The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame Committee has selected Bea Arthur, Dan Burke, Larry Gelbart, Merv Griffin, Tom Murphy and Sherwood Schwartz to be inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame, it was announced today by John Shaffner, Chairman/CEO of the Television Academy.
'The Television Academy's Hall of Fame honors a lifetime of excellence and is a special recognition for those who have made significant contributions and have left an indelible mark on the television business. This year's inductees have each helped shape our industry and are an inspiration for everyone involved in our business," said Shaffner. "It is an honor to recognize their careers and we are pleased to welcome them into our Hall of Fame.'
Hall of Fame candidates are submitted from the Television Academy's membership and the industry at large to the Hall of Fame selection committee who votes upon the final decision. The current committee is comprised of Mark Itkin, Chairman of the Television Academy Hall of Fame Selection Committee, Fred Silverman, Brian Graden, Mike Darnell, Courtney Cox-Arquette and Anne Sweeney.
"Being part of this selection process was an honor. Each of these inductees has had a tremendous impact on our business," added Itkin. "Their respective careers have stood the test of time and their accomplishments extend over decades. We can't think of five others who deserve this honor more."
Bea Arthur
Bea Arthur is a two-time Emmy® Award-winning and a Tony Award-winning comedienne, actress and singer. In a career spanning six decades, Arthur is best remembered for her trademark role as the title character Maude Findlay on the 1970's sitcom Maude, in which she portrayed an outspoken feminist living in affluent Westchester County with her husband and divorced daughter. The show ran for six years, during which time many controversial topics, including abortion, were tackled.
In 1985, she was cast as Dorothy Zbornak, the divorced substitute teacher on The Golden Girls. On stage, her many roles include "Lucy Brown" in the 1954 off-Broadway premiere of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, "Yente the Matchmaker" in 1964's Fiddler on the Roof, and a 1966 Tony Award-winning portrayal of "Vera Charles" in Mame, a role she recreated for the film version in 1974. In 2002, she made a triumphant return to Broadway starring in Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, a collection of stories and songs based on her life and long career. The show was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event.
Daniel B. Burke
Daniel B. Burke was president of Capital Cities Communications for 22 years, and CEO Capital Cities/ ABC, until his retirement in 1994 (he succeeded Chairman Thomas Murphy as CEO in 1990).
Burke, nicknamed "the Cardinal" because of his strict standards, had been number two to Murphy at CapCities since 1972, running the business day-to-day while Murphy concentrated on strategy. While a top executive at ABC News, Burke was credited with strengthening its domestic and oversee bureaus, contributing to the success of 20/20 and Nightline and helping to hire David Brinkley from NBC and Diane Sawyer from CBS.
Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart is a prolific comedy writer with over sixty years of credits. He began his career as a writer for Danny Thomas' radio show during the 1940s and also wrote for Jack Paar and Bob Hope. In the 1950s he began writing for television and worked for Sid Caesar along with other gifted comedy writers including Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and Carl Reiner.
