Play video
In celebration of the Television Academy’s 70th Anniversary, TV stars, past and present: Jon Cryer, Chelsea Handler, Allison Janney, Garry Marshall and Bob Newhart, descended on the Academy’s reimagined NoHo Arts District campus in Los Angeles for a first look at the dramatic new Saban Media Center featuring the state-of-the-art 600-seat Wolf Theatre.
The gala featured an unprecedented “class photo” of beloved television personalities representing many of TV’s memorable moments, legendary executives and producers responsible for the medium’s most iconic programming and the stars of today’s hottest TV series.
(NOHO ARTS DISTRICT, CA – June 2, 2016) The Television Academy christened its new North Hollywood campus – two years in the planning -- with a 70th Anniversary celebrity gala featuring a gathering of more than 70 television stars and industry legends representing TV’s most memorable moments past and present and a unique honor for the four broadcast networks
The Television Academy honored each of the four major broadcast networks with the historic “Hall Of Fame Cornerstone” award. Ben Sherwood, Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks & President, Disney|ABC Television Group, Nina Tassler, former Chairman, CBS Entertainment and Television Academy Foundation Board Member, Peter Rice, Chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, and Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment were on hand to accept the awards.
Guests were given a first look at the Saban Media Center, named for Cheryl and Haim Saban and The Saban Family Foundation in recognition of their gift to the Television Academy’s New Destination Campaign, as well as the dramatic expansion and reconfiguration of the Academy’s campus. The entire project, which significantly increases the organization’s office, meeting and auditorium/theatre spaces, includes new landscaped plaza and Hall of Fame sculpture garden. This “new home,” is the result of the Academy’s $40 million “New Destination” capital campaign, announced in March of 2014.
The centerpiece of the new Saban Media Center is the state-of-the-art 600-seat Wolf Theatre, the name made possible through a gift from Dick and Noelle Wolf and the Wolf Family Foundation. The theatre features Dolby’s latest, award-winning audio and imaging solutions which positions the Wolf Theatre as the most technologically advanced non-commercial screening venue in the U.S.
The facility also includes a conference center and a television lab that will serve to support and provide continuing education for the Academy’s 22,000 members. The Television Academy Foundation will soon move into a new office suite within the Saban Media Center, a fully-modernized base of operations for the Foundation’s many educational outreach programs which include internship programs, college faculty outreach seminars, visiting professionals training, College Television Awards, scholarships and interviews with television icons.
The Wolf gift includes a generous endowment for collaboration between the Academy’s Foundation and the Alliance for Children’s Rights, designed to build a bridge for foster youth and the television industry. This foster youth initiative will be administered by the Academy’s Foundation. It will include industry internships within the Foundation’s summer internship program, a vocational training day for high school and college students led by representatives from the Academy’s 29 peer groups, interview and job training, and mentoring of foster youth with an eye towards full-time industry employment.
Television Academy Chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum said, “Television is global, and yet, television is immensely personal. Television dominates the media space. And, television is a great place for our 22,000 plus members to express their creativity. We are very proud of our new home and all of the opportunities for our Foundation to support the next generation of creative leaders of our industry. The past 70 years have been phenomenal; we are in another Golden Age and the next decade will bring amazing innovations, remarkable new platforms and terrific creativity, all driven by industry professionals who are members of our Television Academy.”
Tim Allen, Carly Chaikin, Jon Cryer, Ted Danson, Portia Doubleday, Chelsea Handler, Florence Henderson, Derek Hough, Felicity Huffman, Allison Janney, Cloris Leachman, Rami Malek, Garry Marshall, Maureen McCormick, Lea Michele, Bob Newhart, Phylicia Rashad, Marion Ross, Christian Slater, Suzanne Somers and Eric Stonestreet were among the celebrities on hand to launch the Saban Media Center and mark the Academy’s 70th Anniversary.
The extraordinary gathering of talent posed for an unprecedented “class photo” featuring beloved television personalities representing many of TV’s memorable moments, along with renowned television executives and legends responsible for the medium’s most iconic and beloved programs.
About the Television Academy
The Television Academy seeks to constantly expand the horizons of television excellence. It strives to empower the storytellers who shape the constantly evolving television space through the programs, publications and events of the Academy and its Foundation. And it celebrates those who have led excellence by recording their stories and recognizing their achievements through accolades and awards, including television’s most coveted prize, the Primetime Emmy® Award. For more information, please visit TelevisionAcademy.com.
For further information:
Stephanie Goodell
breakwhitelight for the Television Academy
stephanie@breakwhitelight.com
818-462-1150
1. Busts at Hall of Fame Garden
2. Exterior
3. Red Carpet
4. “Lost in Space” robot
5. Conversation at event
6. Conversation at event
7. Photo of group being taken
8. Fred Savage walking
9. Photo of group being taken
10. Conversation
11. Photo of group being taken
12. Suzanne Somers laughing
13. Group on red carpet
14. Ernie Hudson on red carpet
15. Red Carpet interviews, Ernie Hudson visible
16. Florence Henderson at event
17. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Fred Savage talking to Michael McKean [00:00:59]
Fred Savage: “That photo of you from 1970, first coming to LA, is incredible.”
Michael McKean: “Oh, yeah, yeah.”
Fred Savage: “That was amazing.”
18. People at event
19. Statue of Emmy award, pan to 70 Years logo on screen
20. Four statues
21. Audience applauding
22. Conversation at event
23. Pair taking selfie
24. Michael Richards petting dog
25. Michael Richards hugging man
26. Carl Weathers speaking to Phylicia Rashad
27. Group conversation
28. Arsenio Hall with dog
29. Shot of exterior, crowd
30. Shot of interior, crowd
31. Exterior, statue of Emmy and crowd
32. Conversation
33. Chelsea Handler having conversation
34. SOUNDBITE (English) Jon Cryer [00:02:26]
“Well, we’re celebrating 70 years of the Television Academy. And I have to say, for me, as a performer, when I actually as inducted into the Television Academy, it was a huge thrill for me. And it meant so much to me to be amongst the amazing performers that are here. And I’m freaking out still. I’m just like, ‘Oh my God! Florence Henderson! I’m losing my mind.” So it’s going to be a great night.
35. SOUNDBITE (English) Carl Weathers [00:02:54]
“So I think the future is really bright for a lot of people, you know? And as long again as we can, you know, just find ways to find good material and do great work, I think television is, you know, like, shooting beyond the stars.
36. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Kelly [00:03:09]
“I feel really honored to be here, you know? You look at all the folks that are here from all these decades of television that I watched, you know? And to see some of the new cats coming in, it’s just, I feel really honored to be here. And it’s really cool.
37. SOUNDBITE (English) Niecy Nash [00:03:26]
“I want to say to the Television Academy a great big (singing) ‘Happy birthday to ya! Happy birthday!’ Happy birthday! (blowing kiss) Mwah!”
38. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Slater [00:03:41]
“It’s the seventieth anniversary. It’s a huge thing. You know, television is such an influential medium, and to get to be here and share the stage with these wonderful performers and artists and creative people is a phenomenal thrill.
39. Text: “Hall of Fame Cornerstone - FOX”
40. SOUNDBITE (English) Lea Michelle [00:04:00]
“I’m honored to present the Television Academy Hall of Fame Cornerstone Award to my boss, the incredibly hardworking -- and pretty good-looking -- chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, Peter Rice.”
41. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Rice [00:04:15]
“I’m just here really accepting this award on behalf of the amazing colleagues I work with every day, and the community that we have at Fox. Which, at our company, is very much a family company. You know, we work with Lachlan and Rupert and James, and it has a very special spirit. But I’m also here representing my colleagues, Gary and Dana, John Landgraf, Randy Freer, and so many of you who are here tonight. And you will do such incredible work to shape television, to shape the culture that we live in. And it’s a thrill and an honor for me to accept this award on their behalf, and to work with them every day. So thank you very much.
42. Text: “Hall of Fame Cornerstone - ABC”
43. SOUNDBITE (English) Tim Allen [00:05:02]
“It is now my honor, really it is, to present ABC’s Television Academy Hall of Fame Cornerstone Award to the man who is co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney ABC Television Group, Ben Sherwood.
44. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Sherwood [00:05:17]
“Here is to believing in what television can be. Here is to believing in better, as Walt and Leonard and Bob do. And most of all, here is to the next 70 years together. Thank you very much.
45. Text: “Hall of Fame Cornerstone - CBS”
46. SOUNDBITE (English) Allison Janney [00:05:33]
“I’m honored to present the Television Academy Hall of Fame Cornerstone Award to former chairman of CBS Entertainment and Television Academy Foundation board member, and my friend, Nina Tassler.
47. SOUNDBITE (English) Nina Tassler [00:05:52]
“It is a privilege and an honor. And I want to thank you, Bruce, and the TV academy, and to Bruce and Cheryl, who have inspired and lead and set such shining examples for all of us. Thank you all very much. I accept this on behalf of CBS, Leslie Moonves, and the late, great, William S. Paley. Thank you.
48. Text: “Hall of Fame Cornerstone - NBC”
49. SOUNDBITE (English) Ted Danson [00:06:19]
“Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Greenblatt.”
50. SOUNDBITE (English) Bob Greenblatt [00:06:26]
“On behalf of Jen Salke who’s here tonight, my colleague and partner, and everybody who works at the network so hard every single day, I thank you. We are honored to be part of this cornerstone, and long live broadcast television. Thank you all very much.
51. SOUNDBITE (English) Announcer speaking, winners on stage [00:06:42]
Announcer: “The seventieth anniversary celebration photo. Are you guys ready on stage?”
Group: “Yeah!”
Announcer: “Over to you, Lassie! (dog barks) Go, Vince! Keep smiling, everybody. Vince is going to know when he’s got the shot. Thank you, Vince!”
Video also available on AP Video Hub and AP Media Port (Story No. 2085044).
Photos available via APImages.com
- Governor's Room (EXCLUSIVE)
- Cocktail Reception
- Dinner and Celebration
- Show
- Arrivals
3 June 2016
