Blog Post "The Ed Sullivan Show" Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary-- Stiller & Meara Interview Now Online The Ed Sullivan Show was a Sunday night fixture from the moment most Americans bought their first television sets through 1971, when, after 1,087 shows over 23 years, it went off the air on May 30th. Ed Sullivan was a columnist for the New York Daily News , and despite what many considered an...
Blog Post Comedian George Carlin Has Died -- Archive Interview Excerpt Online George Carlin, whose career as a stand-up comedian is legendary, but who also appeared on his own sitcom and was the very first host of Saturday Night Live , has died at the age of 71. He is a five-time Emmy nominee for his specials and received Daytime Emmy nominations for the children's show...
Blog Post "Andy Griffith Show" Theme Composer Earle Hagen Has Died at the Age of 88 Earle Hagen, who composed (and whistled) The Andy Griffith Show theme, has died. The accomplished composer also wrote the memorable Dick Van Dyke Show theme music and won an Emmy Award for I Spy . Earle Hagen was interviewed by TV's Biggest Hits author Jon Burlingame in 1997. His entire five hour...
Blog Post Archive Celebrates Fran Allison's Centennial The Archive celebrates the centennial of Fran Allison (1907-89), born on November 20. Fran Allison was the host of the classic television series Kukla, Fran, and Ollie (in photo with puppeteer Burr Tillstrom). The series is called by the Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television...
Blog Post "To Tell The Truth" Panelist and Broadway Actress Kitty Carlisle Hart Has Died Kitty Carlisle Hart, best known for her long run as a regular panelist on To Tell The Truth (from 1957 to 1991 in its various runs), and who acted in film with the likes of the Marx Brothers and Bing Crosby, has died at age 96. Ms. Hart remained active doing a one-woman show, "My Life On the Wicked...
Blog Post The Archive's Dan Rather Interview featured in Emmy Magazine The latest issue of Emmy magazine (Issue No. 1, 2007, with Ryan Seacrest on the cover) includes selections from our Archive of American Television interview with Dan Rather. He was interviewed in 2005 in two sessions totalling 8 hours. Here are some excerpts from the article: Q: When did you know...
Blog Post Pat Morita's Interview is Now Online Noriyuke "Pat" Morita's interview is now online. Best known on television for his role of "Arnold" on Happy Days , this interview provides a fascinating account of his life and career. Click here to access all 7 segments. Interview Description: Pat Morita (1932-2005) talks about his early years,...
Blog Post Celebrate TV Legend Sheldon Leonard's Centennial The Archive celebrates the 100-year anniversary of Sheldon Leonard's birth today. Sheldon Leonard (1907-97) was one of the first people interviewed when the Archive of American Television began its pilot project in 1996. Although his interview is not yet online, here's a preview of part 3 of...
Blog Post Quinn Martin Fans: Check Out this Book We're always on the lookout for the latest and greatest TV books, recently a 2003 publication we had missed, crossed our desks.... Quinn Martin, Producer: A Behind-the-Scenes History of QM Productions and Its Founder by Jonathan Etter ( ISBN 0-7864-1501-0, 232 pages, $39.95) gives a brief personal...
Blog Post Oscar®-winning Songwriter Ray Evans Has Died Ray Evans (left), interviewer Jon Burlingame (center), Jay Livingston (right) prior to the Archive interview. Ray Evans, who co-wrote such popular television theme songs as "Mister Ed" and who won an Oscar for the song "Buttons and Bows" has died at the age of 92. The Archive of American Television...
