I tried to have a conversation with my dad and my brother on how Brandon Tartikoff was important to NBC...he was the one that gave shows a second chance...which is rare today.

He and Grant Tinker turned NBC from a joke into a commercial and critical success. They believed in quality shows and gave them time to grow. Their contributions to television can’t be understated.

Did you know that "Punky Brewster"'s dog Brandon was named after him and that the real Brandon Tartikoff also appeared as himself on an episode of "Night Court"? This may seem like simple trivia to many of you but, in a small way, it helped to show how important he was to NBC. He helped to rescue the network from total obscurity and brought it straight to the top, establishing "Must See TV" on Thursdays and creating good shows on other nights as well. He was so well regarded and respected that he didn't mind a few laughs at his expense from some of his stars. Not many network executives would have been fine with that kind of treatment or have shown much patience in the same situation. He was a good man and he is still dearly missed.

I tried to have a conversation with my dad and my brother on how Brandon Tartikoff was important to NBC...he was the one that gave shows a second chance...which is rare today.

Were you referencing the "Brandon Tartikoff" mentioned at this World Wide Web address: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0850748/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 (?)

Were you referencing the "Brandon Tartikoff" mentioned at this World Wide Web address: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0850748/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 (?)


Do you know another one?

Do you know another one?

No.

I tried to have a conversation with my dad and my brother on how Brandon Tartikoff was important to NBC...he was the one that gave shows a second chance...which is rare today.


What do you mean by 2nd chance?

Even then and before shows would get canceled after 1 season or sooner.

He gave “Cheers” a second chance. It ranked dead last in the ratings during its first season (or close to it). Any other programmer would have cancelled it. Tartikoff believed in it and gave it another season. It went on to become a huge hit.