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The David Letterman Show
''The David Letterman Show'' is an American morning talk show that was hosted by David Letterman on NBC. It originally aired from June 23 to October 24, 1980. Originally, the series lasted 90 minutes, then 60 minutes from August 4 onward. Background David Letterman's relationship with NBC began in 1978, when he made his first appearance on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Over the next two years Letterman would return to the show several times, and would occasionally serve as guest host in Carson's absence. NBC's president Fred Silverman was so impressed by Letterman's performance that he decided to give him a morning talk show. In early 1980, NBC's daytime morning lineup consisted of six game shows. ''The David Letterman Show'' was made possible by the cancellation of three of them: ''High Rollers'', ''Chain Reaction'', and the long-running daytime version of ''Hollywood Squares''. The series was a critical success but the edgy comedy did not go over well with morn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Silverman
Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' (the original incarnation of the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, 1969–1970), ''All in the Family'' (1971–1979), ''The Waltons'' (1972–1981), and '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), as well as the miniseries '' Rich Man, Poor Man'' (1976), ''Roots'' (1977), and ''Shōgun'' (1980). For his success in programming such successful shows, ''Time'' magazine declared him "The Man with the Golden Gut" in 1977. Biography Early life and career Silverman was born in New York City, the son of Mildred, a homemaker, and William Silverman, a radio and television service repairman. His father was Jewish and his mother was Roman Catholic. He grew up in Rego Park, Queens, and attended Forest Hills High School. He graduated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Time (magazine)
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published Weekly newspaper, weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on March 3, 1923, and for many years it was run by its influential co-founder, Henry Luce. A European edition (''Time Europe'', formerly known as ''Time Atlantic'') is published in London and also covers the Middle East, Africa, and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition (''Time Asia'') is based in Hong Kong. The South Pacific edition, which covers Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, is based in Sydney. Since 2018, ''Time'' has been published by Time USA, LLC, owned by Marc Benioff, who acquired it from Meredith Corporation. History ''Time'' has been based in New York City since its first issue published on March 3, 1923, by Briton Hadden and Henry Luce. It was the first weekly news magazine in the United St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Jacobs (writer)
Gary Jacobs is an American television comedy writer and producer and author. He was born in New York in 1952, grew up in Dallas, and was educated at the University of Texas at Austin, where he received his bachelor's degree in Journalism. Immediately upon graduation, Jacobs moved to New York to pursue comedy writing. His first job was at the Children's Television Workshop, where he became co-editor (with Ron Barrett) of ''The Electric Company Magazine'', a companion piece to the television series. A couple of years later, Jacobs landed his first television job, writing for ''The Dick Cavett Show''. Jacobs then moved to Los Angeles, and began accumulating credits, writing for both variety shows and situation comedies. His big break came when he was hired (with writing partner, Arnie Kogen) on the staff of ''Newhart''. In 1988, Jacobs executive produced a new series, ''Empty Nest'', which became a long-running hit for NBC. It was one of the top ten highest rated shows each of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rich Hall
Richard Travis Hall (born June 10, 1954) is an American comedian, writer, documentary maker and musician, first coming to prominence as a sketch comedian in the 1980s. He wrote and performed for a range of American networks, in series such as '' Fridays'', ''Not Necessarily the News'' (popularising the "sniglet" neologism), and ''Saturday Night Live''. After winning a Perrier Comedy Award in 2000, using the character of Tennesseean country musician Otis Lee Crenshaw, Hall became popular in the United Kingdom, regularly appearing on '' QI'' and similar panel shows. He has created and starred in several series for the BBC, including comedies with Mike Wilmot and documentaries often concerning cinema of the United States. Hall has also maintained a successful stand-up comedy career, as both Crenshaw and himself. Early life Richard Hall was born in Alexandria, Virginia, and grew up in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He is part Cherokee. Early in his career, he performed as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valri Bromfield
Valri Bromfield (born February 10, 1949) is a Canadian comedian, actress, writer, and television producer who started her career as one half of a comedy team with Dan Aykroyd. Together, they joined the first Toronto company of The Second City where she was one of the original players. Career She formed a comedy team with Dan Aykroyd. Bromfield was a regular performer on the 1974 '' The Bobbie Gentry Show''. She performed comedy on the first episode of ''Saturday Night Live'' on October 11, 1975. Between dress rehearsal and the live airing, Lorne Michaels told her she had to cut her monologue from five minutes to two. She also appeared on another ''SNL'' episode in 1978. In 1979 she played "Mary Mary" on the ABC series '' Angie''. In 1980, she appeared as the character "Debbie Smith" on ''The David Letterman Show''. She played "Laney Gibbs" in ''Best of the West'' in 1981 and appeared on six episodes of '' SCTV'' between 1983 and 1984. In 1984, she appeared on nine episodes of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merrill Markoe
Merrill Markoe (born August 13, 1948) is an American author, television writer, and occasional standup comedian. Early life Markoe was born in New York City. Her family moved several times including stays in Miami, Florida and San Francisco, California. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a B.A. in Art in 1970 and an M.A. in 1972. Her first job after leaving the university was teaching art at the University of Southern California. Career After auditing scriptwriting classes and doing research for the head writer of ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', Markoe was hired as writer for the 1977 revival of ''Laugh-In'', joining a team that included Robin Williams. In 1978, she was part of the cast of Mary Tyler Moore's first attempt at a variety show, the eponymous ''Mary'', along with future boyfriend David Letterman. In 1980, Markoe was the head writer for ''The David Letterman Show'', a short-lived live NBC morning show whose writing team was recognized wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biff Henderson
James Jackson "Biff" Henderson, Jr. (born October 3, 1946) is an American comedian and television personality best known for his work on the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. He was the show's stage manager and appeared in occasional humorous segments, which often involved interviewing people at public places and events. Early life and education Henderson was born in Durham, North Carolina, in the Hayti District. He acquired the nickname "Biff" from his mother when her friend had a dream involving a boy named "Biff". He graduated from Hillside High School in Durham, and earned a degree in business administration from Hampton Institute. He also served in the United States Army and deployed to Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Career In 1970, Henderson had been in New York to interview with The Hertz Corporation, which at the time had been co-owned with NBC by the Radio Corporation of America. His need for a restroom in the RCA Building led to a chance encounter with a janitor who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hal Gurnee
Harold Gurnee (born January 25, 1925, in New York, New York, U.S.) is an American television director who directed all of the television shows hosted by David Letterman on NBC. Gurnee directed the NBC daytime program ''The David Letterman Show'', then moved with Letterman to ''Late Night with David Letterman'' in 1982. Gurnee himself would often be heard or appear on the show, when Letterman would call on him in the control room to facilitate a comedy segment. When introducing him, Letterman would deliberately stumble over and mispronounce his last name (e.g., "Hal Gurtner...Gurnter"), or confuse him with Dan Gurney (e.g. "Hal... our Emmy award winning director and legendary race car driver"). When Letterman moved to CBS in 1993, Gurnee followed Letterman to direct the ''Late Show with David Letterman'', and remained its director and supervising producer from 1993 to 1995. Gurnee also directed ''The Tonight Show'' during the Jack Paar era, along with Paar's later primetime show ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, the group's current lineup consists of founding members Tom Johnston (guitars, vocals) and Patrick Simmons (guitars, vocals), alongside Michael McDonald (keyboards, vocals) and John McFee (guitars, pedal steel, violin, backing vocals), and touring musicians including John Cowan (bass, vocals), Marc Russo (saxophones), Ed Toth (drums), and Marc Quiñones (percussion). Other long-serving members of the band include guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (1974–1979), bassist Tiran Porter (1972–1980, 1987–1992) and drummers John Hartman (1970–1979, 1987–1992), Michael Hossack (1971–1973, 1987–2012), and Keith Knudsen (1973–1982, 1993–2005). They performed gospel influenced songs such as "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald (born February 12, 1952) is an American singer, keyboardist and songwriter known for his distinctive, soulful voice and as a member of the bands the Doobie Brothers (1975–1982, 1987, 2019–present) and Steely Dan (1973–1974). McDonald wrote and sang several hit singles with the Doobie Brothers, including " What a Fool Believes", "Minute by Minute", and " Takin' It to the Streets." McDonald has also performed as a prominent backing vocalist on numerous recordings by artists including Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, and Kenny Loggins. McDonald's solo career consists of nine studio albums and a number of singles, including the 1982 hit "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)". During his career, McDonald has collaborated with a number of other artists, including James Ingram, David Cassidy, Van Halen, Patti LaBelle, Lee Ritenour, the Winans, Aretha Franklin, the rock band Toto, Grizzly Bear, Joni Mitchell, and Thundercat. He has also recorded for televi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pyramid (game Show)
''Pyramid'' is the collective name of a series of American television game shows that has aired several versions domestically and internationally. The original series, ''The $10,000 Pyramid'', debuted on March 26, 1973, and spawned seven subsequent ''Pyramid'' series. Most later series featured a full title format matching the original series, with the title reflecting an increasing top prize. The game features two contestants, each paired with a celebrity. Contestants attempt to guess a series of words or phrases based on descriptions given to them by their teammates. The title refers to the show's pyramid-shaped gameboard, featuring six categories arranged in a triangular fashion. The various ''Pyramid'' series have won a total of nine Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Game Show, second only to ''Jeopardy!'', which has won 13. Dick Clark is the host most commonly associated with the show, having hosted the network daytime version from 1973 to 1980 (which moved from CBS to ABC in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Stewart (television)
Bob Stewart (born Isidore L. Steinberg; August 27, 1920 – May 4, 2012) was an American television game show producer. He was active in the TV industry from 1956 until his retirement in 1991. Stewart is known for creating some of the most popular game shows for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. These shows include '' To Tell the Truth'', ''Password'', and ''The Price Is Right.'' His biggest success as an independent producer was the ''Pyramid'' series, starting with ''The $10,000 Pyramid'' in 1973. ''The Price Is Right'', created by Stewart, is the only game show to be seen nationally in either first-run network or syndication airings in the US in every decade from the 1950s onward. As of 2022, five Stewart creations are airing on television: ''The Price is Right'', ''To Tell the Truth'', ''Pyramid'', ''Chain Reaction'' and ''Password''. Early life Stewart was born Isidore Steinberg in Brooklyn, New York City to Jacob and Dora Steinberg, who were Jewish immigrants from Ru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
