George Schlatter

Listen to "George Schlatter Creator Of Laugh-In" on Spreaker. Throughout his long and successful career as a producer, director and writer, George Schlatter has been responsible for hundreds of hours of television series and specials. He changed the face of television when he created and produced such breakthrough series as Laugh-In and Real People. Over the years, George has received numerous honors and awards including: 25 Emmy Award nominations, three Emmys, three Image Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Television Critics Awards, Directors Guild Award, Producers Guild "Man of The Year," and many others. On its 25th Anniversary, the Television Academy honored him for his outstanding contribution to television. In 1989, he was awarded a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame. Mr. Schlatter is a veteran of over 50 years in network television. He produced the first 5 years of the Grammy Awards plus series and specials starring Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Eddie Murphy, Cher, Elton John, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Doris Day, Jonathan Winters, Richard Pryor, Shirley MacLaine, Bill Cosby, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Diana Ross, Lena Horne, Dinah Shore, Nat King Cole, Placido Domingo and scores of others. In 1987, George Schlatter created and for the next 15 years produced the American Comedy Awards, an annual televised event designed to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of comedic actors and performers. George says, "of all the work I've done, I am perhaps most proud of my involvement in the early careers of performers like Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Roseanne, Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and others who have gone on to greater heights. Working with stars is rewarding, but helping to create stars is the most fulfilling of all accomplishments." In 1996, the Museum of Television & Radio did a special tribute to him for his contributions in the world of television. In honor of Frank Sinatra's milestone 80th birthday, George produced the Emmy-winning critically acclaimed special Sinatra 80 Years: My Way. Other credits include the Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration, which also won an Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special in 1990, the Muhammad Ali 50th & 60th Birthday Celebrations, Welcome Home America, the USO 50th Anniversary, The People's Choice Awards, the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award Salutes to Dustin Hoffman and Harrison Ford, and both the 54th and 55th Presidential Inaugural Opening Ceremonies of George W. Bush. His most recent specials were The Best of Laugh In for a very successful PBS Pledge Drive and the Emmy nominated Moms Mabley documentary, which he co-produced with Whoopi Goldberg for HBO. Last fall, Pepperdine University presented Still Laugh-In: A Toast to George Schlatter acknowledging his innovative contributions to television over many decades. In December, 2014, George was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pepperdine in recognition of his lifelong achievements. Besides his work in television, George has been honored for his showmanship and involvement in many charitable causes including Finding a Cure. Nancy Reagan: A Love Story (for Juvenile Diabetes Research) and the Los Angeles Opera on Stage Gala starring Placido Domingo. Since 1990 he has produced every Carousel of Hope Ball for the Children's Diabetes Foundation, which has built and benefits the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Denver, Colorado. George is married to former actress Jolene Brand who was a regular on the Ernie Kovacs Show and they have two daughters. Maria is an Emmy award winning television producer and is now writing for the theater. Andrea Justine is a champion equestrian rider and trainer. ABOUT THE DVD RELEASE OF THE FIRST SEASON OF ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN Although "Saturday Night Live," "MADtv" and other sketch shows have captured some of the flavor of "Laugh-In," no other comedy show has matched it in terms of its hyper-speed outrageousness and offbeat sensibility. -- Los Angeles Times "The frenetic, chaotic comedy still earns laughs 50 years later... it's a wonderful time capsule of the era"-- DVD Talk From 1968 to 1973, anarchy reigned supreme on NBC, and network television was never quite the same -- Winston-Salem Journal THIS SEPTEMBER, TV'S GROUNDBREAKING VARIETY SHOW LAUNCHES AT RETAIL WITH A ZANY, STAR-STUDDED INAUGURAL SEASON DVD SET