Summary

One in this series of seminars conducted by The Museum of Television & Radio (known at that time as The Museum of Broadcasting). This is the second of two seminars in which Emmy Award-winning producer/director/writer Bud Yorkin discusses his television career.

Robert M. Batscha, president of the Museum, introduces the seminar with clips from some of Yorkin's finest television work (also shown during the first seminar), including "The Jack Benny Hour," "An Evening with Fred Astaire," "All in the Family," "The Colgate Comedy Hour," "The George Gobel Show," "Sanford and Son," and "Maude." Yorkin reminisces about some of his favorite work, including "The Bobby Darin Special," "Duke Ellington, We Love You Madly," "Henry Fonda and the Family," and "The Danny Kaye Special," and shares anecdotes about George Gobel, "Tennessee" Ernie Ford, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and Lou Costello. During a question-and-answer session with the audience, topics discussed include the following: possible causes for the decline of the variety show format; censorship; his work with Norman Lear on the television series "All in the Family"; the quality of contemporary television in comparison to the live television programs of the 1950s; his work with writers such as Larry Gelbart and Danny Arnold; his work on the Philco Television Playhouse; and the function of the director in various entertainment media. Additional topics include the following: the method of testing audience reaction to television programs before a ratings system was perfected; ad-libbing on television, with an anecdote about George Gobel; the probability of reviving the variety show format, with comments on the television series "Saturday Night Live," Burt Bacharach as a possible variety show host, and former NBC vice president Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver, Jr., who created the variety show format; a humorous anecdote about Yorkin's job as a TV repairman before he became a director; and his experiences working with Norman Lear. At the conclusion of the seminar, Yorkin once again gives a brief account of his background and describes the genesis of his career as a television director.