Dr. John Leverence on his first job, as a ticket-taker at the Roxy Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, which enabled him to sneak a peek at films being shown, and on his early memories of television and the shows he enjoyed
Dr. John Leverence on the importance of the Television Academy Foundation Interviews program and its extraordinary value which he believes scholars will reference for one-hundred years
Alan Alda on his adoration for the early radio comedians and talk show hosts such as Arthur Godfrey and Steve Allen
Alan Alda on his father, Robert Alda's, early TV parts
Alan Alda on how the burlesque comics and vaudeville influenced him at an early age
Alan Alda on working with and being influenced by actor Burgess Meredith with Naked City
Alan Alda on writing the M*A*S*H episode "Dear Sigmund"
Alan Alda on the craft of writing
Ed Bradley on discovering his calling after meeting a Philadelphia disc jockey when Bradley was enrolled at a teacher training college
Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes executive producer Don Hewitt's beneficial influence on Bradley's work, and on his influence on television news programs in general
Ed Bradley on his mentor Del Shields, from WDAS radio in Philadelphia
Kevin Bright on how his father, a former Vaudeville comedian, brought comedy into their home when Bright was a child
Kevin Bright on his love of television as a child, and how that sowed the seeds for his career
Kevin Bright on attending Emerson College
Stephen J. Cannell on producer Jo Swerling Jr.
Stephen J. Cannell on producer Jo Swerling Jr.
Stephen J. Cannell on what he learned from Roy Huggins
Steven J. Cannell on being a mentor to young television writers
Tony Roberts on the comedic actor Hiram Sherman, and on what he learned from him as well as Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and others
Tony Roberts on learning comedic technique from Milton Berle, and on farce
Ron Cowen on the creative influence his mother, a former costume designer for Twentieth Century Fox, had on his life
Ron Cowen on mentors he's had in his career: Jerome Lawrence, Lloyd Richards, and Angela Lansbury
Billy Crystal on his early stand-up act, and on Jack Rollins' criticism of his act
Billy Crystal on being the "class comedian" in his high school, and on being influenced by comedians like Johnathan Winters
Billy Crystal on mentors in his career, including Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, and Jack Rollins
Ann Curry on the advice her father gave her growing up about choosing a profession that was of service to others, and how this led her to journalism
Ann Curry on how television, and in particular television journalism, impacted her growing up, and how that led to her career choices
Ann Curry on studying journalism at the University of Oregon, and on her shift from newspaper reporting to broadcast journalism with an internship at KTVL in Medford, Oregon
Elias Davis and David Pollock on their mentors
Elias Davis and David Pollock on the legacy of M*A*S*H and its creator Larry Gelbart
Elias Davis and David Pollock on the legacy of M*A*S*H and its creator Larry Gelbart
Elias Davis and David Pollock on their mentors
Rebecca Eaton on her mother, who was an actress, taking her to the theater when she was a child
Rebecca Eaton on working at the BBC in London after graduating from Vassar College, and her love of British culture
Rebecca Eaton on her mentor, Henry Becton, former President of WGBH in Boston
Peter Ellenshaw on his early interest in film and his mentor
Harrison Ellenshaw on following in his father's footsteps as a matte artist
Harrison Ellenshaw on following in his father's footsteps and becoming a matte artist
Harrison Ellenshaw on comparing his and his father's work and his father's legacy
Ron Howard on the first acting lesson his father taught him
Ron Howard on the inspiration for his trademark laugh from Happy Days
Ron Howard on his struggle to gain the acceptance of Bette Davis, while directing her in the TV movie Skyward
Ron Howard on how actors should always consider television as a source of good roles
Daniel Lipman on writing a play during college, and sharing it with his professor, theater critic Elliot Norton, which led to him being represented by agent Audrey Wood
Daniel Lipman on mentors he's had in his career, mostly importantly writing partner Ron Cowen
Richard Matheson on the movies influencing and inspiring his writing, and the letter he wrote to producer Val Lewton praising his work
Richard Matheson on the Twilight Zone episode "Little Girl Lost" and how real life inspired the story
Richard Matheson on the seed idea for Duel
Richard Matheson on coming up with the idea for the story of Dying Room Only
Kent McCray on his early experience in the theater, and on his mentor, Dr. Nagy
Kent McCray on his mentors, and people he learned from while working at NBC in Los Angeles
Kent McCray on mentors in his career
Elias Davis and David Pollock on their mentors
Elias Davis and David Pollock on the legacy of M*A*S*H and its creator Larry Gelbart
Elias Davis and David Pollock on the legacy of M*A*S*H and its creator Larry Gelbart
Elias Davis and David Pollock on their mentors
John Singleton on how seeing "Star Wars" when he was nine made him understand what a director does
John Singleton on the importance of movies to him when he was growing up
John Singleton on changing junior high schools of his own volition (without moving or permission), and how this led him to meeting children of people in the film business who also aspired to be filmmakers
John Singleton on attending USC Film School: "It was a revelation for me"
John Singleton on seeing the film "She's Gotta Have It," meeting Spike Lee and telling him, "I'm going to USC Film School in two weeks. Watch out for me. I'm coming"
John Singleton on seeing a screening of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" and how it made him determined to find his own voice and tell his own stories
John Singleton on how he uses music and sound in his work, and how this was influenced by classes he took at USC
John Singleton on the opening sequence of his film "Baby Boy" and using the theories of psychiatrist Frances Cress Welsing
G.E. Smith on his earliest musical influences
G.E. Smith on music he listened to on the radio as a child and his first exposure to rock and roll
G.E. Smith on attending a broadcast of Hootenanny and learning to play from watching other musicians
G.E. Smith on playing guitar for Hall & Oates and appearing with them on Saturday Night Live
Richard Thomas on appearing on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Christmas Tree" at age 6, and on learning from Margaret Hamilton and Jessica Tandy on that show
Richard Thomas on mentors in his career including Will Geer, Geraldine Page, Michael Learned, and Ralph Waite
Tracey Ullman on how she started doing impersonations of people when she was a kid, both of people she knew and women on television
Tracey Ullman on attending a performing arts school starting at age 12
Tracey Ullman on being introduced to James L. Brooks and on his idea for her to "do a Peter Sellers thing" on the then-new network Fox, and on the research she did into American comedy (and particularly female comedians) prior to starting the show
Tracey Ullman on how she maintains her confidence in her work, and on the champions she's had over the years
Tracey Ullman on the opportunities and advice mentors have given her throughout her career
Tracey Ullman on getting to meet and work with some of her comedic heroes over the years, including Carol Burnett, Gilda Radner, and Lily Tomlin
Keenen Ivory Wayans on seeing Richard Pryor for the first time and deciding to become a comedian
Keenen Ivory Wayans on the biggest change in his career: deciding to make his own movie with writing partner Robert Townsend
Keenen Ivory Wayans on the highlight of his career: delivering a speech at a party for Richard Pryor and on why he wasn't ready to meet him earlier
Keenen Ivory Wayans on advice to actors
Alan Zweibel on the influence of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and on his friendship with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks
Alan Zweibel on learning to write jokes by watching shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Dick Cavett Show
Alan Zweibel on Larry David's early stand-up act, and on his comedy mentors like Garry Shandling
Alan Zweibel on his mentors and on being a mentor
