The Fifth Annual TV Land Awards to Salute Lucille Ball, Roots, The Brady Bunch, Taxi and Hee Haw
Kelly Ripa to Host Awards Honoring the Best in Television at Barker Hangar
on Saturday, April 14; Show to Premiere on TV Land on Sunday, April 22
NEW YORK, April 5 -- TV Land announced today that it will
salute Lucille Ball, Roots, The Brady Bunch, Taxi and Hee Haw among others
at the Fifth Annual TV Land Awards hosted by Kelly Ripa on Saturday, April
14. The gala premieres on TV Land on Sunday, April 22nd at 9 p.m. ET/PT and
will be rebroadcast on TV Land's sister network, Nick at Nite that same
night beginning at 11 p.m. ET/PT. M&M'S(R) Brand Chocolate Candies is the
presenting sponsor of the annual celebration that recognizes shows and
stars from television's rich history.
All of this year's honorees are pop culture icons representing a cross-
section of classic television that Boomers continue to love. Legendary
comedienne Carol Burnett will bestow the Legacy of Laughter Award on Lucie
Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. on behalf of their mother, Lucille Ball for her
groundbreaking career and body of work including her enduring sitcom I Love
Lucy. The cast of The Brady Bunch will be reunited on stage to accept the
Pop Culture Award. The landmark mini-series Roots, which celebrated its
30th anniversary this year, will be honored for its place in television
history. The Entertainer Award will be given to Hee Haw, one of
television's longest running country music series. Taxi, which launched and
furthered the careers of several Hollywood notables, will be awarded the
Medallion Award for keeping the meter running for all these years.
TV Land will also present awards in several other categories, including
the 2006 Future Classic Award - which TV Land unveiled in 1998 and is
presented annually to the one new show from the previous calendar year that
best exemplifies the qualities of an emerging television classic. Previous
winners of the Future Classic Award include The Sopranos, Desperate
Housewives, Arrested Development and Grey's Anatomy to name a few.
"Our honorees embody what Boomers really love about television - the
best of comedy, drama and music," stated Larry W. Jones, President, TV
Land. "From a screwball red-head to a gripping family saga to great musical
performances, TV Land will celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of
this very diverse group of talented entertainers."
Among the stars scheduled to appear include:
John Amos Roots honoree
Desi Arnaz, Jr. Lucille Ball honoree
Lucie Arnaz Lucille Ball honoree
Todd Bridges Roots honoree
Carol Burnett Presenter
LeVar Burton Roots honoree
Roy Clark Hee Haw honoree
Jeff Conaway Taxi honoree
Tony Danza Taxi honoree
Ann B. Davis Brady Bunch honoree
Danny DeVito Taxi honoree
Louis Gossett, Jr. Roots honoree
Florence Henderson Brady Bunch honoree
Judd Hirsch Taxi honoree
Christopher Knight Brady Bunch honoree
Mike Lookinland Brady Bunch honoree
Maureen McCormick Brady Bunch honoree
Susan Olsen Brady Bunch honoree
Cicely Tyson Roots honoree
Leslie Uggams Roots honoree
Ben Vereen Roots honoree
Barry Williams Brady Bunch honoree
THE LEGACY OF LAUGHTER AWARD
This award is presented to honor an entertainer whose awe-inspiring
work continues to serve as an inspiration and a guiding force: Lucille
Ball. Her comedy always delivered, from the broadest slapstick to the most
nuanced verbal reaction. Her gift is indeed a legacy. It serves as both an
ideal for those who have followed her, and also in and of itself -
timelessly providing the invigorating, healing power of laughter.
Named by TV Guide as the "Greatest TV Star of All Time", Lucille Ball's
groundbreaking work in film and television continues to touch the funny
bone of viewers all over the world. Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown, NY
in 1911 and always wanted to make her mark in entertainment. She entered a
New York City drama school and later landed a coveted RKO contract which
brought her roles in Top Hat, The Big Street and Too Many Girls - the
motion picture where she met and fell in love with her husband and I Love
Lucy co-star Desi Arnaz. Today, I Love Lucy is one of the most successful
and longest running programs in television syndication. Lucy was not only a
comedy genius but a power to be reckoned with behind the camera. With her
business prowess she laid the groundwork for many of today's innovative
television production methods. In 1951, she became the first woman to run
her own production company - Desilu -- that produced such television hits
as Star Trek, The Andy Griffith Show, Mission Impossible and Mannix. From
shooting I Love Lucy on film with three cameras to the creation of re-runs
during her real-life pregnancy to starting a successful syndication model,
she was truly one of television's first major players.
THE ANNIVERSARY AWARD
The legacy of Roots, the 1977 mini-series, hardly needs any further
paeans, but it is nonetheless fitting, and TV Land's honor -- to celebrate
this epic that 30 years ago gathered Americans in extraordinary numbers for
an unforgettable communal television experience. A series full of anguish
and terror, redemption and hope, Roots was and is extraordinary television
in every way.
Alex Haley's best-selling novel which was loosely based on his family's
struggle in America was brought to television in 1977, Roots remains one of
the most watched programs in the history of American television. The mini-
series aired on ABC over an unprecedented six nights and chronicled Haley's
ancestor Kunta Kinte, who was abducted from his village home in Gambia and
brought to the United States in 1767 as a slave. Roots was nominated for
over 25 awards and won the 1977 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series as well
as 12 Emmy Awards.
THE POP CULTURE AWARD
Presented to a show that has crossed the line from television series to
pop culture phenomenon, this year's honoree is The Brady Bunch. Like almost
no other show before or since, this series transcended its humble origins
as a Friday night family viewing staple, to become a television touchstone
for not one generation, but many.
The Brady Bunch remains one of the most beloved sitcoms in American TV
history and is a true Boomer pop culture icon. The show which premiered on
ABC in 1969 centered on the newly blended family of widower Mike Brady,
father of three young boys and young widow, mother of three daughters,
Carol. Together Mike and Carol Brady faced the everyday trials and
tribulations raising six adolescent children - from first dates to braces
to sibling rivalries. With the help of amazing fans, The Brady Bunch
continues to hold a special place in the hearts of many Americans. Nearly
40 years after its premiere, the show can still be seen everyday on
television -- somewhere in the world.
THE MEDALLION AWARD
This award is presented to a television series which has stood the test
of time and ranks among the most memorable and celebrated shows in TV
history. TV Land will honor Taxi as this year's recipient. At times
heartfelt, at other times hilarious, the series was a prime example of the
magic of a talented cast of individuals melding into an ensemble - a
creative whole that was greater than the sum of its wonderful parts.
Taxi premiered on ABC in 1978 and later moved to the rival network, NBC
in 1982 where it finished it run. In just five seasons on the air, Taxi
garnered 14 Emmy Awards. The show followed the lives of a group of New York
City cab drivers at the Sunshine Cab Company. Each cabbie had their own
aspiration to do more with their lives than just drive a cab but changing
their lot in life was never that easy. With a strong writing team to
support them, this rich comedy ensemble cast including Danny DeVito, Judd
Hirsch, the late Andy Kaufman, Marilu Henner and Tony Danza tackled many
dramatic issues like failed marriages, blindness, drug addiction and sexual
harassment - all from a very hilarious viewpoint.
THE ENTERTAINER AWARD
This award is presented to a television series that formed a bond with
its devoted audience, becoming a cherished appointment full of characters
and performances that we welcomed into our homes each week. This year the
award is presented to Hee Haw. With rollicking comedy provided by the
beloved cast, and musical performances by country's greatest singers and
musicians, Hee Haw was truly an American original.
Hosted by Roy Clark and the late Buck Owens, Hee Haw is one of
America's longest running music programs. The show premiered in June of
1969 and continued on the air in syndication through 2006. At its height,
the show averaged over 27.3 million viewers, which was unheard of at the
time. From Dolly Parton to Louis Nye and from Garth Brooks to Rip Taylor,
Hee Haw was a perfect mixture of sketch comedy and amazing musical
performances.
TV Land has also asked viewers to log on to the network's Emmy-winning
website, tvland.com to vote for select fun categories including "Favorite
Lady Gumshoe," "Greatest Gear" and "Favorite Elvis Impersonation" with the
winners to be announced and presented at the show. The voting is taking
place on tvland.com, and will end on April 7th.
In addition to M&M'S(R) Brand Chocolate Candies, other major sponsors
include Walgreens, Nestle, Purina PetCare, Warner Bros. Pictures, "Nancy
Drew" which is in theatres on June 15th, Carnival Cruise Lines, Kohl's,
L'Oreal Paris, Capital One and IHOP.
Michael Levitt (Billboard Music Awards, Producers Guild Awards, TV Land
Awards 2003-2006) serves as Executive Producer, Emmy-award winning Glenn
Weiss as Director (The Miss Teen USA Pageant 2005, BET Awards 2005, The
59th Annual Tony Awards 2005), Greg Sills as Supervising Producer (Knots
Landing Reunion: Together Again, The Teen Choice Awards 2005, Nickelodeon
Kids Choice Awards 2005) and Sal Maniaci (Brady Bunch Reunion and Dick Van
Dyke Revisited) and Larry W. Jones also serve as Executive Producers.
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environment, all programmed to superserve Baby Boomers -- the first
generation of Americans to grow up watching television. TV Land Productions
was created in 2003 to develop original programming that complements the
network's successful acquired programming slate. TV Land Productions has
produced The TV Land Awards Show (March 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) and
Chasing Farrah (Spring 2005). In 2006, TV Land premiered several original
productions including Generation Boom, I Pity The Fool starring Mr. T and
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SOURCE TV Land
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