Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 — August 27, 1997) was a popular NBC executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Miami Vice, The Golden Girls, Knight Rider, The A-Team, St. Elsewhere, Night Court, Hunter, Highway to Heaven, Matlock, Remington Steele, A Different World, 227 and Empty Nest. January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... Hill Street Blues was a serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... ALF or Alf can have several meanings: ALF is an acronym standing for Animal Liberation Front, an animal rights group Alf is an acronym for the Africa Leadership Forum. ... Family Ties was a popular American television sitcom which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. ... The Cosby Show is an American television sitcom starring Bill Cosby, first broadcast on September 20, 1984 and ran for eight seasons on the NBC television network, until April 30, 1992. ... Cheers is a popular American situation comedy produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with CBS Paramount Television for NBC. Cheers was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Golden Girls is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985 to May 9, 1992. ... Knight Rider was a popular American television series that ran between September 26, 1982, and August 8, 1986. ... For the 2008 movie, see The A-Team (film). ... St. ... Night Court was an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 1984 until May 1992. ... Hunter was a police drama television series starring Fred Dryer which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. ... Highway to Heaven was a television drama which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989. ... Matlock was an American television legal drama starring Andy Griffith as attorney Ben Matlock. ... Remington Steele was an American television series first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. ... A Different World was an American television sitcom. ... Events Ireland - Rule of High King Cormac mac Airt begins (approximate) Cao Rui becomes emperor of the American television situation comedy that was originally broadcast from 1985 until 1990. ... Empty Nest is a television sitcom that ran on NBC from 1988 to 1995. ...

Tartikoff also helped develop Punky Brewster, for which he named the title character after a girl he had a crush on in school. Brandon, the pet dog on Punky Brewster, was named after Tartikoff. He was also involved in the creation of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Beggars and Choosers. Punky Brewster was a popular sitcom in the 1980s. ... Brandon (born 1984) was the pet golden retriever on the televison series Punky Brewster. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... Beggars and Choosers was a 1999-2000 television series broadcast by Showtime. ...

Early life and career

Born in Freeport, New York, Tartikoff was a graduate of the Lawrenceville School and Yale University, and started his career at WLS-TV in Chicago, Illinois. While attending Yale, Tartikoff worked as an account executive and sales manager of WNHC-TV in New Haven, Connecticut and Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating from Yale, he took a series of jobs in advertising and local television. Tartikoff spent vacations in Los Angeles looking for a job in network television. Freeport is a village in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. ... The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12 located on 700 acres in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S. five miles southwest of Princeton. ... “Yale” redirects here. ... WLS-TV abc Disney 7 is an American television station in Chicago, Illinois and thats owned and operated by the abc-TV Network & The Walt Disney Company. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... WTNH, channel 8, is the ABC affiliate for the state of Connecticut, licensed to New Haven and serving the Hartford/New Haven television market. ... Nickname: Location in Connecticut Coordinates: , NECTA New Haven Region South Central Region Settled 1638 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1895 Government  - Type Mayor-board of aldermen  - Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. ... Nickname: Location in Hartford County, Connecticut Coordinates: , Country United States State Connecticut NECTA Hartford Region Capitol Region Named 1637 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-council  - Mayor Eddie Perez Area  - City  18. ...

His parents were both survivors of the collision of two 747s on Tenerife, Canary Islands in 1977. Newsweek 3/1977. The Tenerife collision took place on March 27, 1977, at 17:06:56 local time (also GMT), when two Boeing 747 airliners collided at Los Rodeos (TCI) on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, killing 583 people. ... Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ... Flag of Tenerife Tenerife in the Canary Islands chain. ... Anthem: Arrorró Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th  7,447 km²  1. ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ...

Career at NBC

His big break came when he was hired as a program executive at ABC in 1976. One year later, he moved to NBC (after being hired by Dick Ebersol to direct comedy programming). Tartikoff took over programming duties at NBC from Fred Silverman in 1981. At the age of 30, Tartikoff became the youngest-ever president of NBC's entertainment division. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... See also: 1975 in television, other events of 1976, 1977 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1976-77 American network television schedule. ... Duncan Dick Ebersol (born July 28, 1947 in Torrington, Connecticut) is an American radio and TV manager. ... Silverman, Time, 1977 Fred Silverman (born September 13, 1937 in New York City) is an American television executive and producer. ... The year 1981 in television involved some significant events. ...

NBC was in turmoil when Tartikoff took over. A writers' strike was looming, affiliates were defecting and the network had just three prime time shows in the Top 20: Little House on the Prairie, Diff'rent Strokes and Real People). Trouble loomed elsewhere on the schedule. Johnny Carson was reportedly in talks to move his show to ABC. The entire cast and writers of Saturday Night Live left the show, and their replacements had plunged the show into what is still considered its worst period. Fortunately, Tartikoff's new boss was Grant Tinker - the quality driven producer who had built MTM Productions into a powerhouse. The two brought a string of classics to the small screen, some with the most unlikely inspiration. Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... Little House On The Prairie was an American one-hour dramatic television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1974 to March 21, 1983. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Real People was an NBC reality television series that aired from 1979 to 1984, generally on Sunday nights. ... For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 90 minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City that has been broadcast live by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Grant Tinker (born January 11, 1925) is the former chairman and CEO of NBC from 1981 to 1986, co-founder of MTM Enterprises, and television producer. ... The MTM logo, featuring Mimsie the Cat. ...

Tartikoff was impressed by Bill Cosby's stories while guest hosting the Tonight Show, leading him to pursue Cosby's pilot for The Cosby Show. William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... The First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush and current host Jay Leno. ... The Cosby Show is an American television sitcom starring Bill Cosby, first broadcast on September 20, 1984 and ran for eight seasons on the NBC television network, until April 30, 1992. ...

Once at a meeting, Tartikoff wrote down "MTV Cops" on a napkin and handed it to Michael Mann. The result was Miami Vice. Michael Mann is the name of: Michael Mann (film director) (born 1943) Michael Mann (scientist), climate researcher. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Tartikoff's mother-in-law brought a small, blue plush toy for his daughter, which led him to The Smurfs. The Smurfs (originally Les Schtroumpfs in French) are a fictional group of small sky blue creatures who live somewhere in the forests of medieval Europe. ...

Knight Rider was inspired by a perceived lack of leading men who could act - Tartikoff suggested a talking car could fill in the gaps in any leading man's acting abilities. Knight Rider was a popular American television series that ran between September 26, 1982, and August 8, 1986. ...

During the casting process of Family Ties, Tartikoff was unexcited about getting Michael J. Fox for the role of Alex P. Keaton. However, the show's producer, Gary David Goldberg, insisted until Tartikoff relented. Tartikoff said, "Go ahead if you insist. But I'm telling you, this is not the kind of face you'll ever see on a lunch box". Some years later, after Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox sent Tartikoff a lunch box that had Fox's picture on it with a note inside reading "To Brandon: This is for you to put your crow in. Love and Kisses, Michael J. Fox." Tartikoff kept the lunch box in his office for the rest of his career. Family Ties was a popular American television sitcom which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. ... For other persons named Michael Fox, see Michael Fox (disambiguation). ... Gary David Goldberg (born June 25, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American writer and producer for television and film . ... This article is about the first film in the Back to the Future trilogy. ... To eat boiled crow is to be proven wrong after having strongly expressed ones opinion. ...

Tartikoff famously wrote in his memoirs that his biggest professional regret was cancelling the show Buffalo Bill, which he later went on to include in a fantasy "dream schedule" created for a TV Guide article which detailed his idea of "The Greatest Network Ever" – right alongside more conventional classics like I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Cheers. Buffalo Bill was an American television situation comedy that featured the misadventures of an egotistical talk show host and his staff at a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. ... TV Guide is the name of two North American weekly magazines about television programming, one in the United States and one in Canada. ... I Love Lucy is a television situation comedy starring Lucille Ball, her orchestra leader husband Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. ... Mary Tyler Moore is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 to March 19, 1977. ... Cheers is a popular American situation comedy produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with CBS Paramount Television for NBC. Cheers was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. ...

Apperances on NBC's shows

During his time at NBC, he made appearances in several of the network's shows. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1983 and appeared as himself in an episode of Saved by the Bell, where, very tongue-in-cheek, he shortly entertains the notion of a "show about a high school principal and his kids," before scoffing at the idea. During his 1983 appearance on Saturday Night Live, one skit featured Tartikoff in a black leather ensemble, with the words "Be There" spelled out in rhinestones on the back of his jacket. "Be There" was NBC's slogan during the 1983 - 1984 season, a fitting example of clever hidden advertising. He also appeared as himself in episodes of Night Court and ALF, and in the background of one of the final episodes of Cheers. David Leisure also played Tartikoff in an episode of ALF. Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 90 minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City that has been broadcast live by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... // February 8 - Minipops premieres on Channel 4 in the UK. Though a ratings success, it is canceled after the first series due to heavy media criticism. ... Saved by the Bell is an American teen sitcom which originally aired between 1989 and 1993. ... // February 8 - Minipops premieres on Channel 4 in the UK. Though a ratings success, it is canceled after the first series due to heavy media criticism. ... A rhinestone or paste is a diamond simulant made from rock crystal, glass or acrylic. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Look up slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Night Court was an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 1984 until May 1992. ... ALF or Alf can have several meanings: ALF is an acronym standing for Animal Liberation Front, an animal rights group Alf is an acronym for the Africa Leadership Forum. ...

Post-NBC career

He left NBC in 1991, moving to Paramount Pictures to become its chairman. A year later, Brandon left that post to spend more time with his daughter, Calla, who was seriously injured in a car crash near the family's Lake Tahoe home. This is a list of television-related events in 1991. ... Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. ...

In 1994, he made his comeback to national TV with Last Call, a short-lived late-night discussion show he produced. That same year he also produced The Steven Banks Show for PBS. Later that year, he began a brief run as chairman of New World Entertainment. Just prior to his death, Tartikoff served as the chairman of the AOL project "Entertainment Asylum", for which he teamed with internet pioneer Scott Zakarin to build the world's first interactive broadcast studio. The year 1994 in television involved some significant events. ... CD cover from the 1994 album Songs From the Steven Banks Show. ... Note: Public Broadcasting Services is a broadcaster in Malta. ... New World Pictures logo from the late 1980s; New Worlds other divisions used similar logos New World Communications was a major television production company and television station owner in the United States from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. ... It has been suggested that AOL search data scandal be merged into this article or section. ... Scott Zakarin is an American writer and producer. ...

Death

Tartikoff died on August 27, 1997 at the age of 48 from Hodgkin's Disease, with which he had three separate bouts over 25 years. is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Deep Space Nine episode "A Time to Stand" began with a title card reading "In memory of Brandon Tartikoff". A similar card appeared at the end of the ninth-season premiere, as well as "The Butter Shave", of Seinfeld. A Time to Stand is the first episode of season six of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... The Butter Shave is the first episode of the ninth season of Seinfeld. ... Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. ...

He was interred in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood, California. Mount Sinai Memorial Park is a Jewish cemetery located at 5950 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles, California. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue...

Parodies

Tartikoff was parodied in the 1989-1990 CBS series The Famous Teddy Z as network president "Landon Tarmac." This is a list of television-related events in 1989. ... The year 1990 in television involved some significant events. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ... The Famous Teddy Z was a short-lived television sitcom created by Hugh Wilson (WKRP in Cincinnati, Franks Place) that aired on CBS during the fall of 1989. ...

External links

• Brandon Tartikoff at the Internet Movie Database
• Brandon Tartikoff article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki
• BRANDON AT THE BAT
• News for Brandon Tartikoff
• The Two-Edged Legacy of Brandon Tartikoff