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November 30, 2016 10:36 pm  #1


RIP To A TV Legend

He never acted on a show, he never appeared on any program at all, but every viewer would have been far less enriched without Grant Tinker. Even if you've never heard of him, you certainly know the shows he shepherded to success on TV in the 70s and 80s. Here's a partial list:

-The Mary Tyler Moore Show. (He was her husband at the time.)
-Lou Grant
-Rhoda
-Phyllis
-St. Elsewhere
-Cheers
-The Bob Newhart Show
-Family Ties
-The Cosby Show (before the troubles)
-The Golden Girls
-Night Court
-The White Shadow
-Hill Street Blues and one of the most meaningful for fans of this board
-WKRP In Cincinnati.

Quite an amazing track record and TV would have been a far worse medium without him. It wasn't just the great shows - he left them on when the ratings were non-existent. Everyone forgets how poorly "Cheers" and "Hill St." did in their first year or so on the tube, before viewers started to notice. Now, like many of those other titles, they're considered classics of the medium.  

Tinker died Wednesday at age 90. They truly don't make television executives like this anymore.

But we'll always have reruns. 

NBC Legend Grant Tinker Dead at 90

 

November 30, 2016 11:09 pm  #2


Re: RIP To A TV Legend

WKRP? Did he also help with the new WKRP in the early 90's? Or was that someone else?


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

December 2, 2016 9:11 pm  #3


Re: RIP To A TV Legend

Before his great achievements in the 70's and 80's he was part of the team that helped develop the Dick Van Dyke show and he was also involved in the development of the second pilot for the original Star Trek series. He really was a TV legend.