From the Chairman
Bruce Rosenblum
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
It was my great honor recently to attend the Television Academy Hall of Fame
While always a meaningful and memorable evening, this year’s was all the more so for me in my new role as chairman of this organization. Each year the Academy honors television greats who have had a profound impact on our industry, our community and our culture; men and women who contribute to the advancement and success of our medium.
This year’s honorees were television executive extraordinaire Michael Eisner; Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, the creators of MTV’s The Real World, now in production of its twenty-seventh season; veteran lighting designer Bill Klages; Mario “Don Francisco” Kreutzberger, host of the world longest-running variety show, Univision’s Sábado Gigante; and William Frawley and Vivian Vance, known worldwide as Fred and Ethel Mertz of I Love Lucy.
The eighth honoree, writer-producer Chuck Lorre, is someone I am proud to call a friend. He has kept America laughing for years with such hits as Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Mike & Molly.
Chuck has not only been my friend and colleague for more than a dozen years, but his unmatched track record at Warner Bros. has kept me from driving onto the lot and finding another name painted on my parking space!
Another friend of our Academy, Jon Cryer, star of Two and a Half Men, graciously agreed to host the Hall of Fame ceremony and brought his trademark warmth and humor to the room. All in all, it was a spectacular evening; you can read more about it in Academy News in this issue of emmy.
A very different but equally enjoyable event was the Academy’s recent salute to the AMC drama Breaking Bad.
The night featured creator–executive producer Vince Gilligan as well as the cast, including, of course, star Bryan Cranston, who has won three Primetime Emmys for his role as Walter White, a seemingly average family man who turns to the drug trade. Breaking Bad has clearly made viewing addicts out of many of our members, as an overflow crowd descended on the Academy that night. Two weeks later, members returned for a lively evening with the principals of Mike & Molly.
I hope to see many of you at our upcoming events, which will salute other shows and offer opportunities for networking and professional development.
As we approach the start of another Emmy season, I encourage you to keep an eye on the entry deadlines for our primetime competition (also noted in Academy News) so that your work, too, can be considered for recognition in the months ahead.
We’ve had a great start to the year, and with your participation, it’s only going to get better.
Bruce Rosenblum
