Brandon Tartikoff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brandon Tartikoff
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Tartikoff at the 1988 Emmy Awards
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Brandon Tartikoff
January 13, 1949 Freeport, New York, U.S.
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| Died | August 27, 1997 (aged 48) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Office | President of NBC Entertainment |
| Term | 1981–1991 |
| Predecessor | Fred Silverman |
| Successor | Warren Littlefield |
| Spouse(s) | Lilly Samuels (1982–1997, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 – August 27, 1997) was a super important American television executive. He was the president of NBC from 1980 to 1991. He is famous for helping NBC become the top TV network. He brought many hit shows to our screens.
Some of these popular shows included Hill Street Blues, Law & Order, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, The Golden Girls, Miami Vice, Knight Rider, and The A-Team. He also helped create Punky Brewster, naming the main character after a girl he liked in school.
Contents
Brandon Tartikoff's Life and Career
His Early Life
Brandon Tartikoff was born on January 13, 1949, in Freeport, New York. He went to the Lawrenceville School and then to Yale University. While at Yale, he wrote for the school's humor magazine, The Yale Record.
During his college breaks, Brandon looked for jobs in television. After graduating from Yale, he worked in advertising and local TV stations. He worked in places like New Haven, Connecticut, and Chicago, Illinois.
Leading NBC to Success
Brandon Tartikoff started working at ABC in 1976. A year later, he moved to NBC. In 1981, at just 32 years old, he became the youngest president of NBC's entertainment division.
When Brandon took over, NBC was struggling. It was in last place compared to ABC and CBS. Many local TV stations were leaving NBC. Only a few of its shows were popular. But Brandon, along with his boss Grant Tinker, worked hard to turn things around.
Creating Hit Shows
Brandon Tartikoff was a genius at finding new show ideas.
- He really wanted Bill Cosby to create a show. This led to the huge hit The Cosby Show.
- He once wrote a note with just "MTV cops" on it. This idea became the cool 1980s show Miami Vice.
- For Knight Rider, he thought a talking car could be a great character. This was because he felt there weren't enough strong male actors.
Funny Stories from His Career
Brandon had a great sense of humor.
- When casting Family Ties, he wasn't sure about Michael J. Fox for the role of Alex P. Keaton. He said Michael's face wasn't "the kind of face you'll ever see on a lunch box." Years later, after Michael J. Fox became a huge star with Back to the Future, Michael sent Brandon a lunch box with his picture on it. It had a funny note saying, "Brandon, They wanted me to put a crow in here, but... Love and Kisses, Michael J." Brandon kept that lunch box in his office!
- Jerry Seinfeld said that Brandon Tartikoff helped save his show Seinfeld from being canceled. This happened during its first few years when ratings were low.
Appearances on TV Shows
Brandon Tartikoff sometimes appeared on NBC's shows himself!
- He was played by David Leisure in an episode of ALF.
- He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1983.
- He appeared as himself in an episode of Saved by the Bell. In this episode, he briefly thought about a show "about a high school principal and his kids" before deciding it was a silly idea.
- He also appeared on Night Court and in the background of a final episode of Cheers.
After NBC
Brandon left NBC in 1991 to become the chairman of Paramount Pictures. A year later, he left Paramount to spend more time with his daughter, Calla. Calla had been in a serious car accident.
In 1994, he produced a late-night show called Last Call. He also worked for New World Entertainment. Before he passed away, he was working on an online project called "Entertainment Asylum."
His Family
In 1982, Brandon married Lilly Samuels. They had two daughters, Calla Lianne and Elizabeth Justine. His daughter Calla's name inspired the character Princess Calla in Disney's “The Gummi Bears.”
His Passing
Brandon Tartikoff passed away on August 27, 1997, at the age of 48. He had battled Hodgkin's lymphoma for 25 years. After his death, TV shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Seinfeld honored him with special messages at the end of their episodes. Many famous people he had worked with also paid tribute to him on Dateline NBC.
