"Studs' Place" 60th Anniversary

A classic example of the "Chicago School of Broadcasting," which featured intimate, improvisational entertainment in the early days of TV, Studs' Place starred Studs Terkel as the proprietor, with his, as The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows puts it, "garrulous, philosophical ramblings the center of attention." The comedy-variety style show also featured a considerable amount of music, especially jazz performed by notable talents. In its Nov. 30, 1949 review of the show, Variety raved: "It proves that simple talk and straight pianologging can make topflight TV, where there's an understanding of people and a feeling for authentic jazz." The series ran from 1949-52 until Studs Terkel found himself a victim of the McCarthy era and the Hollywood blacklist.

Click here for the Archive's new page on Studs' Place to coincide with the show's 60th anniversary on November 26, 1949.

"Wagon Train" Season One now out on DVD-- Classic Western Series

Wagon Train was the #2 series from 1958-61 (behind Gunsmoke each of these seasons), and featured an array of Hollywood guest stars. In season one alone, Ernest Borgnine, Linda Darnell, Ricardo Montalban, Agnes Moorehead, and Cesar Romero were among the guest stars. The series, starring Ward Bond as Wagonmaster from 1957-61 and Christopher Hale from 1961-65, was one of the five nominees in the one year (1958-59) that the Emmys gave an Award for Best Western Series.

The Archive's Wagon Train page features stories from actors Leonard Nimoy (who appeared on the season 3 episode "The Estaban Zamora Story") and Ann B. Davis (who appeared on season 3 episode "The Countess Baranof Story").

Take a look at the Archive's other TV westerns pages at this link.

Cast and Creators Appear at the TV Academy's "Funnybone of the '80s"

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hosted "Funnybone of the '80s" last night with the cast and creators of some of the great sitcoms of the 1980s— Cheers, Designing Women, Murphy Brown, and Night Court.

The Archive spoke to a few of the guests on the press line, including cast members Ted Danson (Cheers), Kelsey Grammer (Cheers), Joe Regalbuto (Murphy Brown), and Charles Robinson (Night Court).

Seven New Inductees Into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame Committee has selected Candice Bergen, Charles Lisanby, Don Pardo, Gene Roddenberry, Tom and Dick Smothers and Bob Stewart to be the next inductees into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame, Television Academy Chairman-CEO John Shaffner announced today.

The new group of inductees will be honored at a special ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Producing the Hall of Fame Gala are Lee Miller and Kevin Hamburger.

"Each year, the Television Academy has the privilege of honoring television greats that have contributed to the development and success of this ever-evolving medium," Shaffner said. "This year's inductees have challenged and shaped popular culture, changed television for the better and entertained us royally while doing so. We are very pleased to be able to induct them into the Hall of Fame for their many achievements."

Hall of Fame candidates are submitted from the Television Academy's membership and the industry at large to the Hall of Fame selection committee, chaired by Mark Itkin, partner, William Morris Endeavor. This year’s committee includes Mike Darnell, president, alternative entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company; Brian Graden, president, programming, for MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo; renowned television producer-director Lee Miller: Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney – ABC Television Group; and Thomas Walsh, award-winning production designer and current president of the Art Directors Guild.

More from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Press Release.

The Archive of American Television has conducted interviews with several of the new inductees, click on the links below.


Charles Lisanby - Art Director


Don Pardo - Announcer


Tom and Dick Smothers - Performers


Bob Stewart - Game Show Creator/Producer

See also the Archive's newly posted pages on actress Candice Bergen and show creator/producer Gene Roddenberry.

Charles Van Doren Admitted the Truth about "21"— 50 Years Ago Today

Charles Van Doren, the Columbia professor who was at the center of the quiz show scandal of the 1950s, appeared before a congressional committee on November 2, 1959 to admit he'd been given questions and answers in advance when he appeared on the quiz show 21. In a story for the New Yorker last year, Van Doren broke a long silence and wrote about the experience ("All the Answers").

The Archive of American Television interviewed Herbert Stempel (who was "beat" by Van Doren on 21), as well as 21 producer Albert Freedman.

Lon Chaney, Jr. in "Frankenstein" on "Tales of Tomorrow" -- Famed "Live" Production that Chaney thought was the Dress Rehearsal

Tales of Tomorrow (1951-53) is described by the Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows as "one of TV's earliest adult science-fiction series." These days, the series is known for early performances by such up-and-coming stars as James Dean and Leslie Nielsen, and later performances by such Hollywood legends as Boris Karloff and Sylvia Sidney.

With biopic Amelia currently in theaters, take a look at Veronica Lake as lost aviatrix "Paula Bennett" on Tales of Tomorrow: "Flight Overdue" (airdate: 3/28/52). Lake made over two dozen appearances on TV in the early 1950s as her Hollywood career waned. On this episode of Tales of Tomorrow, she appears as a short-haired brunette-- a switch from her blond 'peek-a-boo curl' image.

One of the series' most notable shows was Lon Chaney, Jr. in "Frankenstein" (airdate: 1/18/52). Chaney gives an excellent performance as the Monster, despite the fact that he notoriously thought that the "live" show was the dress rehearsal and at times doesn't destroy breakaway chairs-- saving them for the "real" show. Moments can be seen at 12:01 (where he makes a comment right at the camera during his exit) and at 14:47 ("miming" how he would break a chair). Below, from the Internet Archive, is the infamous production.



Lighting Director Imero Fiorentino, who began his career at ABC in the early '50s, recalled in his Archive of American Television interview another incident that occurred on Tales of Tomorrow in a "live" broadcast, during one of the show's famed openings.



Link to the Internet Archive's extensive collection of Tales of Tomorrow episodes (41 of the 84 series episodes).

The Barbara Stanwyck Show Now on DVD

“She had grit, sex appeal and vulnerability, in spades. No one played a saucy dame better.”

-People Magazine

E1 ENTERTAINMENT AND THE ARCHIVE OF AMERICAN TELEVISION BRING A CLASSIC, EMMY® AWARD-WINNING ANTHOLOGY SERIES TO DVD FOR THE FIRST TIME -- THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW: VOLUME 1

3-DVD Set Includes 15 Memorable Dramas Featuring All-Star Ensemble Casts that Include Stanwyck as well as Guest Stars Ralph Bellamy, Milton Berle, Julie London, Lee Marvin, Vic Morrow, Michael Rennie, Robert Strauss, Anna May Wong and More

Buy Now: The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Vol. 1

E1 Entertainment and the Academy of Television Arts & Science’s Archive of American Television proudly debut THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW: VOLUME 1, the latest release under The Archive of American Television Presents banner, a partnership with the collaborative mission to present culturally and historically significant productions from the Golden Age of Television on DVD. Originally broadcast from 1960-61 on NBC, the star-studded anthology series was hosted by and featured the multi-talented actress Barbara Stanwyck, the American Film Institute’s “11th Greatest Female Star of All Time,” alongside a rotating roster of talented actors in each week’s installment. The 3-DVD set, THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW: VOLUME 1 features 15 of the series’ most memorable half-hour dramas – all which have not been seen since their original broadcast nearly fifty years ago – including “The Key to the Killer” with Vic Morrow, “The Miraculous Journey of Tadpole Chan” with Ralph Bellamy, “Night Visitor” with Julie London, “Size 10” with Robert Strauss, “Dragon by the Tail” with Anna May Wong, “Dear Charlie” with Milton Berle, “The Sisters” with Michael Rennie and “Confession” with Lee Marvin. A must-own for aficionados of classic film and television.

Throughout her illustrious career, Barbara Stanwyck enraptured Hollywood, starring in nearly 100 films (including Double Indemnity and Sorry, Wrong Number) and capturing four Oscar® nominations. After conquering the silver screen, Barbara took on the world of television as star of “The Barbara Stanwyck Show” in 1960. Thirty-six half-hour episodes aired, in which she starred in all but four of the dramas and earned an Emmy® Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series.” Stanwyck went on to earn two additional Emmys for her roles in “The Big Valley” and “The Thorn Birds.”

To this first volume of 15 dramas, E1 Entertainment adds the unaired pilot episode “Sponsor’s Theatre,” Barbara Stanwyck’s 1961 Emmy acceptance speech, and a 20-page booklet with written contributions by film historian Robert Osborne and the Archive of American Television.

About The Edelman Family Partnership

The Edelman Family Partnership is the copyright holder of “The Barbara Stanwyck Show” and through their worldwide distributor, SFM Entertainment LLC, has joined with E1 Entertainment to bring this Award-winning series to ‘Missy’s’ (Barbara Stanwyck’s family nickname) loyal fans and a new generation of viewers. The Edelman Family Partnership also holds copyrights for other iconic television series including “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp”, “The Joey Bishop Show”, “Make Room for Daddy” and, is currently in production on a major motion picture version of the Barbara Stanwyck Emmy® Award-winning series – “The Big Valley”.

About “The Archive of American Television Presents”

"The Archive of American Television Presents" is a partnership between E1 Entertainment and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. The collaborative mission is to present culturally and historically significant productions from the Golden Age of Television on DVD, restored and re-mastered from the best-quality sources. The Television Academy Foundation and its Archive of American Television does not own or represent any of the programs being released under this partnership.

About the Archive of American Television

Since 1997, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s Archive of American Television has produced hundreds of videotaped oral history interviews with broadcasting’s greatest pioneers and legends in all professions. These full life-histories – spanning influences, career highlights, professional philosophy and current projects – are the stories behind what we see on the screen. These unique videos are made available worldwide so that today’s and future generations can understand how electronic media presents and reflects world-changing events, pop culture origins, technological innovations and artistic mastery. For more information about the collection, visit http://www.emmytvlegends.org

About E1 Entertainment U.S.

E1 Entertainment U.S. (formerly KOCH Vision) is the U.S. home video label of E1 Entertainment (AIM: ETO), a leading independent entertainment content owner that acquires film, television and music rights and exploits these rights in all media in more than 190 countries. Boasting a diverse library of feature films, television series, award-winning children’s programs, live music concerts and more, E1 Entertainment U.S. is the home of such notable properties as Soundstage, McLeod’s Daughters, Wire in the Blood, Popular Mechanics for Kids, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Best Years, Ballet Shoes starring Emma Watson and Nickelback Live at Sturgis. For more information on these and other releases from E1 Entertainment U.S., please visit www.e1homevideo.com.

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THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW: VOLUME 1
Street date: October 27, 2009 Genre: Classic TV

Rating: N/A SRP: $39.98

Running Time: 390 minutes Catalog #: E1E-DV-6693
Format: 3-DVD Set

Archive Interviewee Soupy Sales has died

Soupy Sales was interviewed by the Archive in 2002. Click here to read highlights from his interview.



Detailed Interview Description:
Soupy Sales (1926-2009) was interviewed for one hour at the Friar’s Club in New York City by Charles Salzberg. Sales talked about breaking into television in 1950 at local station WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, with The Soupy Soda Show, a teenage dance show. He talked about other local markets where he worked including Cleveland’s WXEL-TV where his show Soup’s On provided him the opportunity for getting the first pie in his face— which would become his trademark gag. Sales talked about his several year run with WXYZ-TV Detroit’s Lunch with Soupy Sales, a children’s show, which also had an adult following. Sales described the series in detail including the look of the set and the characters who appeared (including lion puppet “Pookie” and dog puppet “White Fang,” whose great white hairy arm was all that was seen). Sales described his network break, with a replacement series at ABC in the mid-50s. He talked about his work as host/ performer on The Soupy Sales Show that ran on ABC, first originating in Detroit, then in Los Angeles. He also described his show’s second primetime incarnation on ABC in 1962. Sales detailed the celebrities who appeared on his show, which famously included Frank Sinatra. Finally, Sales described reviving his series at WNEW in New York (and talked about the incident which got him suspended— when he told children to send money to him care of the station).

TV Theme Composer Vic Mizzy has died

Composer Vic Mizzy died on Saturday at age 87. Mizzy composed the theme songs for "The Addams Family" and "Green Acres", possibly two of the most recognizable theme songs of all time. He was interviewed by Karen Herman for the Archive in 2004. You can view an excerpt from his interview, here.

Interview Description:
Vic Mizzy was interviewed for two-and-a-half hours in Bel-Air, CA. Mizzy described composing two of the most recognizable television themes songs of all time, for the series The Addams Family and Green Acres. For The Addams Family, Mizzy talked about directing the main title sequence and writing motifs for the characters. He talked about meeting Charles Addams and working with the actors and producer David Levy. For Green Acres, Mizzy talked about the conception of the opening titles and working with the lead actors and creator Jay Sommers. Mizzy also talked about his early years as a songwriter with Irving Taylor and later Mann Curtis. He spoke about and sang some of the lyrics for several of his hits including “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time.” Mizzy also talked about his other work in television including the series Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Kentucky Jones, and The Pruitts of Southampton. Additionally, he talked about working on feature films such as the Don Knotts comedy vehicles of the ‘60s and 70s, and his work with William Castle. B-roll consisted of two photos (Mizzy at MGM and on the set of Green Acres) and a Charles Addams cartoon, as well as Mizzy in person playing his two well-known theme songs at his organ. The interview was conducted by Karen Herman on March 29, 2004.

Tom Fontana's interview is now online!

Show creator, writer, and producer Tom Fontana was interviewed by the Archive in June, 2009. His full interview is available for the first time online, here!

Interview Description:
In his Archive interview, Tom Fontana talks about his work as an Emmy Award-winning writer of St. Elsewhere , as well as the writer/producer of such series as Homicide: Life on the Street and Oz . Tom Fontana was interviewed in New York, NY on June 30, 2009; Karen Herman conducted the three-hour interview.

"The Twilight Zone" Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

The Twilight Zone debuted on October 2, 1959 and has become one of the crown jewels of classic television over the last fifty years. Series creator Rod Serling won two Emmy Awards for the series, for which he wrote a staggering 92 episodes.

The Archive of American Television has interviewed many of the contributors to The Twilight Zone, including writers Richard Matheson, Earl Hamner, Jr., and George Clayton Johnson; associate producer Del Reisman; directors Lamont Johnson, Richard L. Bare, Richard Donner, and James Sheldon; actors Cliff Robertson, William Shatner, George Takei, and Maxine Stuart.

To ring in the Zone's 50th, the Archive premieres new pages for Rod Serling and classic episodes "Eye of the Beholder" and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" to our website, http://emmytvlegends.org, featuring clips from the Archive's interviews.

Click on the links below to access our new pages:

Rod Serling page









The Twilight Zone: "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" page







The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" page

New Interviews Posted at EmmyTVLegends.org!

New interviews are up today on emmyTVlegends.org with Marla Gibbs, Marion Ross, and Tom Bosley!

Keep checking back for more updates!