MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: A CONVERSATION WITH STEPHEN J. CANNELL {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in this series of seminars conducted by The Museum of Television & Radio. In this seminar, Los Angeles Museum director Steven A. Bell speaks with producer Stephen J. Cannell about his career in television. Bell begins the evening with a screening of highlight clips from Cannell's programs, including: "The Rockford Files," "Baretta," "Black Sheep Squadron" (a.k.a. "Baa Baa Black Sheep"), "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe," "The Greatest American Hero," "The A-Team," "Scene of the Crime," "Diagnosis: Murder," "Hunter," "Silk Stalkings," "The Commish," "Twenty-One Jump Street," "Wiseguy," and "Profit." Cannell then joins Bell on stage, and they discuss the following topics, among others: Cannell's faux pas to James Garner on the set of "The Rockford Files"; his lifelong love of writing; his struggles with dyslexia; his relationship with his wife, Marcia; his method of combating self-doubt; his emulation of his father; the sale of his first scripts for "It Takes a Thief" and "Mission: Impossible"; his gratitude to his creative writing professor at the University of Oregon, Ralph Salisbury; his early career working for Jack Webb on "Adam-12"; his "father in the business," Roy Huggins; his work on "Baa Baa Black Sheep"; his decision to leave Universal Studios and form his own company; the growth of Cannell Productions; his goal to make writers the "princes" of his production company; his work with NBC head Brandon Tartikoff; his decision to move his production company to Vancouver, Canada; and his recent career as a best-selling novelist. Next, Cannell fields questions and responds to comments from the audience, leading to a discussion of the following topics, among others: the reasons for the failure of "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe"; the similarities between character Jim Rockford's father and Cannell's own father; the genesis of "The Greatest American Hero"; and the secret of creating a hit television show.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: September 22, 1999 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:20:37
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:58028
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Steven A. Bell … Host, Moderator
- Stephen J. Cannell … Guest
- James Garner
- Roy Huggins
- Ralph Salisbury
- Brandon Tartikoff
- Jack Webb