Ted Cooper
Encyclopedia
Edward Theodore "Ted" Cooper (November 11, 1920—December 5, 1999) was a long-time United States
television
scenic designer and creative consultant
. Cooper is best known as the production designer
and creative consultant
for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, the leading producer of American TV game shows. He joined the firm in 1960 and was associated with it until his death at age 79.
Cooper was hired as a TV art director for NBC
in 1950 where he worked on various shows including Your Show of Shows
, the Martin and Lewis
Show (until it moved to Los Angeles), The Paul Winchell
and Jerry Mahoney Show, The Jimmy Durante
Show and the game shows Haggis Baggis
and Charge Account, among others. Through his association with NBC he knew Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood fame and contributed to the first version of that show. He was also responsible for the sets for the 1956 Orson Welles
Broadway
production of King Lear
which lasted for only 21 performances.http://www.wellesnet.com/learindex.htm
Cooper's best-known achievements were in creating set designs and game displays for TV quiz shows. He is credited with being the motivating force behind taking game shows from a simple table set in front of a drape to a full set designed for the show. The Goodson-Todman shows for which Cooper served as art director or creative consultant after 1960 include The Price Is Right
, The Match Game
, What's My Line?
, I've Got a Secret
, To Tell the Truth
, He Said, She Said
(and its successor Tattletales
), Family Feud
, Beat the Clock
, Password, Say When!!, Double Dare
, Card Sharks
, Mindreaders
, Blockbusters
, Body Language
and Trivia Trap
as well as assorted pilots. In addition to being the scenic designer of Say When!!, he was also the associate producer of that show. Cooper's design for "Say When" included the first use of alpha-numeric electronic readouts on TV and in the U.S., and helped the Split-flap display
to become so popular for a time on TV and in other venues. Cooper's designs typically included technology not only for displaying numbers and letters, but also technology for controlling electromechanical devices such as lights and sound effects. Most of his designs were executed without the benefit of computer-generated special effects for which the industry is known today, but one of his shows, Classic Concentration, was one of the earliest shows to implement its game board on a fully computerized display. Many of his sets utilized rotating elements: Family Feud
, Match Game
, Card Sharks
and The Price Is Right
with its well-known turntable. Game show producer Dan Enright
, whose shows competed with those of Goodson-Todman, once referred to Cooper as "Mark Goodson's secret weapon".
For the 1958 Barry and Enright
game show Concentration
, which aired on NBC for 15 years before moving into syndication, he created the prize display that showed the list of prizes as the contestants matched them. The display did not show a stagehand slipping in the name of the prize on the side; it had the prize name in place obscured by a front cover which would then be pulled to the side to reveal the prize name. For the syndicated version of Concentration
, Cooper devised the "Head Start" feature in which four prizes were revealed prior to the start of the game. The prizes revealed were "fee items" for which the producers received a fee for being plugged on the show. "Head Start" guaranteed that the copy for those fee items was read and the fee collected regardless of whether or not the prizes were won during the game. For the 1972 version of The Price Is Right
Cooper created the pricing games Any Number and Range Game. The physical game devices and other set pieces used on that version of the show prior to 2000 were designed by Cooper himself or under his supervision.
Cooper designed the psychedelic
set for the 1969 syndicated revival of To Tell the Truth
. The brightly-colored panels and elegant lettering he supervised for the show’s set in the Ed Sullivan Theater
in New York gave a modern, youthful feel to a show that had already been a success for 12 years on CBS
.
Cooper was a gold card member of IATSE Local 829, the United Scenic Artists
, and for several years until his retirement was the oldest working member of that union.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
scenic designer and creative consultant
Creative consultant
Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit. Those given this credit in the television field work closely with an Executive Producer, Head...
. Cooper is best known as the production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
and creative consultant
Creative consultant
Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit. Those given this credit in the television field work closely with an Executive Producer, Head...
for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, the leading producer of American TV game shows. He joined the firm in 1960 and was associated with it until his death at age 79.
Cooper was hired as a TV art director for 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...
in 1950 where he worked on various shows including Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
, the Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis were an American comedy team, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis as the comedic "foil". The pair first met in 1945; their debut as a duo occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24/25, 1946....
Show (until it moved to Los Angeles), The Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
and Jerry Mahoney Show, The Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
Show and the game shows Haggis Baggis
Haggis Baggis
Haggis Baggis was an American game show that aired on NBC from 1958-1959. Jack Linkletter hosted the primetime version while Fred Robbins and Dennis James did the daytime show...
and Charge Account, among others. Through his association with NBC he knew Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood fame and contributed to the first version of that show. He was also responsible for the sets for the 1956 Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
which lasted for only 21 performances.http://www.wellesnet.com/learindex.htm
Cooper's best-known achievements were in creating set designs and game displays for TV quiz shows. He is credited with being the motivating force behind taking game shows from a simple table set in front of a drape to a full set designed for the show. The Goodson-Todman shows for which Cooper served as art director or creative consultant after 1960 include The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
, The Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
, I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
, To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
, He Said, She Said
He Said, She Said
He Said, She Said is a 1991 romantic comedy starring Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Perkins, Nathan Lane and Sharon Stone.-Synopsis:It is the story of the relationship between journalists Dan Hanson and Lorie Bryer twice – once from each perspective. The man's story was directed by Ken Kwapis and the...
(and its successor Tattletales
Tattletales
Tattletales is a game show which first aired on the CBS daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with several announcers, including Jack Clark, Gene Wood, Johnny Olson and John Harlan, providing the voiceover at various times...
), Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
, Password, Say When!!, Double Dare
Double Dare (1976 game show)
Double Dare is an American television game show, produced by Mark Goodson—Bill Todman Productions, that ran from 1976 to 1977 on CBS. Alex Trebek was the host, with Johnny Olson and later Gene Wood announcing...
, Card Sharks
Card Sharks
Card Sharks is an American television game show created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two contestants compete for control of a row of oversized playing cards by answering questions posed by the host and then guessing if the next card is higher or lower in value than...
, Mindreaders
Mindreaders
Mindreaders is a game show produced by Goodson-Todman Productions which aired on NBC from August 13, 1979 through January 11, 1980. Although NBC originally agreed to a 26-week run, the network canceled Mindreaders after 22 weeks...
, Blockbusters
Blockbusters (US game show)
Blockbusters is an American game show which had two separate runs in the 1980s. Created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson Productions, the first series debuted on NBC on October 27, 1980 and aired until April 23, 1982. In the first series, a team of two family members competed against a solo contestant...
, Body Language
Body Language (game show)
Body Language is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. The show aired on CBS from June 4, 1984 until January 3, 1986, and was hosted by Tom Kennedy...
and Trivia Trap
Trivia Trap
Trivia Trap is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. It was created by producer Goodson and originally ran from October 8, 1984 to April 5, 1985 on ABC. The game featured two teams of three contestants each who competed against each other to answer trivia questions in various...
as well as assorted pilots. In addition to being the scenic designer of Say When!!, he was also the associate producer of that show. Cooper's design for "Say When" included the first use of alpha-numeric electronic readouts on TV and in the U.S., and helped the Split-flap display
Split-flap display
A split-flap display, sometimes simply flap display, is a display device that presents alphanumeric text, and possibly fixed graphics, often used as a public transport timetable in some airports or railway stations, often called Solari boards, named after display manufacturer Solari di...
to become so popular for a time on TV and in other venues. Cooper's designs typically included technology not only for displaying numbers and letters, but also technology for controlling electromechanical devices such as lights and sound effects. Most of his designs were executed without the benefit of computer-generated special effects for which the industry is known today, but one of his shows, Classic Concentration, was one of the earliest shows to implement its game board on a fully computerized display. Many of his sets utilized rotating elements: Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, Card Sharks
Card Sharks
Card Sharks is an American television game show created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two contestants compete for control of a row of oversized playing cards by answering questions posed by the host and then guessing if the next card is higher or lower in value than...
and The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
with its well-known turntable. Game show producer Dan Enright
Dan Enright
Daniel "Dan" Enright was one of the most successful game show producers in American television. Enright worked with Jack Barry from the 1940s until Barry's death in 1984. They were partners in creating programs for radio and television...
, whose shows competed with those of Goodson-Todman, once referred to Cooper as "Mark Goodson's secret weapon".
For the 1958 Barry and Enright
Barry & Enright Productions
Barry & Enright Productions , was a United States television production company that was formed in 1947 by Jack Barry and Dan Enright.-History:Jack Barry and Dan Enright first met at radio station WOR in New York, where...
game show Concentration
Concentration (game show)
Concentration was an American TV game show based on the children's memory game of the same name. Matching cards represented prizes that contestants could win...
, which aired on NBC for 15 years before moving into syndication, he created the prize display that showed the list of prizes as the contestants matched them. The display did not show a stagehand slipping in the name of the prize on the side; it had the prize name in place obscured by a front cover which would then be pulled to the side to reveal the prize name. For the syndicated version of Concentration
Concentration (game show)
Concentration was an American TV game show based on the children's memory game of the same name. Matching cards represented prizes that contestants could win...
, Cooper devised the "Head Start" feature in which four prizes were revealed prior to the start of the game. The prizes revealed were "fee items" for which the producers received a fee for being plugged on the show. "Head Start" guaranteed that the copy for those fee items was read and the fee collected regardless of whether or not the prizes were won during the game. For the 1972 version of The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
Cooper created the pricing games Any Number and Range Game. The physical game devices and other set pieces used on that version of the show prior to 2000 were designed by Cooper himself or under his supervision.
Cooper designed the psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
set for the 1969 syndicated revival of To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
. The brightly-colored panels and elegant lettering he supervised for the show’s set in the Ed Sullivan Theater
Ed Sullivan Theater
The Ed Sullivan Theater, located at 1697-1699 Broadway between West 53rd and West 54th, in Manhattan, is a venerable radio and television studio in New York City...
in New York gave a modern, youthful feel to a show that had already been a success for 12 years on 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...
.
Cooper was a gold card member of IATSE Local 829, the United Scenic Artists
United Scenic Artists
United Scenic Artists local USA 829, is a United States labor union of designers and artists in the entertainment industry. It is a nationwide autonomous Local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes...
, and for several years until his retirement was the oldest working member of that union.