I always enjoy this nostaglic show. It's fun to look back
on the old shows, and they do a pretty good job of having
some of the performers, who are still around, talking about
the old shows and each other.
In this one, they feature stand-up comedians and then got
their own successful sitcoms (I don't know why they left out
Drew Carey and George Lopez). It focuses on Jerry Seinfeld,
Billy Cosby, Rosanne Barr, Tim Allen, Ray Romano, and Bob
Newhart, and it also mentions a few older ones like Jack
Benny and Burns and Allen. Cosby was the only one here that
didn't speak on-camera. Anyway, it's a really enjoyable
episode and fun to look back at them when they were all
thinner and younger, and had all their hair, and to see them
now, speaking about those good old days.
I wonder if they didn't interview Bill Cosby because of
the recent allegations that he has drugged and raped women?
I hope he's innocent, but I can see why he might not want to
talk to them, or why they might not want to include him too
much. Regardless of whatever he's done in his personal life,
he's always been very funny and good on TV and in movies. I
enjoyed his 60's and 70's shows as well as the later ones he
had. We also had his album when I was growing up (as well as
Bob Newhart's).
There are other episodes in this series as well, but this
is so far the only one they've sent me to review for this
year. I plan to buy the whole set, though! I'm looking
forward to the other segments. I'm a sucker for anything
that looks back at the old shows I loved growing up.
MORE INFORMATION:
The fourth
season of PIONEERS OF
TELEVISION premieres
April 15 on PBS,
revealing more behind-the-scenes stories and fascinating
facts about television’s best-known
shows.
The
star-packed premiere episode, STANDUP TO SITCOM,
Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET,
features fresh interviews with TV icons Jerry
Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, Ray
Romano and Bob Newhart. The program reveals how
America’s top standup comics made the transition from the
comedy stage to the sitcom form. It includes dozens of
clips from “Seinfeld,” “Home Improvement,” “Everybody Loves
Raymond,” “Roseanne,” and more.
Video Clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XP4k1CecGc
STAR-STUDDED FOURTH SEASON
OF PIONEERS OF
TELEVISION PREMIERES
APRIL 15 ON PBS
– Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby,
Ray Romano, Roseanne Barr and Dozens More A-List TV Stars
Tell
Behind-the-Scenes Tales of
America’s Most Popular Shows –
|
Courtesy of BT Media
 |
|
|
ARLINGTON, VA; MARCH
21, 2014 – Explore trailblazing
moments of television history when
PIONEERS OF
TELEVISION returns to PBS,
Tuesday, April 15, 2014,
featuring standup comedians who landed sitcoms, TV doctors
and nurses, standout comedic actors and those who broke the
color barrier on television.
Offering inside stories from some of America’s most beloved
television stars, the fourth season
of the Emmy-nominated series reveals intriguing
behind-the-scenes stories and fascinating facts about
television’s best-known and
influential celebrities.
The fourth season combines new
interviews with legendary stars, such as Ray Romano,
Bob Newhart, Robin Williams, Jimmie Walker,
Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr and Dick Van Dyke,
with never-before-seen images and timeless footage that
continues to entertain TV viewers decades later. Pioneers
of Television’s
first-hand look at the medium is guided by the
stories of television icons and
their memories about the iconic genres they helped
popularize.
“We are thrilled to bring another
season of
Pioneers of
Television to PBS,” said executive
producer Steve Boettcher, who, along with producing partner
Mike Trinklein, has helmed numerous specials and series on
television’s breakthrough
performers. “From stars that had Americans howling with
laughter in front of their television
screens, to the ones who broke barriers
— and maybe even some
who saved lives —
this season’s line-up features legends who paved the way for
contemporary television.”
“The fourth
season of PIONEERS OF
TELEVISION continues the series’
winning formula of bringing
television’s most well-known stars and their
lesser-known stories to PBS,”
says Donald Thoms, PBS Vice President of General Audience
Programming. “The show does a masterful job of
serving us the history of the medium while telling us the
backstage tales of America’s favorite shows.”
This season’s four one-hour
Pioneers of Television
episodes include:
STANDUP
TO SITCOM
Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
This star-packed premiere episode features fresh interviews
with Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Tim
Allen, Ray Romano and Bob Newhart. The
program reveals how America’s top standup comics made the
transition from the comedy stage to the sitcom form. It
includes dozens of clips from “Seinfeld,” “Home
Improvement,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Roseanne” and
more.
DOCTORS
AND NURSES
Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
From George Clooney on “ER” to Richard Chamberlain
on “Dr. Kildare,” television’s long
love affair with doctors and nurses shows no signs of
letting up. Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards,
Gloria Reuben and Eriq LaSalle open up about the
secrets of “ER”; Howie Mandel, Ed Begley, Jr.,
Norman Lloyd and Christina Pickles revisit
“St. Elsewhere.” The episode features the final interview
with Chad Everett of “Medical Center” before his
death in 2012.
BREAKING
BARRIERS
Tuesday, April 29, 2014, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
This
episode traces the story of people of color on American
television — including the mid-1960s
breakthroughs of African Americans Diahann Carroll
(“Julia”) and Bill Cosby (“I Spy”). Latino landmarks
range from “I Love Lucy” with Desi Arnaz to “Miami
Vice” with Edward James Olmos. Also featured are
Asian Americans such as George Takei (“Star Trek”),
who details the childhood years he spent in a
Japanese-American internment camp.
ACTING
FUNNY
Tuesday, May 6, 2014, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
This episode peeks behind the curtain to reveal the
techniques of America’s favorite comedic actors. The program
features the manic improvisational style of Robin
Williams and his comic predecessor, Jonathan Winters.
Their style is a fascinating contrast to Tina Fey,
who explains her measured, highly prepared approach. The
episode also highlights the all-time #1 Emmy Award winner
for comedy acting: Cloris Leachman, and the physical
comedic style of Dick Van Dyke.
About PBS
PBS,
with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the
opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through
television and online content. Each
month, PBS reaches nearly 109 million people through
television and over 28 million
people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of
science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse
viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama
and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been
consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award
competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th
grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help
bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV
programming and its website,
pbskids.org,
are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in
inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in
children. More information about PBS is available at
http://www.pbs.org,
one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by
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