Brandon Tartikoff was the greatest television executive ever. Pretty strong statement, I realize. Yet, I truly believe it. This man truly loved the medium. He says in his book that he decided he wanted to work in TV at the tender age of seven....
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Brandon Tartikoff was the greatest television executive ever. Pretty strong statement, I realize. Yet, I truly believe it. This man truly loved the medium. He says in his book that he decided he wanted to work in TV at the tender age of seven. He wanted to be Ed Sullivan. One of his first jobs was as a freelance reporter who was lucky enough to interview Fred Silverman (then CBS Programming Chief). And the dream was born. He realized he could do that, he could "Play television" as a career. Everything I have read about Tartikoff depicts him as a good man, with a true passion for his work. He was a loving and faithful family man. There are no stories of him being a jerk or cheating or backstabbing anyone. Wow - in the TV industry that's a rarity. In fact, even when fighting cancer, he didn't miss a day of work. Can you imagine loving your work that much? No wonder he was so great at what he did. NBC owes everything to him. He took over in the 80's and brought it from last place to an unbeatable first. The network only began to tumble after all his shows ended their run. Yes - it was he who signed Jerry Seinfeld! I can't think of a more appropriate role model for anyone who loves television.