Mel Brandt
Encyclopedia
Melville Brandt was an actor
and NBC
staff announcer. He was born in Brooklyn
, New York.
Brandt joined the network around 1948. His radio
announcing credits included The Adventures of Frank Merriwell, Author Meets the Critics
, and The Eternal Light
. In 1975, he announced for a syndicated radio program
called Faces of Love.
On television
, Brandt's familiar voice was heard over the second animated version of the NBC Peacock from 1962 to 1975, announcing that the program was in "living color" on NBC. He also announced the opening of the television soap opera, The Doctors. His introduction was "The Doctors: The Emmy Award
winning program, dedicated to the brotherhood of healing." He was also announcer on GE College Bowl on NBC from 1963 to 1970; his introduction was "Match wits with the champions in America's favorite question and answer game, live from New York, the General Electric College Bowl," and after a brief plug for General Electric would introduce "the man with the questions, Robert Earle."
Brandt replaced Don Pardo
as the announcer on Saturday Night Live
during the 1981-82 season (though there are two episodes from that season where Mel Brandt was replaced by Bill Hanrahan as show announcer).
Brandt was one of the stars of the first television soap opera
, Faraway Hill
, broadcast in 1946 on the DuMont Television Network
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
staff announcer. He was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York.
Brandt joined the network around 1948. His radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
announcing credits included The Adventures of Frank Merriwell, Author Meets the Critics
Author Meets the Critics
Author Meets the Critics was an American talk show which aired on NBC, ABC, and the DuMont Television Network. The series began as a mid-season replacement on NBC on April 4, 1948, but moved to ABC in 1949...
, and The Eternal Light
The Eternal Light
The Eternal Light is a long-running American radio and television program on the NBC Radio Network, produced in conjunction with the Jewish Theological Seminary, that was broadcast between 1944 and 1989. Featuring interviews, commentary, and award-winning dramas from the perspective of Judaism, it...
. In 1975, he announced for a syndicated radio program
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
called Faces of Love.
On television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, Brandt's familiar voice was heard over the second animated version of the NBC Peacock from 1962 to 1975, announcing that the program was in "living color" on NBC. He also announced the opening of the television soap opera, The Doctors. His introduction was "The Doctors: The Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning program, dedicated to the brotherhood of healing." He was also announcer on GE College Bowl on NBC from 1963 to 1970; his introduction was "Match wits with the champions in America's favorite question and answer game, live from New York, the General Electric College Bowl," and after a brief plug for General Electric would introduce "the man with the questions, Robert Earle."
Brandt replaced Don Pardo
Don Pardo
Dominick George "Don" Pardo is an American radio and television announcer. He is best known as the voice of the long-running late night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live....
as the announcer on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
during the 1981-82 season (though there are two episodes from that season where Mel Brandt was replaced by Bill Hanrahan as show announcer).
Brandt was one of the stars of the first television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Faraway Hill
Faraway Hill
Faraway Hill is the first soap opera broadcast on an American television network, running on the DuMont Television Network.-Broadcast history:...
, broadcast in 1946 on the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
.