Biographie
Born in 1937, Fred Silverman quickly entered the television industry. Beginning in the ABC-TV mailroom in the late 1950s, he advanced to director of program development at WGN-TV in Chicago during the early 1960s. One day, amidst a snowstorm, he abandoned his car and flew to New York, where he secured the role of head of Daytime Programming at CBS-TV. In 1970, he became CBS's programming chief, overseeing hits like The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), All in the Family (1971), M*A*S*H (1972), The Jeffersons (1975), Kojak (1973), and The Sonny and Cher Show (1976). He moved to ABC-TV in 1975, collaborating with Michael Eisner and Brandon Tartikoff to develop hits such as Laverne & Shirley (1976), The Love Boat (1977), Donny and Marie (1975), and Soap (1977). By the close of the 1977-78 season, ABC led both Daytime and Nighttime ratings. In 1978, Silverman became President and CEO of NBC, helping reverse a five-year decline with new shows like Diff'rent Strokes (1978), Real People (1979), and Hill Street Blues (1981). He greenlit St. Elsewhere (1982) and Cheers (1982), promoted Brandon Tartikoff to President of Entertainment, and set the stage for NBC's 1980s resurgence. Following management shifts at parent company RCA, Silverman departed NBC in June 1981, succeeded by Grant Tinker. He then founded The Fred Silverman Company as an independent producer, achieving success with Perry Mason Movies, Matlock (1986), In the Heat of the Night (1988), Jake and the Fatman (1987), and Diagnosis Murder (1993). Silverman continues working in independent production and program consulting.
