Classic TV series episodes


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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Interiewees discuss the backstories behind some of television's most memorable episodes.

Highlights
Sam Denoff on the "That's My Boy" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show
01:35
Sonia Manzano on the Sesame Street episode "Farewell, Mr. Hooper" (airdate: November 24, 1983)
03:08
Andy Ackerman on directing his first episode of Seinfeld, "The Chaperone"
03:01
George Schlatter on Richard M. Nixon's appearance on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
01:53
Bob Keeshan on remaining in character as "Clarabell the Clown", and his opinion on the Howdy Doody  finale where "Clarabell" spoke for the only time
01:26
Who talked about this topic

Andy Ackerman

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Andy Ackerman on directing his first episode of Seinfeld, "The Chaperone"
03:01
Andy Ackerman on working with Alex Trebek for the Jeopardy! episode of Cheers, "What is... Cliff Clavin?"
00:51
Andy Ackerman on the Cheers finale, "One for the Road"
00:49
Andy Ackerman on the Seinfeld finale penned by Larry David
08:30

Chris Albrecht

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Chris Albrecht on the ending of The Sopranos
02:43

Jason Alexander

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Jason Alexander on his favorite Seinfeld episode and lines
02:46

Alan A. Armer

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Alan Armer on the finale of The Fugitive, and on how it was received
02:03

Lucie Arnaz

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Lucie Arnaz on Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton guest-starring on Here's Lucy
01:45

Edward Asner

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Ed Asner on the classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
04:23

Thomas Azzari

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Thomas Azzari on designing the bedroom set for the final Newhart episode
01:49
Thomas Azzari on set designing for the Seinfeld  episode "The Finale"
01:52

Paris Barclay

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Paris Barclay on directing a pivotal episode of ER in which a main character is revealed to have AIDS, and seeing the power of television's reach
04:43

Rick Berman

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Rick Berman on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  episode "Trials and Tribble-ations"
02:12

Kevin Bright

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Kevin Bright on the finale of Friends
06:51

Harvey Bullock

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Harvey Bullock on writing The  Andy Griffith Show  episode "Opie the Birdman" starring Andy Griffith and Ron Howard
05:12

Robert Butler

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Robert Butler on directing the original pilot of Star Trek  ("The Cage")
06:59

Charles Cappleman

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Charles Cappleman on his duties as a stage manager, and on working on Climax! and Playhouse 90
05:58

Tim Conway

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Tim Conway on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On
02:34

Ane Crabtree

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Ane Crabtree on "Tony Soprano's" robe in The Sopranos pilot and on "Tony" feeding the ducks
03:04

Bill Dana

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Bill Dana on how he came to write the classic All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit," and how he and producer Norman Lear invented the show's premise
02:32
Bill Dana on guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. calling him from the set of the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit" to compliment him on the script
00:50

Greg Daniels

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Greg Daniels on writing The Simpsons episode "Homer and Apu"
05:00
Greg Daniels on writing The Simpsons episode "Lisa's Wedding"
03:09
Greg Daniels on his favorite episodes and moments of The Office
01:12

Sam Denoff

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Sam Denoff on the "That's My Boy" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show
01:35

Richard Donner

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Richard Donner on directing the classic Twilight Zone  episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
08:56

Edie Falco

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Edie Falco on the finale of The Sopranos
05:21

Gerald Perry Finnerman

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Gerald Perry Finnerman on Orson Welles appearing in the Moonlighting episode "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice"
03:33

Dorothy C. Fontana

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Dorothy Fontana on Star Trek's creation of aliens using "the Horta" from "The Devil in the Dark" episode as an example
01:52

Tom Fontana

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Tom Fontana on his favorite St. Elsewhere  episodes and the finale of the show
05:50
Tom Fontana on the Homicide: Life on the Street  episode "The Subway"
01:46

Larry Gelbart

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Larry Gelbart on making the transition from radio to television with The Red Buttons Show
02:57
Larry Gelbart on the episode "Abyssinia, Henry" where one of the main characters dies -- which they kept a secret from cast and crew; on the response to the episode -- "M*A*S*H was not all happy endings"
09:58

Marla Gibbs

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Marla Gibbs on creating the memorable sequence from the classic The Jeffersons episode "Mr. Piano Man," which had her crawling under the piano in a crowded party to try to answer the front door before "George Jefferson"
01:40
Marla Gibbs on memorable episodes of The Jeffersons that featured her character, "Florence," and on Billy Dee Williams appearing on the show
02:43

Sandra Gimpel

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Sandra Gimpel on playing the Salt Vampire on the Star Trek episode "The Man Trap"
07:10

Lesli Linka Glatter

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Lesli Linka Glatter on directing the classic Mad Men episode "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency"
02:49

Jon Hamm

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Jon Hamm on going to dark places while playing "Don Draper" on Mad Men and how "Don's" journey ends in the final episode (the Coca-Cola commercial)
05:48

Jeffrey Hayden

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Jeffrey Hayden on Quincy's plots, including the episode "Seldom Silent, Never Heard," that influenced the passing of the Orphan Drug Act (ODA)
04:20

Ron Howard

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Ron Howard on The Andy Griffith Show episode "Mr. McBeevee"
01:50
Ron Howard on The Andy Griffith Show episode "Mr. McBeevee"
01:50

Felicity Huffman

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Felicity Huffman on the episode of Sports Night where her character, "Dana Whitaker" kissed Peter Krause's character, "Casey McCall"
00:50

Roy Huggins

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Roy Huggins on the Maverick  episode "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres"
01:53

Al Jean

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Al Jean on The Simpsons episode "There's Something About Marrying"
01:55
Al Jean on The Simpsons episode "Blame it on Lisa"
00:43
Al Jean on The Simpsons episode "A Streetcar Named Marge"
01:11

Geri Jewell

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Geri Jewell on having to perform a dance number on the first The Facts of Life episode on which she appeared ("Cousin Geri")
03:26

George Clayton Johnson

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George Clayton Johnson on The Twilight Zone episode "Penny for Your Thoughts"
12:09
George Clayton Johnson on The Twilight Zone episode "The Four of Us Are Dying"
02:44

Robert Justman

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Robert Justman on "The Zanti Misfits" episode of The Outer Limits
02:24

Elodie Keene

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Elodie Keene on directing Claire Danes and Jared Leto on My So-Called Life
03:21

Bob Keeshan

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Bob Keeshan on remaining in character as "Clarabell the Clown", and his opinion on the Howdy Doody  finale where "Clarabell" spoke for the only time
01:26

Barry Kemp

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Barry Kemp on the Newhart series finale
02:28

Walter Koenig

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Walter Koenig on his favorite episodes of Star Trek
05:54

Judith Light

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Judith Light on her One Life to Live character "Karen Wolek" and her famous courtroom scene
10:18

Art Linkletter

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Art Linkletter on his friendship with Walt Disney and on hosting the live broadcast of the opening of Disneyland
07:11

John J. Lloyd

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John J. Lloyd on memorable episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents  - "The Glass Eye"
01:00

Norman Lloyd

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Norman Lloyd on directing the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "The Jar"
03:08
Norman Lloyd on what he thought of the final episode of St. Elsewhere
01:02

Gavin MacLeod

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Gavin MacLeod on "The Last Show," the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
02:08

Will Mackenzie

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Will Mackenzie on directing the Family Ties episode "A, My Name is Alex", featuring Michael J. Fox
07:49
Will Mackenzie on directing the Moonlighting episode "Atomic Shakespeare"
01:56

William H. Macy

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William H. Macy on the live episode of ER
02:17

Sonia Manzano

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Sonia Manzano on the Sesame Street episode "Farewell, Mr. Hooper" (airdate: November 24, 1983)
03:08

Rose Marie with Emerson College

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Rose Marie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and on working for producer Sheldon Leonard (she discusses the classic episode "It May Look Like a Walnut")
03:14

Beth McCarthy-Miller

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Beth McCarthy-Miller on directing the final episode of 30 Rock
03:37

Rue McClanahan

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Rue McClanahan on the Maude episode "Maude's Dilemma," and on her fan mail
04:22
Rue McClanahan on the Maude episode "Maude's Dilemma," and on her fan mail
04:22

Burt Metcalfe

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Producer Burt Metcalfe on the most effective line in M*A*S*H: "The Interview"
03:01
Burt Metcalfe on the M*A*S*H  finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
09:54
Burt Metcalfe on the next-to-last M*A*S*H  episode "As Time Goes By"
04:17

Mary Tyler Moore

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Mary Tyler Moore on initially disliking The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Never Bathe on Saturday" (airdate: March 31, 1965), when Laura's toe is stuck in a faucet
02:03
Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust" (airdate: October 25, 1975)
02:18

Bill Mumy

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Bill Mumy on appearing in the classic Twilight Zone  episode "It's a Good Life"
14:03
Bill Mumy on appearing in the classic Twilight Zone  episode "Long Distance Call"
04:40

Leonard Nimoy

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Leonard Nimoy on his creation of "Mr. Spock's" Vulcan salute and its use in the episode "Amok Time"
01:51
Leonard Nimoy on the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark," and "Spock's" mind meld ability
02:11

Bill Persky

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Bill Persky on how he and partner San Denoff came to write for The Dick Van Dyke Show, on on writing the classic episode "That's My Boy??" with Sheldon Leonard
05:05

Suzanne Pleshette

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Suzanne Pleshette on her cameo on the series finale of Newhart
03:41

Tom Poston

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Tom Poston on the final episode of Newhart
01:12

Tim Reid

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Tim Reid on writing the WKRP in Cincinnati episode "A Family Affair" which dealt with race
05:39
Tim Reid on the WKRP in Cincinnati episode "In Concert" about The Who concert in Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of several attendees
04:09
Tim Reid on dealing with serious subjects on "The Bridge" and the "Frank Joins the Club" episodes of Frank's Place
04:21

Del Reisman

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Del Reisman on being on set for the filming of The Twilight Zone episodes "The Invaders" and "Eye of the Beholder"
03:11

Gene Reynolds

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Gene Reynolds on the M*A*S*H  episode "Point of View"
01:26
Gene Reynolds on killing off "Henry Blake" on M*A*S*H
04:53
Gene Reynolds on the M*A*S*H  episode "Sometimes You Hear The Bullet"
04:00
Producer Gene Reynolds on the classic M*A*S*H  episode "The Interview"
04:39

John Rich

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John Rich on the live broadcast of the opening of Disneyland ("Dateline: Disneyland")(airdate: July 17, 1955)
05:44
John Rich on memorable episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show
05:04
John Rich on Procter & Gamble and CBS having issues with the "That's My Boy?" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show
03:51
John Rich on the audience's reaction to the kiss in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:42
Director John Rich on Sammy Davis Jr.'s suggestion, as a guest on The Tonight Show, that he would make a funny guest star on All in the Family (leading to his appearance on the classic episode "Sammy's Visit")
01:04

Lee Rich

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Lee Rich on the "House Divided" episode of Dallas which generated the question, "Who Shot J.R.?"
01:50
Lee Rich on Patrick Ewing leaving and returning to Dallas - the previous season was all a dream
01:30

Doris Roberts

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Doris Roberts on the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Wallpaper" where "Marie" and "Frank" crash a car into "Ray's" living room
01:17

Cliff Robertson

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Cliff Robertson on the classic Twilight Zone episode "The Dummy" (SPOILERS!)
01:07

Glenda Rovello

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Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episodes "Lows in the Mid-Eighties," Parts I and II (set in the 1980s)
00:48
Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episode "A Gay Olde Christmas"
02:56
Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episode "Jack's Big Gay Wedding"
03:20
Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episode "We Love Lucy" which recreated sets from the I Love Lucy episodes "Job Switching," "Lucy Does a TV Commercial," and "Lucy's Italian Movie"
03:16

Jay Sandrich

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Jay Sandrich on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does the Tango" (1957) in which Lucy dances and crushes the eggs she's trying to hide from Ricky
01:22
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
01:15
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
03:18
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
02:15
Jay Sandrich on the classic episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which introduced Betty White as "Sue Anne Nivens"
01:04
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend," and directing an episode that didn't start out as being funny and finding the humor
04:49

Richard Schiff

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Richard Schiff on The West Wing episode "In Excelsis Deo"
06:57

Bob Schiller

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Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the "Lucy Does the Tango" episode of I Love Lucy
02:00
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the final episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, "Lucy Meets the Mustache" with Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams
01:08

George Schlatter

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George Schlatter on Richard M. Nixon's appearance on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
01:53

Lloyd J. Schwartz

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Lloyd J. Schwartz on classic episodes of The Brady Bunch
13:13

George Shapiro

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George Shapiro on Andy Kaufman reading "The Great Gatsby" on Saturday Night Live
01:19

Doris Singleton

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Doris Singleton on the Harpo Marx episode of I Love Lucy
01:26
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy "Baby Pictures" episode
03:44
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy "Lucy Tells the Truth" episode
02:15
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy episode "The Dancing Star" with Van Johnson 
02:09
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy episode, "Lucy and Superman"
02:31
Doris Singleton on the "Edith Has Jury Duty" episode of All in the Family
01:54

Yeardley Smith

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Yeardley Smith on Michael Jackson guest starring on The Simpsons
02:15
Yeardley Smith on Dustin Hoffman guest starring on The Simpsons on the episode "Lisa's Substitute"
02:14

Suzanne Somers

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Suzanne Somers on working with John Ritter in the classic Three's Company episode "Handcuffed"
01:23

Jean Stapleton

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Jean Stapleton on the All in the Family episode "Edith's Christmas Story," which dealt with breast cancer
01:01

Jeremy Stevens

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Jeremy Stevens on memorable episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond
05:55

Stanford Tischler

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Stanford Tischler on the classic M*A*S*H episode "Abyssinia, Henry" and when he was informed about the show's ending
01:13

Neil Travis

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Neil Travis on editing "Kunta Kinte's" capture in part one of Roots
02:22

Timothy Van Patten

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Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
03:53

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner on his favorite Cosby Show  episodes
08:12

Bob Weiskopf

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Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the "Lucy Does the Tango" episode of I Love Lucy
02:00
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the final episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, "Lucy Meets the Mustache" with Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams
01:08

Betty White with Emerson College

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Betty White on The Mary Tyler Moore Show  episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
04:22
Betty White on The Mary Tyler Moore Show  finale 
03:00

Tucker Wiard

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Tucker Wiard on the famous Carol Burnett Show sketch "Went With the Wind"
02:11

Henry Winkler

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Henry Winkler on classic episodes of Happy Days
03:25

Terence Winter

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Terence Winter on the series finale of The Sopranos
03:27

Bud Yorkin

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Bud Yorkin on the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:15

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