts

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Jac Venza on executive producing City Arts
01:58

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

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Jac Venza on awards in his career, including the Emmy
03:27

Great Performances

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Jac Venza on the creation of Great Performances
05:48
Jac Venza on the logistics of getting cameras, lights, and sound equipment in theaters to tape Great Performances; on sponsorship by Exxon and Texaco
02:43
Jac Venza on programming and choosing plays for Great Performances
06:36
Jac Venza on the challenges of making a stage performance compelling for television audiences on shows like Great Performances
05:06
Jac Venza on developing new techniques for filming dance on Great Performances: Dance in America
02:32
Jac Venza on bringing George Balanchine's ballet to the Grand Ole Opry on Great Performances: Dance in America
01:26
Jac Venza on tracing the history of dance on Great Performances: Dance in America
02:45
Jac Venza on his role as producer of Great Performances
03:20
Jac Venza on commissioning new operas like "Nixon in China" by John Adams for Great Performances
02:16
Jac Venza on dealing with corporate sponsorship for Great Performances
03:41
Jac Venza on producing "Itzhak Perlman: Fiddling for the Future" and "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House" for Great Performances (for which he won an Emmy)
04:11
Jac Venza on bringing musical theater productions by Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber to Great Performances
02:32

Live from Lincoln Center

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Jac Venza on making opera more palatable to modern audiences on shows like Live from Lincoln Center
02:25

Mama

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Jac Venza on working on shows like Mama and on what he learned in those early years at CBS
02:29

Masterpiece Theatre

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Jac Venza on the creation of Masterpiece Theatre
02:13

Music '55

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Jac Venza on his work on Music '55
01:51

NET Playhouse

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Jac Venza on the creation of NET Playhouse and on acquiring BBC programs for the show
05:13
Jac Venza on some of the early memorable NET Playhouse proudctions, including "The Journey of the Fifth Horse" starring Dustin Hoffman
04:06

Theatre in America

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Jac Venza on the creation of Theatre in America -- based out of a concern for only having British programming on Masterpiece Theatre
04:30

Tony Awards

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Jac Venza on executive producing the first hour of the Tony Awards
04:36

Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life

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Jac Venza on production designing Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life starring Ingrid Bergman and Rip Torn
04:09

Wonderful Town, U.S.A.

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Jac Venza on production design for Wonderful Town starring Rosalind Russell
03:36
Topics

Advertising and Sponsorship

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Jac Venza on sponsorship for Masterpiece Theatre and Great Performances
01:12

Advice

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Jac Venza on advice to an aspiring television producer
01:02

Emmy Awards

View Topic
Jac Venza on awards in his career, including the Emmy
03:27
Jac Venza on producing "Itzhak Perlman: Fiddling for the Future" and "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House" for Great Performances, for which he won an Emmy
04:11

Hollywood Blacklist

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Jac Venza on the Hollywood Blacklist
00:36

Industry Crossroads

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Jac Venza on the Hollywood Blacklist
00:36

Network Creation

View Topic
Jac Venza on PBS' early cinema programming, including shows on the history of cinema and foreign films
05:00

Television Industry

View Topic
Jac Venza on the Hollywood Blacklist
00:36
Jac Venza on the fate of NET after the Public Broadcasting Act was passed
02:47
Jac Venza on PBS' early cinema programming, including shows on the history of cinema and foreign films
05:00
Jac Venza on sponsorship for Masterpiece Theatre and Great Performances
01:12
Jac Venza on becoming director of culture and arts programs at PBS
03:19
Jac Venza on the biggest challenges facing PBS
02:50
Jac Venza on advice to an aspiring television producer
01:02
Professions

Designers

View Profession
Jac Venza on re-designing the news set for CBS news
02:23

Executives

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Jac Venza on becoming director of culture and arts programs at PBS
03:19

Producers

View Profession
Jac Venza on helping to create NET (National Education Television, the forerunner of PBS)
10:18
Jac Venza on the qualities that make a good producer
03:17
Jac Venza on advice to an aspiring television producer
01:02

Production Designer

View Profession
Jac Venza on re-designing the news set for CBS news
02:23

Television Executive

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Jac Venza on becoming director of culture and arts programs at PBS
03:19
Genres

Awards Shows

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Jac Venza on executive producing the first hour of the Tony Awards
04:35

Classic Anthology Series

View Genre
Jac Venza on the creation of NET Playhouse and on acquiring BBC programs for the show
09:19
Jac Venza on the creation of Masterpiece Theatre and Theatre in America
06:37
Jac Venza on the creation of and programming for Great Performances
15:07
Jac Venza on Great Performances and Great Performances: Dance in America
39:46
Jac Venza on producing "Itzhak Perlman: Fiddling for the Future" and "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House" for Great Performances (for which he won an Emmy), and bringing musical theater productions by Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber to Great Performances
10:00

Comedy Series

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Jac Venza on working on shows like Mama and on what he learned in those early years at CBS
02:29

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

View Genre
Jac Venza on production design for The Big Record
00:47
Jac Venza on becoming an associate producer on The Blue Angel and learning the ins and outs of directing live television
01:06
Jac Venza on his work on Music '55
01:51

News and Documentary

View Genre
Jac Venza on producing Adventure
08:58
Jac Venza on re-designing the news set for CBS news
02:23
Jac Venza on the creation of American Masters
02:51
Jac Venza on executive producing City Arts
01:52
Jac Venza on executive producing Broadway: The American Musical, his final project
03:48

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

View Genre
Jac Venza on production design for Wonderful Town starring Rosalind Russell
03:36
Jac Venza on production designing Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life starring Ingrid Bergman and Rip Torn
04:09
Jac Venza on The Adams Chronicles
03:46
People

George Balanchine

View Person Page
Jac Venza on producing dance documentaries for NET and on working with George Balanchine
02:45
Jac Venza on bringing George Balanchine's ballet to the Grand Ole Opry on Great Performances: Dance in America
01:26

Ingrid Bergman

View Person Page
Jac Venza on production designing Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life starring Ingrid Bergman and Rip Torn
04:09

Itzhak Perlman

View Person Page
Jac Venza on producing "Itzhak Perlman: Fiddling for the Future" and "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House" for Great Performances (for which he won an Emmy)
04:11

Michael Kantor

View Person Page
Jac Venza on executive producing Broadway: The American Musical -- his final project -- created by Michael Kantor
03:48

Rip Torn

View Person Page
Jac Venza on production designing Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life starring Ingrid Bergman and Rip Torn
04:09

Virginia Kassel

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Jac Venza on The Adams Chronicles, created by Virginia Kassel
03:43

All Interviews

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