Criticism of TV


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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Interviewees discuss the criticism of TV.

Highlights
Howard Rosenberg on reviewing television series and changing his mind about shows
04:09
Yeardley Smith on the criticism of The Simpsons when it debuted
02:19
Steve Allen on critical response to The Steve Allen Show
02:26
Susan Whiting on criticism of Nielsen ratings
01:11
Darren Star on the censorship issues that arose on Melrose Place, particularly involving the character "Matt Fielding," who was gay
03:16
Dawn Wells on her reaction to critics of Gilligan's Island and on the cancellation of the show
01:47
Who talked about this topic

Steve Allen

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Steve Allen on critical response to The Steve Allen Show
02:26

Charlie Andrews

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Charlie Andrews on the decline in the quality of television from the 1950s to the 1960s
05:41

Alan A. Armer

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Alan A. Armer on the violence on The Untouchables and on the ratings of the show
07:48

Steven Bochco

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Steven Bochco on the difficulties of creating organic storytelling on television
04:40

Glen Charles

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Glen and Les Charles on Cheers' initial low ratings, good critical response, and then-House speaker Tip O'Neil's cameo
03:16

Les Charles

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Glen and Les Charles on Cheers' initial low ratings, good critical response, and then-House speaker Tip O'Neil's cameo
03:16

Margaret Cho

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Margaret Cho on the groundbreaking and controversial aspects of All-American Girl -- the first representation of a Korean American family on U.S. primetime television
06:10
Margaret Cho on playing a North Korean general on the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, and on criticism of the character
02:39

Dick Clark

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Dick Clark on producing the TV Movie, "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle"
02:21

Joan Ganz Cooney

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Joan Ganz Cooney on the use of Muppets on Sesame Street and initial reaction to the show
02:02
Joan Ganz Cooney on the criticism of the health series for adults, Feeling Good
02:13

Katie Couric

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Katie Couric on being criticized for her role as anchor of CBS Evening News
01:21

Phil Donahue

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Phil Donahue on the deterioration of daytime television
03:19

Jeff Fager

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Jeff Fager on being executive producer of CBS Evening News with Dan Rather at a time when news was becoming more sensational
03:18
Jeff Fager on the public's perception of the news media
01:24

Edie Falco

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Edie Falco on violence on The Sopranos
01:11

Tom Freston

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Tom Freston on criticism that MTV had no black artist in the early days 
01:07

Larry Gelbart

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Larry Gelbart on what to him represented the best of television -- those moments when it brought the country together as a family, as in the Kennedy funeral, or the Challenger launch, and how we're in danger of losing that ability in favor of 'the bottom line'
03:18

Robert Halmi, Sr.

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Robert Halmi, Sr. on his commitment to family entertainment
01:38

Stanley Hubbard

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Stanley Hubbard on the government's role in broadcasting and dealing with FCC regulations
05:11

Felicity Huffman

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Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on how parenthood has affected their opinion of television and the messages it sends to women, in particular
01:23
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on how parenthood has affected their opinion of television and the messages it sends to women, in particular
01:23

Russell Johnson

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Russell Johnson on the critics' reactions to Gilligan's Island
01:59

Bob Keeshan

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Bob Keeshan on what represents the best in television
03:44

Steve Kroft

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Steve Kroft on interviewing Clarence Thomas for 60 Minutes and dealing with criticism of his interviews
05:19

Jack LaLanne

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Jack LaLanne on television critics' and viewer responses to The Jack LaLanne Show
00:42

Angela Lansbury

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Angela Lansbury on being asked to curtail violence on TV
01:32

Louise Lasser

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Louise Lasser on the second season of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and on the show's critique of television
02:06

Norman Lear

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Norman Lear on the culture of profit-making in television to the detriment of the medium, and his dislike of ratings
04:50

Richard Lewis

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Richard Lewis on testifying to Congress about violence in television Westerns
02:33

Robert MacNeil

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Robert MacNeil on critical reaction to The MacNeil Lehrer NewsHour  and various stories they covered
05:59

William H. Macy

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William H. Macy on being proud of the way Shameless deals with sex and his personal objections to the unrealistic way violence is depicted on television
05:11

Loring Mandel

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Loring Mandel on his criticism of television, and on being president of the Writers Guild
03:19

Jim McKay

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Jim McKay on the challenge for TV to fill thousands of hours with quality programming
00:35

Nolan Miller

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Nolan Miller on working on negative critical reaction to Charlie's Angels and on it being dubbed "jiggle TV"
04:46

Newton N. Minow

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Former FCC Chairman Newton Minow on what he was trying to convey in his 1961 "Vast Wasteland" speech
02:21
Former FCC Chairman Newton Minow on Joseph Kennedy and Edward R. Murrow's reaction to his 1961 "Vast Wasteland" speech
01:59
Newton Minow on whether he still sees television as 1961's "vast wasteland" in 1999
00:55

Thomas W. Moore

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Thomas W. Moore on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television
05:06
Thomas W. Moore on television living up to its potential
01:22

Michael Moye

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Michael Moye on critics' reactions to Married...With Children
01:02

Jonathan Murray

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Jonathan Murray on critics of reality television
01:49

Horace Newcomb

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Horace Newcomb on writing about television for the "Baltimore Sun," and on the coming of age of television in the 1970s with shows like All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show
07:46
Horace Newcomb on An American Family, and on the serialization of television which led to shows like Roots and Dallas
07:48
Horace Newcomb on how Hill Street Blues changed the television industry
06:33
Horace Newcomb on The Sopranos being a game changer
05:49
Horace Newcomb on Magnum, P.I.'s cumulative narrative
04:56
Horace Newcomb on the historic and then-current lack of diversity in television
04:42

Maury Povich

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Maury Povich on criticisms of his talk show Maury
01:49

Sterling Quinlan

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Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Newton N. Minow's comment, "television is a vast wasteland"
03:43

Del Reisman

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Del Reisman on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech
01:24
Del Reisman on Robert Stack as "Elliott Ness" on The Untouchables, and on the violence of the show
04:27

Lee Rich

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Lee Rich on criticism about Dallas
01:29

Howard Rosenberg

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Howard Rosenberg on being the first television critic for The Louisville Times
03:55
Howard Rosenberg on television critics who influenced him and his preparation to go into the field
01:51
Howard Rosenberg on his autonomy as a television critic
03:15
Howard Rosenberg on television in the '70s
03:47
Howard Rosenberg on the timetable of receiving shows and reviewing them
03:16
Howard Rosenberg on how television changed and evolved during the '70s and his thoughts on the Golden Age of Television
05:18
Howard Rosenberg on his influence as a critic in Louisville 
04:28
Howard Rosenberg on his schedule at the LA Times
01:57
Howard Rosenberg on how the process of reviewing shows changed over the years
Howard Rosenberg on reviewing television series and changing his mind about shows
04:09
Howard Rosenberg on reader response to his column on 9/11
02:38
Howard Rosenberg on sometimes not getting tapes of shows he wanted to review
02:27
Howard Rosenberg on winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 
07:57
Howard Rosenberg on the function of critical writing
04:10
Howard Rosenberg on his dealings with people in the television industry
02:31
Howard Rosenberg on his editors
02:48
Howard Rosenberg on television comedy
02:50
Howard Rosenberg on dramatic series
03:48
Howard Rosenberg on late night television
02:53
Howard Rosenberg on daytime talk shows
02:34
Howard Rosenberg on made-for-television movies, miniseries and specials
02:02
Howard Rosenberg on government involvement in television
04:55
Howard Rosenberg on his favorite television shows
01:42
Howard Rosenberg on television at its worst
02:48

Haim Saban

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Haim Saban on initial pushback from affiliates due to the violence on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which went all the way up to Rupert Murdoch, and on the series ultimately going on the air with great success
04:38

Jay Sandrich

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Jay Sandrich on having fun finding ways to depict sex in a subtle way on Soap
01:45

Thomas W. Sarnoff

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Thomas W. Sarnoff on his response to criticism of violence on TV while an NBC executive
02:17

Alfred Schneider

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Alfred Schneider on a controversial episode of Bus Stop ("A Lion Walks Among Us") and how it led to further inquiries into the effects of violence on television
04:13
Alfred Schneider on regulating portrayals of violence in Roots versus S.W.A.T. and The Six Million Dollar Man
01:55
Alfred Schneider on how and why portrayals of sexuality and other controversial topics have become more acceptable over time on television
01:49
Alfred Schneider on Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Newton N. Minow's "Vast Wasteland" speech
01:25

Robert Schuller

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Robert Schuller on how television has changed society
04:27

Cybill Shepherd

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Cybill Shepherd on how she deals with reviews and criticism
01:35

David Shore

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David Shore on initial critical reaction and viewer reaction to House and early notes from FOX
06:38

Fred Silverman

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Fred Silverman on the reaction of television critics to ABC programs The Love Boat and Fantasy Island
02:00

John Singleton

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John Singleton on representations of violence in his work
02:16

Yeardley Smith

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Yeardley Smith on the criticism of The Simpsons when it debuted
02:19

Darren Star

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Darren Star on controversial storylines on Beverly Hills, 90210, including "Brenda Walsh" sleeping with "Dylan McKay" in the first season's "Spring Dance" episode
04:17
Darren Star on the censorship issues that arose on Melrose Place, particularly involving the character "Matt Fielding," who was gay
03:16
Darren Star on a Sex and the City gag that HBO objected to
01:33

Brandon Stoddard

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Brandon Stoddard on television living up to its potential and how the industry has changed
01:57

William Tankersley

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William Tankersley on CBS' expected limitations of violence on television
07:04

Tracey Ullman

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Tracey Ullman on whether she worried about offending people through her portrayals of characters of different races and ethnicities
00:56

Dawn Wells

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Dawn Wells on her reaction to critics of Gilligan's Island and on the cancellation of the show
01:47

Susan Whiting

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Susan Whiting on criticism of Nielsen ratings
01:11

Fred Willard

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Fred Willard on Fernwood 2-Night "going too far"
03:56

Larry Wilmore

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Larry Wilmore on criticism of The PJs for portraying racial stereotypes
02:10

Bud Yorkin

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Bud Yorkin on initial critical and public reaction to All in the Family
06:10

Lauren Zalaznick

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Lauren Zalaznick on television and society, and how television tends to reflect the national psyche (the topic of her 2011 TED Talk)
10:35

Jeff Zucker

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Jeff Zucker on the impact on the network of putting reality programming on NBC
02:01

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