Michael Stephen Levey (May 28, 1948 – August 2, 2003) was an American

infomercial An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of dire ...

host. He was best known for hosting ''Amazing Discoveries'', a series of

s that aired on late night television from 1989 to 1997.

Career

A former

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

and copy writer for mail advertisements, Levey started Dial-A-Joke line in the 1970s called ''The Mainline'' in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. In 1988, Levey and two partners founded Positive Response Television, a company that produced

infomercials An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of dire ...

. Levey rose to fame as the host of ''Amazing Discoveries'', a series of episodic infomercials that began airing in 1989. ''Amazing Discoveries'' consisted of over 100 episodes and aired in more than 60 countries in 12 languages. His onscreen persona as the enthusiastic "Sweater Man" was often parodied in films like ''

The Cat in the Hat ''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by the American author Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red bow ...

'' and on the comedy sketch series ''

MADtv ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...

''. Levey also appeared as himself on episodes of ''

Sliders Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

'', ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'', and ''

The Weird Al Show ''The Weird Al Show'' is an American television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions and taped at NBC Studios, it aired on Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network. The show ran for one season, f ...

''. At the height of his fame, Levey received 500 fan letters a week and was dubbed "the most viewed person on television". The success of the ''Amazing Discoveries'' infomercials also led to a spin-off infomercial series titled ''Ask Mike''. Levey's company, Positive Response Television, was bought by National Media in 1997. ''Amazing Discoveries'' aired its final episode the following year.

Death

On August 2, 2003, Levey died from cancer at

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...

in Los Angeles. His private memorial was held on August 6 at

Mount Sinai Memorial Park Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery is the largest Jewish cemetery organization in California. History Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, owned by Sinai Temple of Los Angeles, refers to two Jewish cemeteries in the Los Angeles metrop ...

. He was survived by his wife Lisa Levey and their three children.

References

External links

* 1948 births 2003 deaths American television personalities Male television personalities Infomercials Place of birth unknown American salespeople {{US-tv-bio-stub