25 Years Ago: M*A*S*H Ended Its Run

25 years ago, on February 28, 1983, the celebrated series M*A*S*H ended its 11 year, 250 episode run with a 2-1/2 hour special episode, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" (written by many of the show's writers and directed by Alan Alda) The bittersweet special garnered the largest audience to ever watch a single episode of a television show, with a share of 77% of all Americans watching television that night.

Click here for an excellent summary of that classic episode from Wikipedia.


In the Archive of American Television interview segment below, Alan Alda (who played "Hawkeye Pierce") recounts the filming of the last episode. Click on the arrow to play.



Click here to access Alan Alda's full 6-part interview.

Alan Alda Interview Description:
In his 6-part (3 hour) interview conducted on November 17, 2000, actor/director/writer Alan Alda spoke about his early years, which included a serious bout with polio as a child. He detailed his training as an actor, which included time at Paul Sills’s Improvisational Workshop at Second City and the Compass School of Improvisation, both in New York. He described his early appearances on television, including as a regular on That Was the Week That Was (1964) and the syndicated What’s My Line? In great detail, he described his role as actor, director, and writer of the critically-acclaimed and long-running series M*A*S*H (1972-83), in which he played “Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce,” and for which he won multiple Emmy Awards. He talked about his later work as a writer-director of feature films including "The Four Seasons," which he also produced as a series in 1984. He also talked about his work as an actor in feature films, notably several directed by Woody Allen. Finally, Alda discussed such recent acting work in television as the telefilms … And the Band Played On and Neil Simon’s Jake’s Women (reprising his Broadway performance), as well as series guest star on ER, for which he received his 29th Emmy nomination.

Online Auction to Benefit the Television Academy Foundation

Here’s your chance to own a unique television memento AND support a great cause -- the Television Academy Foundation! Check out the auction items up for bid on the widget below (must see: the custom-made 24 guitar signed by Kiefer Sutherland himself):

Reminder: The auction ends the afternoon of Thursday, February 28th.

40 Years Ago: "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" Premieres

Forty years ago, on February 19th, 1968, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood premiered. Originally titled Misterogers (as its precursor had been called in Canada) the show emanated from WQED Pittsburgh and aired on EEN (Eastern Educational Network). The series moved to PBS in 1970. Production ceased in 2001. Sadly, Fred Rogers passed away in 2003; the series continues to air nationwide.


In 1999, the Archive of American Television interviewed Mr. Rogers. Click here to Fred Rogers' 9-part interview (and be on the lookout for puppet cameos). Also, check out this link on the show's homepage for Mister Rogers trivia.

A favorite excerpt from the interview:

"My mother, as long as I could remember, made at least one sweater every month. And at Christmas time she would give us each a hand-knit sweater. And so, until she died, those zipper sweaters that I wear on The Neighborhood were all made by my mother. We would open up the boxes at Christmas and, and we’d all try on the sweaters. Then she would say, 'Okay, now what kind of do you want next year? Now, I know what kind you want, Freddy, you want the one with the zipper up the front.' There are ties that many people don’t know, just watching certain programs and it makes the experience so much deeper to know from whence Mr. McFeely came or where the sweaters came from. And the music is a huge part of my work. That was always my way of saying who I was and how I felt. In those days, you didn’t speak your feelings as much as express them artistically. I was always able to cry or laugh or say I was angry through the tips of my fingers on the piano. I would go to the piano, even when I was five years old, and start to play how I felt. So it was very natural for me to become a composer. Having written all of the music for The Neighborhood, I feel as if that’s one of my gifts to children. Here is a way that doesn’t hurt you or anybody else, to say who you are and how you feel."

Interview description:
In his 4-1/2 hour interview, Fred Rogers described his work as the creator and host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which began its run in 1968. He described the show’s evolution, which started with Misterogers which he produced in Canada for the CBC. He described each aspect of the show including the origin of his trademark sweaters. He described his early years in television working as a floor manager for NBC on such shows as NBC Opera Theatre, The Kate Smith Hour, and The Gabby Hayes Show. He detailed his move into public television in 1953 with his work as the program director for WQED, Pittsburgh. He described his first children’s program The Children’s Corner (1954-61 WQED; 1955-56 NBC), which introduced several puppets later used on Mister Rogers. He talked about the importance of children’s programming and his longevity as a childrens’ show host. The interview was conducted on July 22, 1999 at WQED in Pittsburgh, PA.

Emmy Award-Winning Director Kirk Browning Dies At Age 86 -- Archive Interview Online

Kirk Browning, whose directorial credits span from the first televised version of Gian-Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors in 1951 to the Brian Dennehy-starring version of Death of A Salesman in 2000, was interviewed by the Archive in May of 2000.

When asked what he'd like to be remembered for, Browning said: "....if I wanted to be known for anything, it’s never forgetting that somewhere hidden in this diabolical assemblage of elements there is an art form... That there is a specific television art form and I would like to think that perhaps I’ve used it as often and as much as I could."

Click here to access Kirk Browning's entire nine-part Archive interview.

Interview Description:
Browning spoke of his early days in television working on live broadcasts at NBC-TV. Next, he described his work for NBC Opera Theater, working with Samuel Chotzinoff on productions such as “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and “Billy Budd,” as well as telecasts featuring Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra. He also talked about directing the NBC Opera Theater production of “Carmen,” the first color broadcast for NBC, and such shows are Producers Showcase, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, and the Christmas special “Once Upon a Christmas Time.” He recalled leaving NBC and moving to the New York PBS affiliate WNET, where he directed such shows as Producers Showcase, NET Opera, Theater in America and Great Performances. Next, Mr. Browning discussed in detail his work for PBS’ Live from the Met and Live from Lincoln Center, a series which he has directed since 1975. He also recalled his work on PBS’ American Playhouse, including presentations of “Fifth of July” and “The House of Blue Leaves.”

Jack Larson, TV's Jimmy Olsen, Turns 75 Today!

Jack Larson played everyone's favorite cub reporter from 1952-58 on the syndicated The Adventures of Superman, which starred George Reeves. He recently made a cameo appearance in the 2006 big screen Superman Returns. Last year, Larson attended the Archive's 10th Anniversary Party, which honored the Archive's first 500 interviewees (photo, left).

Click here to watch his entire Archive Interview.




Interview description:
Larson spoke in great detail about the role for which he is most associated, that of Daily Planet cub reporter “Jimmy Olsen” in the 1950s television series The Adventures of Superman. He discussed the ways he played the character, the kinds of comedy and stunts he did for the series, the one-take filming schedule, and his work with the regular cast and guest stars. He also discussed the popularity of “Superman” and why he thinks it has become a franchise phenomenon. Larson spoke candidly about the difficulties he had coping with instant celebrity and his struggles later on when he found that he was typecast. Additionally, he talked about his earlier career, screen testing for the feature film Fighter Squadron and landing a contract with Warner Brothers, as well as his work in “live” television in New York. Finally, Larson talked about his guest appearances in recent years on such series as Lois & Clark— The New Adventures of Superman.

Archive Interviewee Ruby Dee Gets Her Due

Actress Ruby Dee won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for American Gangster and has received her very first Oscar nomination for the role as well. Dee's acting career spans over sixty years. The Archive interviewed both Dee and her late husband (and frequent) co-star Ossie Davis.















Click here to access Ruby Dee's entire four-part interview.

Interview description:
Ruby Dee talked about her start as an actress in feature films and on Broadway. She described the experience of being an African-American lead actress working in series television— a rare sight in the 1950s and 60s. She described her early work in television, such as her regular role in the 1955 soap opera This Is Nora Drake. She talked about her continued work in television in the 1960s on the anthology series Actor’s Choice, Camera Three, and Play of the Week, as well as the drama series The Nurses, East Side/West Side, and The Defenders. She talked about her regular roles on the series The Guiding Light (as “Martha Frazier”) and Peyton Place (as “Alma Miles”). She talked about her numerous roles in television movies and miniseries in the 1970s including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Roots: The Next Generations. She spoke of her collaborations with her husband of many years Ossie Davis, including their radio show With Ossie and Ruby (1981-82).