It All Started In Cleveland

The fifties was a time of scratchy film and live local shows. These TV hosts were my role models.

Tim Conway, McHale’s Navy

Tim Conway died today. Age 85. Sometimes it seems dead people are all I blog about. Sorry.

Most people know Tim Conway from Carol Burnett and McHale’s Navy. Not everyone knows it all started in Cleveland in local TV in the 1950s.

Back then TV was very different. The networks programmed four hours a night plus a few hours during the day. Few owners saw TV news, expensive to produce and with no more immediacy than a newspaper, as a money maker.

That left local stations a lot of time to fill. The fifties was a time of scratchy film and live local shows. These TV hosts were my role models. It was by watching these TV naifs feel their way around the business that I learned what to do.

Tim did a lot of live TV in Cleveland. It’s where he met and worked with Ernie Anderson, the guy in the bread commercial.

And you know Ernie Anderson even if you think you don’t. In the 80s he was the voice of ABC… the guy who said “Tonight, on a very special Loooooooove Boat.”

3 thoughts on “It All Started In Cleveland”

  1. I was SO sad to hear of Tim Conway’s passing….he was
    a comedy genius with no equal. Within moments he could
    have you laughing with tears running down your cheeks.
    This is a huge loss to the entertainment industry. RIP Tim

  2. He was a classic comedian at his best. His dentist skit with Harvey Korman will never get old at any age ! R I P Tim !!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *