Tandem Productions
Encyclopedia
Tandem Productions, Inc. (a.k.a. Tandem Enterprises, Inc.) was a film and television production company that was founded in 1958 by Bud Yorkin
and Norman Lear
.
specials, Henry Fonda and the Family
, An Evening with Carol Channing
and The Scene '66, to name a few. Tandem was also at hand for various unsold pilots throughout the '50s and '60s, including Henry T., Meet Me at Danny's and Barnaby (not to be confused with Barnaby Jones
). The company also financed the production of theatrical films, some of which were released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures
, Columbia Pictures
, and United Artists
.
Lear and Yorkin later turned their focus on situation comedy. The first success in that genre was All in the Family
, which was based on a British
sitcom Till Death Us Do Part. Before the series made its debut on January 12, 1971, Yorkin and Lear shot two unsold pilots for the series: one in 1968 called Justice For All
and the other in 1969 titled Those Were the Days. Production for the series began in late 1970, following the third pilot episode which was picked up by CBS
. More successful shows were also produced by Tandem; they were Maude
(1972–1978), Good Times
(1974–1979), and finally Sanford and Son
(1972–1977). All four of those shows had the in-credit notice displayed at the end A Bud Yorkin-Norman Lear Tandem Production. In 1977, Viacom Enterprises
secured domestic and international television syndication rights for All in the Family which hit off-network reruns in Fall 1979. Columbia Pictures Television took over distribution for the series by 1991. In 1978, Tandem produced Diff'rent Strokes
, which was the only show not to be produced by Yorkin nor Lear. Archie Bunker's Place
was produced in 1979, Sanford
in 1980 and Gloria
, the final series to be produced by Tandem in 1982. Not many more shows were produced under the Tandem name, but many other shows were being produced under TAT Communications Company during the early 1980s.
The name Tandem Productions was chosen because when launching their company, Yorkin and Lear were said to feel like two men riding uphill on a tandem bicycle
.
, a year before Lear's split with Yorkin. "T.A.T." stood for a Yiddish phrase pronounced "Tuchus Affen Tisch", which meant "Putting one's butt on the line" (ass on the table).
The first sitcom to be produced by T.A.T. Communications was The Jeffersons
, that was spun off from the groundbreaking
sitcom All in the Family in 1975.
and it was spun off from Sanford and Son starring Whitman Mayo
. The series was canceled after 12 episodes due to low ratings.
In 1976, Yorkin, Turteltaub, and Orenstein established TOY Productions, and the first sitcom for the company was What's Happening!!
. The series was suggested by an American International Picture
Cooley High
written by Eric Monte
.
In 1980, TOY Productions had an early connection with Columbia Pictures Television
when the company acquired the distribution rights to their series and co-produced the sitcom One in a Million
. After the cancellation, TOY Productions was folded.
). P*I*T*S Films was reincorporated as Embassy Telecommunications in 1982.
, he dropped the name "Avco" and reincorporated T.A.T. Communications to Embassy Television
. All series that were still produced by T.A.T. (such as The Facts of Life
, The Jeffersons
, Gloria
, and One Day at a Time
) were produced under the Embassy name. All shows by Tandem Productions that were off the air including by Bud Yorkin Productions and TOY Productions were distributed by Embassy Telecommunications. In 1983, Ken Stump, the former associate producer for Tandem Productions and TAT Communications was made in charge of production for Tandem Productions and Embassy Television.
In 1985, Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio split Embassy Pictures Corporation into three parts: Embassy Pictures, Embassy Television and Tandem Productions, and Embassy Home Entertainment. Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy Pictures to Coca-Cola
on June 18 for $485 million, but then Coke sold Embassy Pictures to Dino De Laurentiis
since De Laurentiis didn't want to release his movies through a major studio anymore. Coke's plan was to keep the television output alive and to spin-off the other labels that weren't part of the deal. De Laurentiis later folded Embassy Pictures with the formation of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Majority of the motion picture holdings are currently licensed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
and StudioCanal
. However, Columbia Pictures still retains Crimewave
and Saving Grace
(both co-distributed by Embassy Pictures). SPE also has the television rights to the Avco Embassy Film The Fog
(1980) since the revival in 2005.
After the sale of Embassy, CPT also produced the sitcom What's Happening Now!!
along with LBS Communications (Colex
) and began syndicating What's Happening!! as their own. The same year, Diff'rent Strokes was moved to ABC
from NBC
. Tandem Productions was by then reduced down to an in-name-only division of Embassy Television. In 1986, Diff'rent Strokes was canceled from ABC
due to low ratings and Tandem Productions was abandoned. Embassy Television merged with Embassy Telecommunications and Tandem Productions to form Embassy Communications (or Columbia/Embassy Television). However, Tandem still remained as an in-name-only division of Embassy Communications until February 8, 1988 when it became in-name-only to Columbia Pictures Television and in turn an in-name-only sub-division of ELP Communications. CPT also acquired the television rights to those Embassy movies by Joseph E. Levine
, Avco Embassy Pictures, and Lear/Perenchio's Embassy Pictures.
In 1986, Coca-Cola spun-off and sold Embassy Home Entertainment to Nelson Holdings, Inc. and became Nelson Entertainment that was also not part of the plan for Coke to keep the home video arm due to RCA's venture with Columbia Pictures Home Video
that would've conflicted the joint venture if Coke kept EHE.
from 1982-1985 and at ABC Television Center
from 1985-1986.
Bud Yorkin
Bud Yorkin is an American film and television producer, director, writer and actor.Yorkin was born Alan David Yorkin in Washington, Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in engineering from Carnegie Tech, now Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsbugh, Pennsylvania...
and Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
.
Tandem Productions
In the early years, Yorkin and Lear initially established Tandem specifically for television production. The company produced several variety and dramatic television specials such as the Fred AstaireFred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
specials, Henry Fonda and the Family
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, An Evening with Carol Channing
Carol Channing
Carol Elaine Channing is an American singer, actress, and comedienne. She is the recipient of three Tony Awards , a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination...
and The Scene '66, to name a few. Tandem was also at hand for various unsold pilots throughout the '50s and '60s, including Henry T., Meet Me at Danny's and Barnaby (not to be confused with Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
). The company also financed the production of theatrical films, some of which were released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, and United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
.
Lear and Yorkin later turned their focus on situation comedy. The first success in that genre was All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
, which was based on a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom Till Death Us Do Part. Before the series made its debut on January 12, 1971, Yorkin and Lear shot two unsold pilots for the series: one in 1968 called Justice For All
Justice For All
Justice For All is a Hong Kong television game show produced by Television Broadcasts Limited. The show is hosted by Carol Cheng; however, it also invites 3 guests and 2 lawyers to explain the answers. The first season was aired from April 25 to May 29, 2005. The second season was aired from...
and the other in 1969 titled Those Were the Days. Production for the series began in late 1970, following the third pilot episode which was picked up by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. More successful shows were also produced by Tandem; they were Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
(1972–1978), Good Times
Good Times
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer...
(1974–1979), and finally Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
(1972–1977). All four of those shows had the in-credit notice displayed at the end A Bud Yorkin-Norman Lear Tandem Production. In 1977, Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises was a television distribution company formed in 1971 as the successor to CBS Enterprises, and spun off in 1973 due to now-repealed FCC bylaws prohibiting networks from syndicating their own shows....
secured domestic and international television syndication rights for All in the Family which hit off-network reruns in Fall 1979. Columbia Pictures Television took over distribution for the series by 1991. In 1978, Tandem produced Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
, which was the only show not to be produced by Yorkin nor Lear. Archie Bunker's Place
Archie Bunker's Place
Archie Bunker's Place is an American sitcom originally broadcast on the CBS network, conceived in 1979 as a spin-off and continuation of All in the Family. While not as popular as its predecessor, the show maintained a large enough audience to last for four seasons, until its cancellation in 1983...
was produced in 1979, Sanford
Sanford (TV series)
Sanford is an American situation comedy, which was the revival of the 1972–1977 sitcom Sanford and Son.-Background:In 1977, after six seasons of Sanford and Son, Redd Foxx decided to leave the NBC show to star in a variety show for ABC. His new show, The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour, was cancelled...
in 1980 and Gloria
Gloria (TV series)
Gloria is an American situation comedy that lasted one season on CBS, from September 1982 to September 1983. It stars Sally Struthers, reprising her role as Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie Bunker on the hugely successful 1970s sitcom All in the Family...
, the final series to be produced by Tandem in 1982. Not many more shows were produced under the Tandem name, but many other shows were being produced under TAT Communications Company during the early 1980s.
The name Tandem Productions was chosen because when launching their company, Yorkin and Lear were said to feel like two men riding uphill on a tandem bicycle
Tandem bicycle
The tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement , not the number of riders. A bike with two riders side-by-side is called a sociable.-History:Patents related to tandem bicycles date from the late 19th...
.
Norbud Productions
Norbud Productions, Inc. is a crediting company name for Tandem Productions by the first names of Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear that was formed in 1970. This name lasted until 1973 on Sanford and Son.T.A.T. Communications Company
T.A.T. Communications Company was formed in 1974 when Norman Lear joined up with comedian Jerry PerenchioJerry Perenchio
Andrew Jerrold "Jerry" Perenchio was the former chairman and CEO of Univision, the largest Spanish-language company in the United States.-Early life:...
, a year before Lear's split with Yorkin. "T.A.T." stood for a Yiddish phrase pronounced "Tuchus Affen Tisch", which meant "Putting one's butt on the line" (ass on the table).
The first sitcom to be produced by T.A.T. Communications was The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
, that was spun off from the groundbreaking
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
sitcom All in the Family in 1975.
Bud Yorkin Productions and TOY Productions
After Yorkin ended his partnership with Lear in 1975, he joined forces with writers and producers Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein (who wrote some episodes and produced Sanford and Son from 1974 to 1977) and established Bud Yorkin Productions, Inc. He still remained as the executive producer of the series. The first sitcom was GradyGrady (TV series)
Grady was an spin-off of the sitcom, Sanford and Son. In this series, Fred Sanford's widower friend Grady moves out of Watts and moves in with his daughter and her family in Westwood. Executive producer Norman Lear served as a consultant to the show.Redd Foxx made a special guest appearance as...
and it was spun off from Sanford and Son starring Whitman Mayo
Whitman Mayo
Whitman B. Mayo was an American actor best known for his character Grady Wilson on the 1970s television sitcom Sanford and Son....
. The series was canceled after 12 episodes due to low ratings.
In 1976, Yorkin, Turteltaub, and Orenstein established TOY Productions, and the first sitcom for the company was What's Happening!!
What's Happening!!
What's Happening!! is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976 to April 28, 1979. The show premiered as a summer series. With good ratings and reviews, and after the failure of several other shows on the network, What's Happening!! returned in November 1976 as a weekly...
. The series was suggested by an American International Picture
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
Cooley High
Cooley High
Cooley High is a 1975 American film based upon the real high school located on the near north side of Chicago produced and released by American International Pictures and written by Eric Monte...
written by Eric Monte
Eric Monte
Eric Monte is an American screenwriter who has written for and created notable shows depicting 1970s African American culture.-Early life and career:...
.
In 1980, TOY Productions had an early connection with Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...
when the company acquired the distribution rights to their series and co-produced the sitcom One in a Million
One in a Million (US TV series)
One In A Million is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC for one season in 1980. The show was developed as a starring vehicle for comedienne Shirley Hemphill after the success of What's Happening!! in which she played a supporting role...
. After the cancellation, TOY Productions was folded.
P*I*T*S Films
P*I*T*S (an acronym which stands for Pie In The Sky) Films was the television distribution arm of Tandem Productions launched in 1978 to distribute their parent company's programs (the only exception was All in the Family, which at the time was distributed by ViacomViacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises was a television distribution company formed in 1971 as the successor to CBS Enterprises, and spun off in 1973 due to now-repealed FCC bylaws prohibiting networks from syndicating their own shows....
). P*I*T*S Films was reincorporated as Embassy Telecommunications in 1982.
The 1980s
After Norman Lear bought Avco Embassy PicturesEmbassy Pictures
Embassy Pictures Corporation was an independent studio and distributor responsible for such films as The Graduate, The Lion in Winter, This Is Spinal Tap and Escape from New York.-Founding:The company was founded in 1942 by producer Joseph E...
, he dropped the name "Avco" and reincorporated T.A.T. Communications to Embassy Television
Embassy Television
...
. All series that were still produced by T.A.T. (such as The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
, The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
, Gloria
Gloria (TV series)
Gloria is an American situation comedy that lasted one season on CBS, from September 1982 to September 1983. It stars Sally Struthers, reprising her role as Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie Bunker on the hugely successful 1970s sitcom All in the Family...
, and One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
) were produced under the Embassy name. All shows by Tandem Productions that were off the air including by Bud Yorkin Productions and TOY Productions were distributed by Embassy Telecommunications. In 1983, Ken Stump, the former associate producer for Tandem Productions and TAT Communications was made in charge of production for Tandem Productions and Embassy Television.
In 1985, Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio split Embassy Pictures Corporation into three parts: Embassy Pictures, Embassy Television and Tandem Productions, and Embassy Home Entertainment. Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy Pictures to Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
on June 18 for $485 million, but then Coke sold Embassy Pictures to Dino De Laurentiis
Dino De Laurentiis
Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis was an Italian film producer.-Early life:He was born at Torre Annunziata in the province of Naples, and grew up selling spaghetti produced by his father...
since De Laurentiis didn't want to release his movies through a major studio anymore. Coke's plan was to keep the television output alive and to spin-off the other labels that weren't part of the deal. De Laurentiis later folded Embassy Pictures with the formation of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Majority of the motion picture holdings are currently licensed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
and StudioCanal
StudioCanal
StudioCanal is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
. However, Columbia Pictures still retains Crimewave
Crimewave
Crimewave is a 1985 comedy film directed by Sam Raimi, an unusual slapstick mix of film noir, black comedy and several eras, starring Reed Birney, Paul L. Smith, Louise Lasser, Brion James, Bruce Campbell, and Sheree J. Wilson. It was Raimi's first studio film following the success of The Evil Dead...
and Saving Grace
Saving Grace (1985 film)
Saving Grace is a 1985 film produced by Herbert F. Solow, directed by Robert M. Young and starring Tom Conti, Giancarlo Giannini and Edward James Olmos.It is based on a novel by Celia Gittelson with screenplay by Richard Kramer.-Plot:...
(both co-distributed by Embassy Pictures). SPE also has the television rights to the Avco Embassy Film The Fog
The Fog
The Fog is a 1980 horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and composed the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins and Janet Leigh...
(1980) since the revival in 2005.
After the sale of Embassy, CPT also produced the sitcom What's Happening Now!!
What's Happening Now!!
What's Happening Now!! is an American television sitcom spinoff of What's Happening!!. It ran in syndication from 1985 to 1988. Like the previous series, What's Happening Now!! is loosely based on the motion picture Cooley High...
along with LBS Communications (Colex
Colex Enterprises
Colex Enterprises was a joint venture company between Columbia Pictures Television and LBS Communications, Inc., active from 1984 to 1988. The joint venture's name was a combination of the two companies' names .The company was responsible for distributing the Screen Gems...
) and began syndicating What's Happening!! as their own. The same year, Diff'rent Strokes was moved to ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from 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...
. Tandem Productions was by then reduced down to an in-name-only division of Embassy Television. In 1986, Diff'rent Strokes was canceled from ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
due to low ratings and Tandem Productions was abandoned. Embassy Television merged with Embassy Telecommunications and Tandem Productions to form Embassy Communications (or Columbia/Embassy Television). However, Tandem still remained as an in-name-only division of Embassy Communications until February 8, 1988 when it became in-name-only to Columbia Pictures Television and in turn an in-name-only sub-division of ELP Communications. CPT also acquired the television rights to those Embassy movies by Joseph E. Levine
Joseph E. Levine
Joseph E. Levine was an American film producer.He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His Embassy Pictures Corporation was an independent studio and distributor responsible for such films as Hercules , The Carpetbaggers, Harlow, The Graduate, A Bridge Too Far and The Lion in Winter.Levine is famous...
, Avco Embassy Pictures, and Lear/Perenchio's Embassy Pictures.
In 1986, Coca-Cola spun-off and sold Embassy Home Entertainment to Nelson Holdings, Inc. and became Nelson Entertainment that was also not part of the plan for Coke to keep the home video arm due to RCA's venture with Columbia Pictures Home Video
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
that would've conflicted the joint venture if Coke kept EHE.
Theatrical movies released by major studios
Motion pictures produced by Tandem Productions, Inc. and other companies.- Come Blow Your HornCome Blow Your HornCome Blow Your Horn was Neil Simon's first play, which premiered in the United States in 1961 and had a London production in 1962 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.-Act Summaries:Time: The Present...
(1963, distributed by Paramount PicturesParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
); (Essex-Tandem) - Never Too LateNever Too Late (1965 film)Never Too Late is a 1965 film directed by Bud Yorkin. Filmed in Concord, MA in 1964 and 1965.In IMDB, the plot summary is as follows:"Middle-aged Harry lives comfortably with his wife Edith and his daughter and her husband. Though rather sour and a bit mean, he is in fact content. So when Edith...
(1965, distributed by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Pictures); - Divorce American StyleDivorce American StyleDivorce American Style is a 1967 American satirical comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin.Norman Lear produced the film and wrote the script based on a story by Robert Kaufman...
(1967, as Tandem Enterprises, Inc. and distributed by Columbia PicturesColumbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
); - The Night They Raided Minsky'sThe Night They Raided Minsky'sThe Night They Raided Minsky's is a 1968 musical comedy film directed by William Friedkin and produced by Norman Lear. It is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Minsky's Burlesque in 1925...
(1968, distributed by United ArtistsUnited ArtistsUnited Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
); - Start the Revolution Without MeStart the Revolution Without MeStart the Revolution Without Me is a 1970 film directed by Bud Yorkin, starring Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland, Hugh Griffith, Jack MacGowran, Billie Whitelaw, Orson Welles and Victor Spinetti. The comedy is set in revolutionary France where two peasants are mistaken for the famous swordsmen, the...
(1970, as Norbud Productions and distributed by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Pictures); - Cold TurkeyCold Turkey (film)Cold Turkey is a 1971 satirical comedy film. It stars Dick Van Dyke plus a long list of comedic actors, several of whom are well known to North American television audiences...
(1971, distributed by United ArtistsUnited ArtistsUnited Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
); - The Thief Who Came to DinnerThe Thief Who Came to DinnerThe Thief Who Came to Dinner is a 1973 comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin and based on the novel by Terrence Lore Smith. The film stars Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset, with Charles Cioffi, Warren Oates, and in an early appearance, Jill Clayburgh....
(1973, distributed by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Pictures). - Blue CollarBlue Collar (film)Blue Collar is a 1978 film; the directorial debut of screenwriter Paul Schrader. This drama stars Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto.-Plot:...
(1978, as T.A.T. Communications Company and distributed by Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
);
About the theme songs
Norman Lear wanted his theme songs to be sung by a choir. But for All in the Family, Carrol O'Connor and Jean Stapleton decided to sing the theme. Until 1972, the theme song for Maude was sung by the choir. As years passed, the remaining series by Lear were led by choirs. They were Good Times, The Jeffersons, and One Day At a Time.Notable actors and actresses
Tandem, TOY, and ELP Communications used the same actors and actresses to appear on different television programs.- John AmosJohn AmosJohn Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades...
(Tandem) - Marla GibbsMarla GibbsMarla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
(ELP) - Esther RolleEsther RolleEsther Rolle was an American actress. She was perhaps best known for her portrayal of Florida Evans on the CBS television sitcom Maude and its spin-off series Good Times.-Biography:...
(Tandem) - Demond WilsonDemond WilsonGrady Demond Wilson is an American actor, author, and pastor. He is best known for his role opposite Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford's long-suffering son, Lamont Sanford, in the 1970s’ NBC-TV sitcom Sanford and Son....
(Tandem) - Carroll O'ConnorCarroll O'ConnorJohn Carroll O'Connor best known as Carroll O'Connor, was an American actor, producer and director whose television career spanned four decades...
(Tandem) - Ernest Lee ThomasErnest Lee ThomasErnest Lee Thomas is an American actor. He was born in Gary, Indiana. He is most famous for his role as aspiring writer Roger "Rog" Thomas on the 1970s ABC sitcom What's Happening!!, and its 1980s syndicated sequel, What's Happening Now!!-Early career and What's Happening!!:Thomas began his...
(TOY) - Todd BridgesTodd BridgesTodd Anthony Bridges is an American actor. He is best known for his childhood role as Willis Jackson on the NBC/ABC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, and for his recurring role as Monk on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris...
(Tandem, TOY, ELP) - LaWanda PageLaWanda PageLaWanda Page , born Alberta Peal, was an American actress and comedienne best known for her portrayal of Aunt Esther in the 1970s TV sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life and career:...
(Tandem, ELP) - Kim FieldsKim FieldsKim Victoria Fields is an American actress and television director. She is known for her roles as Tootie Ramsey on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life, and as Regine Hunter on the Fox sitcom Living Single...
(Tandem, ELP) - Gary ColemanGary ColemanGary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
(Tandem, ELP) - Charlotte RaeCharlotte RaeCharlotte Rae is a prolific American character actress of stage, comedienne, singer and dancer, who in her six decades of television is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life...
(Tandem, ELP) - Nathaniel Taylor, Jr. (Tandem, TOY)
- Whitman MayoWhitman MayoWhitman B. Mayo was an American actor best known for his character Grady Wilson on the 1970s television sitcom Sanford and Son....
(Tandem, ELP) - Hal WilliamsHal WilliamsHarold "Hal" Williams is an American actor, best known for his recurring role as the black cop Officer Smith on Sanford and Son, and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins, the husband of Marla Gibbs's character, on 227....
(Tandem, TOY, ELP) - Helen MartinHelen MartinHelen Dorothy Martin was an American actress of stage and television who is perhaps most well known for her role in the sitcom 227 as Marla Gibbs' neighbor Pearl.-Early life and education:...
(Tandem, TOY, ELP) - Isabel SanfordIsabel SanfordIsabel Sanford was an American actress best known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Jefferson on the CBS television sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons .-Career:...
(Tandem, ELP) - Sherman HemsleySherman HemsleySherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
(Tandem, ELP) - Michael Evans (Tandem, ELP)
- Jean Stapleton (Tandem, ELP)
- Sally StruthersSally StruthersSally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
(Tandem)
Notable TV programs
Note: All series produced by Tandem and T.A.T. were videotaped in front of a live studio audience at the studios of CBS Television City from 1971-1975 and at Metromedia Square from 1975-1982. Sanford and Son was videotaped at NBC Studios in Burbank during the majority of its run. Diff'rent Strokes (alongside those remaining T.A.T. series which became Embassy Television series) was taped at Universal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
from 1982-1985 and at ABC Television Center
The Prospect Studios
The Prospect Studios is a lot containing several television studios located at 4151 Prospect Avenue in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, at the corner of Prospect and Talmadge Avenues , just east of Hollywood...
from 1985-1986.
Tandem Productions
- All in the Family (1971–1979)/Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983)
- Maude (1972–1978)
- Sanford and Son (1972–1977)
- Good Times (1974–1979)
- Sanford Arms (1977)
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986) (Embassy TV logo appeared on final season)
- Sanford (1980–1981)
- GloriaGloria (TV series)Gloria is an American situation comedy that lasted one season on CBS, from September 1982 to September 1983. It stars Sally Struthers, reprising her role as Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie Bunker on the hugely successful 1970s sitcom All in the Family...
(1982–1983)
TOY Productions
- Grady (1975)
- What's Happening!! (1976–1979)
- Carter Country (1977–1979)
- One in a Million (1980)
- One of The Boys (1982)
T.A.T. Communications
Some by T.A.T. Communications were later produced by Embassy Television from 1982–1986, Embassy Communications from 1986–1988 and ELP in 1988.- The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
- One Day At a Time (1975–1984)
- All's FairAll's FairAll's Fair is an American television situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1976 to 1977. The show co-starred Richard Crenna as a conservative political columnist and Bernadette Peters as a liberal photographer...
(1976–1977) - Mary Hartman, Mary HartmanMary Hartman, Mary HartmanMary Hartman, Mary Hartman is an American soap opera parody that aired in daily syndication from January 1976 to May 1977. The series was produced by Norman Lear, directed by Joan Darling and starred Louise Lasser...
(1976–1978) - Fernwood 2Night (1977–1978)
- Hello, LarryHello, LarryHello, Larry is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from January 26, 1979, to April 30, 1980.-First season:Larry Alder is a radio talk show host who left Los Angeles after being divorced and moved to Portland, Oregon, with his two teenage daughters, Diane and...
(1979) - McGurk: A Dog's LifeMcGurk: A Dog's LifeMcGurk: A Dog's Life was a 1979 NBC television series pilot and the last television concept created by Norman Lear to become a pilot. The show starred Barney Martin, Beej Johnson, Charles Martin Smith and Sherry Lynn. Only one half-hour pilot episode was made of this offbeat costume comedy. It...
(Pilot) (1979) - The BaxtersThe BaxtersThe Baxters is an American situation comedy television series produced by Norman Lear. The series premiered in broadcast syndication in 1979 and lasted two seasons, ending in 1981. The series was the first "interactive" sitcom depicting a middle-class St...
(1979–1981) - The Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life (TV series)The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
(1979–1988) - Palmerstown, U.S.A. (1980-1981)