![]() “We were in these little straw huts and every morning we were summoned to breakfast by that theme. Though he claimed to some that it was “Just an old piece I found in the library,” the truth is that it’s the music that woke Sarson and his soon-to-be wife up each morning when they vacationed at a Club Med in Palermo, Sicily in 1962. When it came time to choose the series’ iconic theme music, producer Christopher Sarson opted for Jean-Joseph Mouret's "Rondeau" from his Symphonies and Fanfares for the King's Supper. THE THEME MUSIC WAS DISCOVERED AT A CLUB MED IN SICILY. Though Calderwood only served as WGBH’s president for three months, during that time, he managed to convince the Mobil Corporation to underwrite $1 million in order to create Masterpiece Theatre. MOBIL OIL WAS THE PROGRAM’S ORIGINAL SPONSOR. It wasn’t an easy sell, but Calderwood managed to make a deal that would see this partnership come to fruition in the form of Masterpiece Theatre.Ģ. While on vacation in London, Calderwood paid a visit to the network and determined that they were game to give it a try. In the wake of the success of the 1967 adaptation of John Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga, Stanford Calderwood-then-president of WGBH, Boston’s PBS affiliate-floated the idea of partnering with BBC to license some of their dramatic series for broadcast in the U.S. MASTERPIECE OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO THE FORSYTE SAGA. ![]() Though today’s Masterpiece looks slightly different than the Masterpiece Theatre that made its premiere on January 10, 1971, the program has succeeded in remaining “steadfast in our commitment to bringing the best in drama to American public television audiences.” Here are 13 things you might not know about the Sunday night tradition. Today marks the 45th anniversary of Masterpiece’s debut on PBS. His first job in television, in 1961, was as a co-writer and editor for CBS News’ live, daytime series “Calendar,” anchored by Harry Reasoner.Ĭunniff is survived by longtime companion Kate Resek daughter, Jill Cunniff Gregoire, a musician son Stephen Cunniff three granddaughters and a brother.ĭonations may be made to the fund to preserve New Orleans’ Jazz Heritage at the Tipitina’s Foundation, 4040 Tulane Ave, Suite 8000, New Orleans, LA 70119.It’s been parodied by Sesame Street and the Disney Channel, and beloved by millions of culture-seeking television viewers for more than four decades now. of Chicago and went on to write for the Chicago Sun Times and TV Guide, Show Business Illustrated and Show Magazine. In the 1980s, he wrote for ABC’s revival of “Omnibus” and scripted a USIA international documentary “Let Poland Be Poland.”īorn in Chicago, he served in the U.S. ![]() The series featured vintage Disney cartoon shorts outlandishly introduced by George Plimpton in a saucy send up of Alistair Cooke.Ī lifelong jazz and classical music aficionado, he was as a writer with Live From Lincoln Center on PBS in the 1970s. The long running, Disney Channel hit “Mouseterpiece Theater,” a deadpan parody of “Masterpiece Theater,” was conceived, produced and co-written by Cunniff in 1983. He became managing editor of “Good Morning, America” in 1976. He also worked on Cavett’s shows when the host returned to public television in the early 1980s and then to CNBC in the 1990s.įrom 1972-75, he was a producer for “Sesame Street,” writing numerous sketches and winning the Emmy for children’s programming in 1973 along with the show’s creator, Jon Stone. He also invited a groundbreaking selection of music guests on the show, including Woodstock performers Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Still & Nash and Joni Mitchell. For the late night version of “The Dick Cavett Show” on ABC, Cuniff booked diverse and controversial guests including Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal, Salvador Dali, Lillian Gish and Satchel Paige.
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