Don Ohlmeyer

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Don Ohlmeyer (born Donald Winfred Ohlemeyer, Jr., February 3, 1945, in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American television producer and former president of the NBC network's West Coast division. He grew up in the Chicago-area and attended Glenbrook North High School. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, with a B.A. in communications.

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[edit] Career

Ohlmeyer began his career with ABC Sports, where he worked on Wide World of Sports, produced Monday Night Football, and produced and directed three Olympics broadcasts. He later moved to NBC as executive producer of the network's sports division, a position he held from 1977 to 1982. Ohlmeyer is credited with conceiving the one-time experiment of airing a 1980 NFL telecast without announcers.[1]

Ohlmeyer formed his own production company, Ohlmeyer Communications, in 1982, and produced several made-for-television movies, network series, and specials. He won an Emmy for Special Bulletin, a harrowing 1983 depiction of nuclear terrorism.

Ohlmeyer returned to NBC in 1993 to become president of its West Coast division at a time when the network was in third place in the ratings, following the departure of Cheers and The Cosby Show from its lineup. During his tenure, NBC returned to first place with such hits as Friends, ER, Homicide, Frasier, Providence, Will and Grace, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Ohlmeyer also spearheaded NBC's adoption of an aggressive promotional campaign to brand the network using such innovations as superimposing the Peacock logo in the corner of the screen and coining the phrase "Must See TV."[2]

During the 1997 World Series, Ohlmeyer caused a stir when he publicly wished that the World Series would end in a four game sweep so that its low ratings wouldn't derail NBC's fall entertainment schedule.[3]

Ohlmeyer retired from NBC in 1999 and was then hired by ABC to revamp Monday Night Football. As executive producer, he made the controversial decision to hire comedian Dennis Miller to join Al Michaels and Dan Fouts in the broadcast booth. He left Monday Night Football after one season.[4]

Currently, Don Ohlmeyer is a Professor of Television Communications at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He helped found the radio program "Making Waves," hosted by Steven Dhillon and produced by Keith Adam which is broadcast on 101.5 KWVS.

[edit] The Norm Macdonald controversy

In early 1998, Ohlmeyer had Norm Macdonald removed from his role as anchor of Saturday Night Live's popular "Weekend Update" segment, reportedly because he thought that Macdonald simply was "not funny."[5] Some have speculated that Macdonald was demoted because of his frequent jokes about Ohlmeyer's close friend, O.J. Simpson, but Macdonald has been quoted as saying that he "finds that thesis 'weird' and takes Ohlmeyer's explanation at face value."[6]

Despite the incident, Macdonald reportedly left the show a few months later on relatively good terms with Ohlmeyer, who had, ironically, originally encouraged Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels to give Macdonald the "Weekend Update" slot in 1994.[7] However, the tension between Macdonald and Ohlmeyer continued when Ohlmeyer banned ads for the actor's first feature film, "Dirty Work" from NBC's schedule.[8] He reportedly told the New York Daily News, "'I just don't think it would be appropriate for us to turn around and take a check for a movie that's promoting somebody who has badmouthed Saturday Night Live and NBC.'" [9] The edict was later overruled by Ohlmeyer's East Coast bosses.[10]

Shortly after Macdonald was taken off of the "Weekend Update" desk, David Letterman, during a taping of his CBS network television program The Late Show, referred to Ohlmeyer as "Happy Hour Don"[11] (a reference to Ohlmeyer's problems with alcohol[12]). After the taping, Letterman decided that his comment was inappropriate and had the reference edited out of the broadcast.[13] But the comment (which was heard by the entire live studio audience) was publicized shortly thereafter in a report in the New York Post.[citation needed]

[edit] Credits (partial)

TELEVISION SERIES

  • 1972-76 Monday Night Football (producer)
  • 1980 Games People Play
  • 1990 Lifestories (director/executive producer)
  • 2000-01 Monday Night Football (executive producer)

MADE-FOR-TELEVISION MOVIES

TELEVISION SPECIALS

[edit] References

  1. ^ Julian Rubenstein, "Monday Night Football's Hail Mary," New York Times Magazine, Sept. 3, 2000.
  2. ^ "Master of Its Domain", EW.com, issue #343, September 6, 1996.
  3. ^ Charles Krauthammer, "Requiem for the Summer Game," Time.com, April 3, 2000.
  4. ^ Gabriel Spitzer, "Ohlmeyer exits Monday Night Football," Media Life.
  5. ^ snowboarder. Norm Macdonald - David Letterman - 01-07-1998 [YouTube video].
  6. ^ A.J. Jacobs, "Hardcore Norm," EW.com, issue #478, March 26, 1999.
  7. ^ Norm Macdonald Profile, Comedy Zone.
  8. ^ Joal Ryan, "NBC Nixes Norm...Again!" E!Online, June 2, 1998.
  9. ^ "Ohlmeyer: No Ads For You!" IMDB Studio Briefing, Internet Movie Database, June 3, 1998.
  10. ^ Jenny Hontz, "Norm warms to TV, Variety, July 13, 1998.
  11. ^ "News for Norm Macdonald," IMBD.com
  12. ^ Ray Richmond, "Ohlmeyer checks into Ford Center," Variety, Dec. 6, 1996.
  13. ^ "Update: Macdonald Still Fired" IMDB Studio Briefing, Internet Movie Database, Jan. 8, 1998.

[edit] External links

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