Blog Post 60 Years Ago — October 20, 1947 — The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) Began Its Probe That Resulted in The Hollywood Blacklist “Television Responds to the Red Scare” By Gary Rutkowski American television production, halted in its infancy before World War II, continued full-force with the four networks— ABC, CBS, NBC, and DuMont— scheduling programs regularly. Soon after, in 1950, they also began consulting an independently...
Blog Post Composer Mike Post's Archive of American Television Interview is Online! Mike Post, who composed the theme songs for Hill Street Blues , The Greatest American Hero , and L. A. Law , and many others spoke about his long and distinguished career in music composition. Post was one of the featured composer's last night at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences...
Blog Post "Leave it to Beaver" Celebrates 50 Years Here's a note we received from Archive interviewee Jerry Mathers regarding Leave it to Beaver's 50th Anniversary -- which is October 4th! From Jerry Mathers: Leave it to Beaver is celebrating it's 50th anniversary on October 4th! Please join me in watching Tom Bergeron interview my tv family and...
Blog Post Sheldon Leonard's Full Archive Interview is Now Online! Television legend Sheldon Leonard (1907-97) was one of the first people interviewed when the Archive of American Television began its pilot project in 1996. PRESS THE PLAY ARROW IN THE PLAYER ABOVE TO WATCH THE SEGMENT NOW. Leonard was the executive producer of such classic television series as The...
Blog Post Director Robert Butler's Archive Interview is Now Online! Director Robert Butler was responsible for creating the look and feel for many classic television series in a career that spanned five decades. His full Archive of American Television interview is now available online, including detailed accounts of directing the first episodes of Batman,...
Blog Post Archive of American Television Celebrates its 10th Top Row (L to R): Television Academy COO Alan Perris with Betty White; Bud Yorkin; Loretta Swit; George Shapiro; Marilyn & Monty Hall; Bob Mackie; Doris Roberts. Middle Row (L to R): Frederick Pierce; Richard & Esther Shapiro; Carl Reiner; Elinor Donahue; Mel Shavelson; Marla Gibbs; Del...
Blog Post Archive of American Television in the News Last night, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation hosted a star-studded celebration honoring its 500 interviewees on the Archive's 10th Anniversary. More info to follow, but we thought you'd enjoy this clip from CBS' local affiliate, KCAL9 in Los Angeles. Click here to watch the...
Blog Post 50 Years Ago: "I Love Lucy" Ended Its Run From 1951-57, I Love Lucy was a popular and critical hit. It was the #1 rated network show during most of its run and won Emmys for Best Sitcom and Acting Awards for Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz continued the Lucy format in a series of hour-long specials in the late...
Blog Post Producer-director Garry Simpson's Interview Is Now Online Garry Simpson worked on some of American television's earliest productions in the pre-World War II era, and then continued following the war. He directed the 1946 Joe Louis-Billy Conn World Championship boxing match, episodes of American television's first sitcom: Mary Kay and Johnny , and the...
Blog Post Televangelist Jerry Falwell Has Died Jerry Falwell, whose earliest television appearances date back to the 1950s, has died at the age of 73. Rev. Falwell was interviewed by the Archive of American Television on October 16, 2003 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Click here to access his two hour oral history interview. Interview...
