With the passing of controversial pop culture figure O.J. Simpson this week, some of us could only think of one thing…Ok, maybe not just that. There was also the constant flaming of O.J. from Norm Macdonald during his tenure on Saturday Night Live, using his Weekend Update anchor duties to shred Simpson every single week. Unfortunately, his insistence on taking jabs at Simpson ultimately resulted in him being fired, as producer Don Ohlmeyer was good friends with Simpson.
Commenting on both the grip that the O.J. Simpson case had on the American public and Macdonald ripping it on Weekend Update, Conan O’Brien – who frequently had Norm on as a guest – told Jake Tapper, “It was a huge deal back then. Most notably…Norm Macdonald– one of my best guests of all time and one of the great comedians of all time – just told some of the most difficult,...
Commenting on both the grip that the O.J. Simpson case had on the American public and Macdonald ripping it on Weekend Update, Conan O’Brien – who frequently had Norm on as a guest – told Jake Tapper, “It was a huge deal back then. Most notably…Norm Macdonald– one of my best guests of all time and one of the great comedians of all time – just told some of the most difficult,...
- 4/13/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
It’s a bit of an irony that just as NBC’s “Must-See TV” juggernaut took off in 1994, execs there found themselves right in the middle of a completely different kind of televised spectacle: The O.J. Simpson arrest, trial and eventual acquittal.
Not only was then-nbc West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer one of Simpson’s best friends, but just a month before the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman — followed by Simpson’s white Ford Bronco flight from justice and arrest — NBC had passed on a pilot starring the ex-football-star.
“It was just a strange time to be there because of Don’s loyalty to O.J.,” recalled Preston Beckman, who was NBC’s head of scheduling at the time, and one of Ohlmeyer’s and NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield’s key lieutenants. Ohlmeyer would occasionally bring up Simpson during the network’s afternoon meetings in their Burbank offices,...
Not only was then-nbc West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer one of Simpson’s best friends, but just a month before the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman — followed by Simpson’s white Ford Bronco flight from justice and arrest — NBC had passed on a pilot starring the ex-football-star.
“It was just a strange time to be there because of Don’s loyalty to O.J.,” recalled Preston Beckman, who was NBC’s head of scheduling at the time, and one of Ohlmeyer’s and NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield’s key lieutenants. Ohlmeyer would occasionally bring up Simpson during the network’s afternoon meetings in their Burbank offices,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Conan O’Brien appeared on CNN for an interview with Jake Tapper a few hours after news broke that O.J. Simpson had died. Making the press rounds in support of his new Max series “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” the comedian and former late-night host quipped “I never make a joke about someone the day they passed.” But O’Brien did reflect on the time when late-night shows had to cover O.J. Simpson’s murder trial.
“It was a huge deal back then. Most notably, he’s passed on, but Norm Macdonald,” O’Brien said. “One of my best guests of all time and one of the great comedians of all time. He did the most brilliant comedy of anybody during that period.”
Related: What happened to O.J. Simpson’s ‘Frogmen’ TV pilot and did NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer demote Saturday Night Live’s Norm Macdonald for his O.J.
“It was a huge deal back then. Most notably, he’s passed on, but Norm Macdonald,” O’Brien said. “One of my best guests of all time and one of the great comedians of all time. He did the most brilliant comedy of anybody during that period.”
Related: What happened to O.J. Simpson’s ‘Frogmen’ TV pilot and did NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer demote Saturday Night Live’s Norm Macdonald for his O.J.
- 4/12/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
O.J. Simpson was on everyone’s mind today after his death, and Conan O’Brien took the opportunity to salute his late friend, comic Norm Macdonald, who continued doing Simpson jokes on Saturday Night Live even after being warned by NBC higher-ups to knock it off.
Sitting Thursday with CNN’s Jake Tapper to promote his new show, Conan O’Brien Must Go, the former Late Night host remembered Macdonald for doing “some of the most brilliant comedy of anybody during that whole period.”
It eventually led to his firing by NBC head Don Ohlmeyer in 1998. O’Brien explained that “The head of the network at the time was tight with O.J.”
O’Brien praised Macdonald as “one of my best guests of all-time,” and “one of the great comedians of all-time.”
Macdonald anchored SNL‘s “Weekend Update” segment for the 20th season, which ran during the Simpson trial. He insisted Simpson was guilty,...
Sitting Thursday with CNN’s Jake Tapper to promote his new show, Conan O’Brien Must Go, the former Late Night host remembered Macdonald for doing “some of the most brilliant comedy of anybody during that whole period.”
It eventually led to his firing by NBC head Don Ohlmeyer in 1998. O’Brien explained that “The head of the network at the time was tight with O.J.”
O’Brien praised Macdonald as “one of my best guests of all-time,” and “one of the great comedians of all-time.”
Macdonald anchored SNL‘s “Weekend Update” segment for the 20th season, which ran during the Simpson trial. He insisted Simpson was guilty,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Over its half-century run, Saturday Night Live has inevitably booked some problematic hosts, including Andrew Dice Clay, (misogynist humor); Rudy Giuliani (illegal campaign activities); Robert Blake (tried for murder); Elon Musk (general insufferability and dalliance with neo Nazis) and Donald Trump (attempted overthow of the US government.)
And then there’s O.J. Simpson, who hosted in 1978, toward the end of his record-setting football career, and went on to be very credibly accused of double murder.
Though erased forever from the list of prospective return hosts, Simpson managed to make almost innumerable later appearances on the show, when Norm Macdonald used his position as anchor of “Weekend Update” to pound on Simpson mercilessly for being a vicious murderer (despite his subsequent acquittal).
According to Norm, his quest for humor (and justice) wound up getting him fired from the show. He said the late NBC West Coast President, Don Ohlmeyer, who...
And then there’s O.J. Simpson, who hosted in 1978, toward the end of his record-setting football career, and went on to be very credibly accused of double murder.
Though erased forever from the list of prospective return hosts, Simpson managed to make almost innumerable later appearances on the show, when Norm Macdonald used his position as anchor of “Weekend Update” to pound on Simpson mercilessly for being a vicious murderer (despite his subsequent acquittal).
According to Norm, his quest for humor (and justice) wound up getting him fired from the show. He said the late NBC West Coast President, Don Ohlmeyer, who...
- 4/12/2024
- by Bill Carter
- LateNighter
There was nothing inherently funny about the late O.J. Simpson‘s nearly yearlong trial on two murder charges. His ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman had been brutally stabbed to death, and the prosecution was arguing that Simpson’s history of domestic abuse in his marriage had culminated in this act of deadly violence.
But Simpson’s celebrity as a football and movie star, his high-powered “Dream Team” of lawyers, the bizarre Ford Bronco chase before his arrest, and the sense that Los Angeles could once more...
But Simpson’s celebrity as a football and movie star, his high-powered “Dream Team” of lawyers, the bizarre Ford Bronco chase before his arrest, and the sense that Los Angeles could once more...
- 4/11/2024
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Late Night viewers may not have initially understood Conan O’Brien’s brand of humor, but there was an important demographic who did: college kids.
In Vanity Fair‘s oral history of Late Night with Conan O’Brien for the show’s 30th anniversary, its cast and crew detailed how the college demographic ended up inadvertently saving the series from cancellation.
Months after the show premiered in September 1993, producer Jeff Ross received a call from NBC execs saying the show was in “imminent danger of being canceled.” Greg Kinnear was rumored to take over for O’Brien, as the gamble of hiring an unknown name to host Late Night had seemingly not paid off. However, exec Rick Ludwin convinced NBC to give the show another chance to find its audience.
While Late Night with Conan O’Brien received a significant boost from David Letterman’s guest appearance the same year O’Brien made his debut,...
In Vanity Fair‘s oral history of Late Night with Conan O’Brien for the show’s 30th anniversary, its cast and crew detailed how the college demographic ended up inadvertently saving the series from cancellation.
Months after the show premiered in September 1993, producer Jeff Ross received a call from NBC execs saying the show was in “imminent danger of being canceled.” Greg Kinnear was rumored to take over for O’Brien, as the gamble of hiring an unknown name to host Late Night had seemingly not paid off. However, exec Rick Ludwin convinced NBC to give the show another chance to find its audience.
While Late Night with Conan O’Brien received a significant boost from David Letterman’s guest appearance the same year O’Brien made his debut,...
- 12/22/2023
- by Tatiana Tenreyro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As we approach another anniversary of August 9, those who participated in “the decision” are all but gone.
But the reminders are with us, thanks to a new book by Evan Thomas, “Road to Surrender,” the forward for which reads “To save lives, it was necessary to take lives — possibly hundreds of thousands of them.” And, of course, Christopher Nolan’s epic portrait of the man who was never allowed to forget, Robert Oppenheimer.
We can’t hide under our desks anymore, but we can view ten other works that scared the hell out of us.
“On the Beach” (United Artists)
“On the Beach” (1959)
As a little girl in 1959, I found my parents watching this black and white film on TV. Excited, I asked if it was the latest with Annette and Frankie Avalon. Uh, no. They allowed me to stay, and two hours later, I was shaken to the core.
But the reminders are with us, thanks to a new book by Evan Thomas, “Road to Surrender,” the forward for which reads “To save lives, it was necessary to take lives — possibly hundreds of thousands of them.” And, of course, Christopher Nolan’s epic portrait of the man who was never allowed to forget, Robert Oppenheimer.
We can’t hide under our desks anymore, but we can view ten other works that scared the hell out of us.
“On the Beach” (United Artists)
“On the Beach” (1959)
As a little girl in 1959, I found my parents watching this black and white film on TV. Excited, I asked if it was the latest with Annette and Frankie Avalon. Uh, no. They allowed me to stay, and two hours later, I was shaken to the core.
- 8/9/2023
- by Michele Wilens
- The Wrap
Most of Adam Sandler's movies aren't getting added to the Criterion Collection anytime soon. The former "Saturday Night Live" cast member turned comedy movie star has never had a lot of luck when it comes to critical reception. This has been true ever since his first starring role in 1995 with "Billy Madison," which was received as a tepid "Dumb and Dumber" rip-off at the time, and has continued throughout his career.
Sandler has always not really been for everyone. Even after becoming a fan favorite, he was fired from "SNL" in 1995 because NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer simply didn't like him or understand why people found him funny. He also has his loyal fans, as evidenced by his ability to keep making movies and making money. But his films have become a sort of punchline in some circles, the epitome of a half-assed comedy made by a group of rich...
Sandler has always not really been for everyone. Even after becoming a fan favorite, he was fired from "SNL" in 1995 because NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer simply didn't like him or understand why people found him funny. He also has his loyal fans, as evidenced by his ability to keep making movies and making money. But his films have become a sort of punchline in some circles, the epitome of a half-assed comedy made by a group of rich...
- 9/22/2022
- by Matt Rainis
- Slash Film
Melissa Stark clearly knows the value of staying in touch.
The veteran sportscaster served as the sideline reporter for “Monday Night Football” between 2000 and 2002, when she was just 26 and the game — then one of TV’s biggest weekly events — was still broadcast on ABC. She worked with everyone from the legendary TV executive Don Ohlmeyer to “Mnf” announcers like John Madden and Dennis Miller — and with Fred Gaudelli, the producer who would move on to work for NBC Sports and oversee “Sunday Night Football,” then all of NBC’s NFL coverage. With four young children at home, and having logged stints at ABC, NBC News’ “Today” and MSNBC, Stark in 2008 eventually chose to cut back on TV duties and focus on family. In 2011, she had the chance to take up new duties at NFL Network, and asked Gaudelli for his counsel on the move. “He has always been a mentor and a sounding board,...
The veteran sportscaster served as the sideline reporter for “Monday Night Football” between 2000 and 2002, when she was just 26 and the game — then one of TV’s biggest weekly events — was still broadcast on ABC. She worked with everyone from the legendary TV executive Don Ohlmeyer to “Mnf” announcers like John Madden and Dennis Miller — and with Fred Gaudelli, the producer who would move on to work for NBC Sports and oversee “Sunday Night Football,” then all of NBC’s NFL coverage. With four young children at home, and having logged stints at ABC, NBC News’ “Today” and MSNBC, Stark in 2008 eventually chose to cut back on TV duties and focus on family. In 2011, she had the chance to take up new duties at NFL Network, and asked Gaudelli for his counsel on the move. “He has always been a mentor and a sounding board,...
- 4/19/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver paid tribute to Conan O’Brien and the late Norm MacDonald during the Emmys on Sunday night.
Oliver, whose HBO series won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Talk Series, began by thanking O’Brien “for 30 years of inspiring comedy writers” before extolling MacDonald’s greatness in the space.
“No one was funnier in the last 20 years than Norm MacDonald in late-night comedy. If you have any time in the next week do what I did and just spend time re-watching the clips of Norm and Conan because it just doesn’t get better,” Oliver said.
McDonald died Tuesday at 61 after a nine-year battle with cancer, which he had kept private.
Macdonald was best known during his run on “SNL” from 1993-98 as the anchor of “Weekend Update.” During a tenure that ran through the O.J. Simpson trial and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Macdonald was key in...
Oliver, whose HBO series won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Talk Series, began by thanking O’Brien “for 30 years of inspiring comedy writers” before extolling MacDonald’s greatness in the space.
“No one was funnier in the last 20 years than Norm MacDonald in late-night comedy. If you have any time in the next week do what I did and just spend time re-watching the clips of Norm and Conan because it just doesn’t get better,” Oliver said.
McDonald died Tuesday at 61 after a nine-year battle with cancer, which he had kept private.
Macdonald was best known during his run on “SNL” from 1993-98 as the anchor of “Weekend Update.” During a tenure that ran through the O.J. Simpson trial and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Macdonald was key in...
- 9/20/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Remembrances of the late comedian Norm Macdonald have been pouring in since he passed away September 14 at the age of 61 . That includes one from Conan O’Brien who, on his podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” talked about the time NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer tried to ban Macdonald from appearing on O’Brien’s NBC-operated late-night show (via Entertainment Weekly).
Macdonald served as host of “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live” from 1994 through 1998. His emcee duties happened to overlap with the Oj Simpson trial, and he frequently made jokes about Simpson that did not sit well with NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, who was a friend of the former NFL running back. In later interviews with David Letterman and Howard Stern, Macdonald blamed Ohlmeyer, whose feud with Macdonald didn’t end there.
“The word came down: You can’t book Norm Macdonald anymore. It came from the top, from Don Ohlmeyer,...
Macdonald served as host of “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live” from 1994 through 1998. His emcee duties happened to overlap with the Oj Simpson trial, and he frequently made jokes about Simpson that did not sit well with NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, who was a friend of the former NFL running back. In later interviews with David Letterman and Howard Stern, Macdonald blamed Ohlmeyer, whose feud with Macdonald didn’t end there.
“The word came down: You can’t book Norm Macdonald anymore. It came from the top, from Don Ohlmeyer,...
- 9/18/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Being fired from “Weekend Update” was not the only fallout from Norm Macdonald’s relentless fixation on making jokes about O.J. Simpson, the late comedian’s longtime friend Conan O’Brien said during a special episode of his podcast this week.
O’Brien, in conversation with Andy Richter and “Late Night” and “Conan” producer Frank Smiley, said NBC once tried to bar Macdonald from appearing on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.” The host said the directive came from former NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, whose friendship with Simpson was said to be the reason for Macdonald’s earlier removal as “Weekend Update” anchor.
“The word came down. ‘You can’t book Norm Macdonald,'” O’Brien said. “It came from the top, from Don Ohlmeyer.”
(Ohlmeyer, who died in 2017, denied having anything to do with Macdonald’s “SNL” fate at the time.)
“I wrote a letter to Don that said, you know,...
O’Brien, in conversation with Andy Richter and “Late Night” and “Conan” producer Frank Smiley, said NBC once tried to bar Macdonald from appearing on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.” The host said the directive came from former NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, whose friendship with Simpson was said to be the reason for Macdonald’s earlier removal as “Weekend Update” anchor.
“The word came down. ‘You can’t book Norm Macdonald,'” O’Brien said. “It came from the top, from Don Ohlmeyer.”
(Ohlmeyer, who died in 2017, denied having anything to do with Macdonald’s “SNL” fate at the time.)
“I wrote a letter to Don that said, you know,...
- 9/17/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
While hosting the 1998 ESPYs, the late, great Norm Macdonald told what this writer considers the greatest joke of all-time. It’s also the one that likely sealed Macdonald’s termination from “SNL.”
“And there’s Charles Woodson! How about that? What a season he had. He became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Congratulations, Charles, that is something that no one can ever take away from you,” MacDonald said at the end of his monologue. “Unless you kill your wife and a waiter, in which case, all bets are off.”
Watch the video above.
Though we dislike explaining jokes even more than transcribing them, this one might require some context for the youngest adults. In 1994, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
The evidence seemed to overwhelmingly point to O.J. Simpson’s guilt,...
“And there’s Charles Woodson! How about that? What a season he had. He became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Congratulations, Charles, that is something that no one can ever take away from you,” MacDonald said at the end of his monologue. “Unless you kill your wife and a waiter, in which case, all bets are off.”
Watch the video above.
Though we dislike explaining jokes even more than transcribing them, this one might require some context for the youngest adults. In 1994, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
The evidence seemed to overwhelmingly point to O.J. Simpson’s guilt,...
- 9/14/2021
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Norm Macdonald, the revered stand-up comic, actor, writer and former “Weekend Update” anchor on Saturday Night Live, has died after a nine-year battle with cancer. He was 61. Launch a photo gallery of his career by clicking on the image above.
Macdonald began his career in show business by starting in the comedy clubs of Canada. Influenced by the likes of David Letterman, Bob Hope and Sam Kinison, he developed his trademark style that became highly influential for a generation of comics.
After competing on 1990’s Star Search, Macdonald landed a writing job on The Dennis Miller Show. He later was hired to write for Roseanne Barr’s sitcom Roseanne for the 1992-93 season before landing at NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
At SNL, beyond his popular impressions of Burt Reynolds, Larry King and Quentin Tarantino, Macdonald was most known for his acerbic wit and deadpan delivery on the “Weekend Update” desk,...
Macdonald began his career in show business by starting in the comedy clubs of Canada. Influenced by the likes of David Letterman, Bob Hope and Sam Kinison, he developed his trademark style that became highly influential for a generation of comics.
After competing on 1990’s Star Search, Macdonald landed a writing job on The Dennis Miller Show. He later was hired to write for Roseanne Barr’s sitcom Roseanne for the 1992-93 season before landing at NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
At SNL, beyond his popular impressions of Burt Reynolds, Larry King and Quentin Tarantino, Macdonald was most known for his acerbic wit and deadpan delivery on the “Weekend Update” desk,...
- 9/14/2021
- by Brandon Choe
- Deadline Film + TV
Norm Macdonald, the deadpan comedian, actor, writer and “Saturday Night Live” star, has died after a battle with cancer, Variety has confirmed. He was 61.
Macdonald privately battled the disease for almost a decade. “Norm was an original! He defined American humor with honesty and blunt force,” Jeff Danis, president of Dpn Talent and one of Macdonald’s reps, told Variety in a statement.
Dozens of comedians, including Seth Rogen, Jon Stewart, Ron Funches and Jim Gaffigan, paid tribute to Macdonald, “one of the greatest comedians to have ever lived,” on social media.
The comedian got his start in showbiz as a writer on “Roseanne” in 1992 after making rounds at comedy clubs in Canada. He joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1993, and the next year, began his memorable stint as “Weekend Update” anchor until early 1998, when he was replaced by Colin Quinn. Macdonald was known for his dry humor,...
Macdonald privately battled the disease for almost a decade. “Norm was an original! He defined American humor with honesty and blunt force,” Jeff Danis, president of Dpn Talent and one of Macdonald’s reps, told Variety in a statement.
Dozens of comedians, including Seth Rogen, Jon Stewart, Ron Funches and Jim Gaffigan, paid tribute to Macdonald, “one of the greatest comedians to have ever lived,” on social media.
The comedian got his start in showbiz as a writer on “Roseanne” in 1992 after making rounds at comedy clubs in Canada. He joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1993, and the next year, began his memorable stint as “Weekend Update” anchor until early 1998, when he was replaced by Colin Quinn. Macdonald was known for his dry humor,...
- 9/14/2021
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Norm Macdonald, one of the most famous cast members on “Saturday Night Live,” died Tuesday after a nine-year battle with cancer, according to his management firm. He was 61.
Macdonald was best known during his run on “SNL” from 1993-98 as the anchor of “Weekend Update.” During a tenure that ran through the O.J. Simpson trial and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Macdonald was key in turning the news parody segment into one with a more political tone. His relentless jokes at the expense of Simpson were believed by the comedian to be a major reason why he was shockingly fired from the show, as NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer was a friend of the disgraced Buffalo Bills football star.
Macdonald was also known for starring alongside Will Ferrell and Darrell Hammond in the popular “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketches, where he impersonated Burt Reynolds. While Hammond’s Sean Connery directly antagonized Ferrell’s Alex Trebek...
Macdonald was best known during his run on “SNL” from 1993-98 as the anchor of “Weekend Update.” During a tenure that ran through the O.J. Simpson trial and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Macdonald was key in turning the news parody segment into one with a more political tone. His relentless jokes at the expense of Simpson were believed by the comedian to be a major reason why he was shockingly fired from the show, as NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer was a friend of the disgraced Buffalo Bills football star.
Macdonald was also known for starring alongside Will Ferrell and Darrell Hammond in the popular “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketches, where he impersonated Burt Reynolds. While Hammond’s Sean Connery directly antagonized Ferrell’s Alex Trebek...
- 9/14/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Norm Macdonald, whose laconic delivery of sharp and incisive observations made him one of Saturday Night Live‘s most influential and beloved cast members, died today after a nine-year private battle with cancer. He was 61.
Macdonald’s death was announced to Deadline by his management firm Brillstein Entertainment. The comedian’s longtime producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra, who was with him when he died, said Macdonald had been battling cancer for nearly a decade but was determined to keep his health struggles private, away from family, friends and fans.
“He was most proud of his comedy,” Hoekstra said. “He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.”
Norm Macdonald:...
Macdonald’s death was announced to Deadline by his management firm Brillstein Entertainment. The comedian’s longtime producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra, who was with him when he died, said Macdonald had been battling cancer for nearly a decade but was determined to keep his health struggles private, away from family, friends and fans.
“He was most proud of his comedy,” Hoekstra said. “He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.”
Norm Macdonald:...
- 9/14/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Update with statement from NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt: Don Ohlmeyer, former NBC West Coast president and the man who transformed Monday Night Football into a pop culture phenomenon, died today at age 72. Sportscaster Al Michaels announced the news during the telecast of the Giants-Cowboys game on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Ohlmeyer was born in New Orleans on February 3, 1945 and grew up in Chicago. He began his career with ABC Sports, working on Wide World…...
- 9/11/2017
- Deadline TV
Television executive Don Ohlmeyer, who coined the phrase “Must See TV” in the 1990s, has died, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” play-by-play man Al Michaels announced during tonight’s telecast. Ohlmeyer was 72. Ohlmeyer originated the enduring phrase when NBC shows like “Seinfeld” and “Friends” ruled the airwaves. He’s also known for firing Norm Macdonald from “Saturday Night Live’s” “Weekend Update” over a series of O.J. Simpson jokes the comedian made during and after the so-called “Trial of the Century.” Ohlmeyer and Simpson were old friends. All told, Ohlmeyer won 16 Emmys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, he was inducted into.
- 9/11/2017
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Four episodes of Seinfeld got made at at the cost of a Bob Hope birthday special, Will & Grace got developed despite concerns about the gay lead character on the part of NBC’s West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer, John Wells carved the ER pilot out of an old Michael Crichton script with decades out of date medical references. These and other stories emerged when a bunch of industry bigwigs reminisced about their misspent youth at NBC, in the network’s halcyon Must See TV…...
- 2/7/2017
- Deadline TV
If this weekend’s number one movie Dawn of the Planet of the Apes — the second entry in the rebooted Apes franchise — has a spiritual sibling in the original series of films, it is 1972′s Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. While Conquest was the fourth movie in the franchise to arrive in cinemas it is, like Dawn, the second according to the interior timeline of its series and, again like director Matt Reeves’ new film, features an apocalyptic showdown between apes and humans. Thus, it seems appropriate that this weekend Dawn of the Planet of the Apes comprehensively...
- 7/13/2014
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside Movies
Norm Macdonald is tilting at windmills, rolling a stone up a hill, trying to get a late-night television talk show. Since it was announced that Craig Ferguson was leaving the Late Late Show, the devilishly sharp comedian — a legendary talk show guest and, frankly, the best-ever SNL Weekend Update anchor — has been lobbying hard for the hosting gig of CBS' post-Letterman, soon to be post-Colbert, late night show. The 50-year-old Macdonald, infamously fired from SNL by NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer in 1998, has made his case on Conan, marshaled the support...
- 6/2/2014
- Rollingstone.com
Don’t expect to see Adam Sandler return to helm Saturday Night Live anytime soon. The Blended actor recently took time off, apparently from a pick-up basketball game, to visit Norm Macdonald on his video podcast. There, the two SNL alums briefly discussed their years on the NBC late-night show. “Why won’t you host the show?” asked Macdonald, who was famously fired by NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer in 1998 — reportedly in part because of his Weekend Update jokes about O.J. Simpson.
“Why should I?” responded Sandler, who himself was forced off the show in 1995. (Don’t cry for him; Billy Madison...
“Why should I?” responded Sandler, who himself was forced off the show in 1995. (Don’t cry for him; Billy Madison...
- 5/28/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside TV
David Koechner sure is a straight shooter. Folksy-speak aside (which sometimes happens when I speak to a fellow Missouri native, as Koechner is), being a straight shooter -- as Koechner explains -- may have cost him a second season on "Saturday Night Live." Put it this way: It takes some balls to say "no" to a sketch during your rookie season.
Koechner stars in this weekend's new release/gore fest, "Piranha 3Dd." Normally, this is where I would give you some sort of character name or description, but all you need to know about "Piranha 3Dd" is really in the title. Ahead, a frank and candid Koechner explains why his first season of "SNL" (which was also the first season of his "Anchorman" co-star, Will Ferrell) was also his only season, and reveals that we may be seeing a lot more of Koechner's "Office" alter ego, Todd F. Packer, next season.
Koechner stars in this weekend's new release/gore fest, "Piranha 3Dd." Normally, this is where I would give you some sort of character name or description, but all you need to know about "Piranha 3Dd" is really in the title. Ahead, a frank and candid Koechner explains why his first season of "SNL" (which was also the first season of his "Anchorman" co-star, Will Ferrell) was also his only season, and reveals that we may be seeing a lot more of Koechner's "Office" alter ego, Todd F. Packer, next season.
- 5/30/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
David Koechner sure is a straight shooter. Folksy-speak aside (which sometimes happens when I speak to a fellow Missouri native, as Koechner is), being a straight shooter -- as Koechner explains -- may have cost him a second season on "Saturday Night Live." Put it this way: It takes some balls to say "no" to a sketch during your rookie season.
Koechner stars in this weekend's new release/gore fest, "Piranha 3Dd." Normally, this is where I would give you some sort of character name or description, but all you need to know about "Piranha 3Dd" is really in the title. Ahead, a frank and candid Koechner explains why his first season of "SNL" (which was also the first season of his "Anchorman" co-star, Will Ferrell) was also his only season, and reveals that we may be seeing a lot more of Koechner's "Office" alter ego, Todd F. Packer, next season.
Koechner stars in this weekend's new release/gore fest, "Piranha 3Dd." Normally, this is where I would give you some sort of character name or description, but all you need to know about "Piranha 3Dd" is really in the title. Ahead, a frank and candid Koechner explains why his first season of "SNL" (which was also the first season of his "Anchorman" co-star, Will Ferrell) was also his only season, and reveals that we may be seeing a lot more of Koechner's "Office" alter ego, Todd F. Packer, next season.
- 5/30/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Aol TV.
New York -- After being fired as NBC entertainment president toward the end of the "must see TV" period in 1998, Warren Littlefield packed photos, papers, awards and other memorabilia into a self-storage unit and turned the key.
For 10 years he paid the rent and never stopped by. Finally, on a Saturday afternoon, he unlocked the vault and began combing through the boxes – a process of rediscovery that eventually led to his new book, "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV."
Jerry Seinfeld, Kelsey Grammer, Lisa Kudrow, Anthony Edwards and Debra Messing are among more than 50 people who help Littlefield tell inside stories about "Seinfeld," "Friends," "Frasier," "ER," "Will & Grace" and what went on within NBC to make its Thursday-night lineup the most powerful one in television during the 1990s.
"It was a very good decision for me to live in the present and not in the past,...
For 10 years he paid the rent and never stopped by. Finally, on a Saturday afternoon, he unlocked the vault and began combing through the boxes – a process of rediscovery that eventually led to his new book, "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV."
Jerry Seinfeld, Kelsey Grammer, Lisa Kudrow, Anthony Edwards and Debra Messing are among more than 50 people who help Littlefield tell inside stories about "Seinfeld," "Friends," "Frasier," "ER," "Will & Grace" and what went on within NBC to make its Thursday-night lineup the most powerful one in television during the 1990s.
"It was a very good decision for me to live in the present and not in the past,...
- 5/7/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
New York -- After being fired as NBC entertainment president toward the end of the "must see TV" period in 1998, Warren Littlefield packed photos, papers, awards and other memorabilia into a self-storage unit and turned the key.
For 10 years he paid the rent and never stopped by. Finally, on a Saturday afternoon, he unlocked the vault and began combing through the boxes – a process of rediscovery that eventually led to his new book, "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV."
Jerry Seinfeld, Kelsey Grammer, Lisa Kudrow, Anthony Edwards and Debra Messing are among more than 50 people who help Littlefield tell inside stories about "Seinfeld," "Friends," "Frasier," "ER," "Will & Grace" and what went on within NBC to make its Thursday-night lineup the most powerful one in television during the 1990s.
"It was a very good decision for me to live in the present and not in the past,...
For 10 years he paid the rent and never stopped by. Finally, on a Saturday afternoon, he unlocked the vault and began combing through the boxes – a process of rediscovery that eventually led to his new book, "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV."
Jerry Seinfeld, Kelsey Grammer, Lisa Kudrow, Anthony Edwards and Debra Messing are among more than 50 people who help Littlefield tell inside stories about "Seinfeld," "Friends," "Frasier," "ER," "Will & Grace" and what went on within NBC to make its Thursday-night lineup the most powerful one in television during the 1990s.
"It was a very good decision for me to live in the present and not in the past,...
- 5/7/2012
- by AP
- Aol TV.
This month's Vanity Fair includes an oral history of everyone's favorite ten-season sitcom, "Friends," an excerpt from former NBC president's upcoming book "Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV." And according to the piece, Monica Geller's sex life became something of an issue for the network -- specifically Don Ohlmeyer, NBC's West Coast president at the time.
Marta Kauffman, one of the show's co-creators, discusses testing out the 1994 pilot of "Friends" in front of an audience:
One subplot in the pilot has Monica going on a first date with "Paul the wine guy." She brings him home for the night after he confesses that he hasn't been able to sleep with anyone for two years, since his wife left him. The next day, Monica learns this was just a line.
Marta Kauffman: We were doing the network run-through with an audience, and Don said that when Monica...
Marta Kauffman, one of the show's co-creators, discusses testing out the 1994 pilot of "Friends" in front of an audience:
One subplot in the pilot has Monica going on a first date with "Paul the wine guy." She brings him home for the night after he confesses that he hasn't been able to sleep with anyone for two years, since his wife left him. The next day, Monica learns this was just a line.
Marta Kauffman: We were doing the network run-through with an audience, and Don said that when Monica...
- 5/2/2012
- by Emma Gray
- Aol TV.
In Top of the Rock, his new memoir of the golden age of NBC's Must See TV in the '80s and '90s, former network president Warren Littlefield emphasizes the role of good casting in the making of a hit show, pointing to numerous "what if" moments. Imagine how different these six beloved Must See TV characters would have looked if these actors had gotten the role instead of the person who ended up with it. Story: Warren Littlefield's New NBC Memoir Excoriates Jeff Zucker, Don Ohlmeyer Nicolette Sheridan as Will & Grace's Grace Adler instead of Debra Messing. Creators David Kohan and
read more...
read more...
- 4/5/2012
- by Andy Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Espn announced on Thursday that the network is taking the talents of the Poynter Insitute to Bristol to handle the watchdog role traditionally filled by an ombudsman. It's an interesting, experimental move. The Poynter Review Project, as they're calling it, will "review Espn content across all platforms and publicly comment on Espn's efforts" and publish "monthly essays and additional timely responses as issues arise." Espn will retain Poynter for 18 months -- the same amount of time it afforded to its most recent ombudsman, Don Ohlmeyer. John Walsh, Espn's executive vice president, said...
- 2/24/2011
- by Dylan Stableford
- The Wrap
Ronald Konecky, an attorney who represented some of the biggest names in the TV news business, died Thursday in New York. He was 80.
Konecky's clients included Walter Cronkite, Don Hewitt, Roone Arledge, Morley Safer, Stone Phillips, Barbara Walters, Harry Smith, Don Ohlmeyer, Roger Goodman and Rick Kaplan. He also represented Frank Gifford, Alec Baldwin, Budd Schulberg, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Konecky served on the boards of the American Theatre Wing and the New Dramatists with his wife, Isobel Robins-Konecky, a Tony-nominated producer.
Konecky was counsel to Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz for the past 25 years.
In 1962, he co-founded Hardee Barovick Konecky and Braun, an entertainment law firm with more than 200 lawyers and offices in New York, London, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, Calif.
A graduate of the University of Arizona and Harvard University, Konecky began his legal career at McA Artists, the most prominent entertainment talent agency in the U.
Konecky's clients included Walter Cronkite, Don Hewitt, Roone Arledge, Morley Safer, Stone Phillips, Barbara Walters, Harry Smith, Don Ohlmeyer, Roger Goodman and Rick Kaplan. He also represented Frank Gifford, Alec Baldwin, Budd Schulberg, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Konecky served on the boards of the American Theatre Wing and the New Dramatists with his wife, Isobel Robins-Konecky, a Tony-nominated producer.
Konecky was counsel to Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz for the past 25 years.
In 1962, he co-founded Hardee Barovick Konecky and Braun, an entertainment law firm with more than 200 lawyers and offices in New York, London, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, Calif.
A graduate of the University of Arizona and Harvard University, Konecky began his legal career at McA Artists, the most prominent entertainment talent agency in the U.
- 6/10/2010
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – Wednesday, June 17th, marked the beginning of Superstation TBS “Just for Laughs” festival in Chicago and it kicked off with the comic genius of Robert Smigel, best known now as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Smigel’s early career took a turn through Chicago in the mid-1980’s, and when he joined Saturday Night Live as a writer/performer in 1985 he helped develop the now iconic “Da Bears” sketch, where he played Superfan Carl Wollarski.
Dino Stamatopoulos and Robert Smigel at the Lakeshore Theater Chicago in TBS ‘Just for Laughs’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com During his Chicago days, he also became fascinated with Wgn’s legendary “Bozo’s Circus” starring Bob Bell as Bozo The Clown. Years later, when he was developing programming on Comedy Central’s “TV Funhouse”, he and his Chicago native partner Dino Stamatopoulos filmed “The Unaired Bozo Circus Parody” with “Prozo” the Clown,...
Smigel’s early career took a turn through Chicago in the mid-1980’s, and when he joined Saturday Night Live as a writer/performer in 1985 he helped develop the now iconic “Da Bears” sketch, where he played Superfan Carl Wollarski.
Dino Stamatopoulos and Robert Smigel at the Lakeshore Theater Chicago in TBS ‘Just for Laughs’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com During his Chicago days, he also became fascinated with Wgn’s legendary “Bozo’s Circus” starring Bob Bell as Bozo The Clown. Years later, when he was developing programming on Comedy Central’s “TV Funhouse”, he and his Chicago native partner Dino Stamatopoulos filmed “The Unaired Bozo Circus Parody” with “Prozo” the Clown,...
- 6/19/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
NEW YORK -- Veteran TV executive Don Ohlmeyer will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on April 30 at the 28th annual Sports Emmy Awards.
Ohlmeyer, a winner of 16 Emmys, has made his mark in both sports and entertainment TV since he started his career in 1967.
He first made his mark at ABC, where he produced and directed Olympics coverage, "Monday Night Football" and "Wide World of Sports". Ohlmeyer joined NBC as its executive producer of sports in 1977 and became president of NBC in 1993. He oversaw entertainment-related businesses and led NBC to first place in primetime.
After his first stint at NBC ended in 1982, he created Ohlmeyer Communications Co., which worked with the NFL and Major League Baseball and oversaw Nabisco's 20% interest in fledgling ESPN. Ohlmeyer returned to NBC in 1993 and retired in 2000.
He now teaches at Pepperdine University.
Ohlmeyer, a winner of 16 Emmys, has made his mark in both sports and entertainment TV since he started his career in 1967.
He first made his mark at ABC, where he produced and directed Olympics coverage, "Monday Night Football" and "Wide World of Sports". Ohlmeyer joined NBC as its executive producer of sports in 1977 and became president of NBC in 1993. He oversaw entertainment-related businesses and led NBC to first place in primetime.
After his first stint at NBC ended in 1982, he created Ohlmeyer Communications Co., which worked with the NFL and Major League Baseball and oversaw Nabisco's 20% interest in fledgling ESPN. Ohlmeyer returned to NBC in 1993 and retired in 2000.
He now teaches at Pepperdine University.
- 3/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NBC Sports executive producer Tommy Roy is leaving his job to spend more time with his family, handing the reins to his old roommate, David Neal. Neal, son of the late NBC News correspondent Roy Neal and an NBC Olympics executive in his own right, will become only the sixth executive producer in the division's history. Roy had been executive producer since 1993, a job that been held by Don Ohlmeyer, among others. In an interview Monday afternoon, Roy recounted the rigors of what it takes to be executive producer of a sports division that handles not only the Olympics but also golf, NASCAR and now the NHL, among other sporting events.
- 7/11/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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