Chris Bearde

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Chris Bearde (born 18 June 1936)^[1] is a comedy writer, producer and director best known for creating the format for the original Gong Show and Sherman Oaks. He also co-wrote and produced specials for Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Sonny and Cher, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Jim Carrey, Andy Williams, The Jackson Five, The Osmonds, Dinah Shore, Diana Ross, and Lucille Ball.

1 Early career
2 Move to Hollywood
3 Move to Las Vegas
4 Awards
5 References

[edit] Early career

Chris Bearde's career started in the 1950s in Sydney, Australia. After working in radio and serving two years in the Australian Army,^[2] at 23 he became host of the children's television series Smalltime. His appearances in this show and his writing for other Australian comedy shows was recognised by visiting Canadian and American producers, and Bearde was contracted by the Canadian commercial network CTV to write a comedy series in the early 1960s, titled Network. He created two shows for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Front and Centre and Canada's first late night political satire show Nightcap.^[2]

[edit] Move to Hollywood

After four years of working in Canadian radio and television, Bearde was signed by the William Morris Agency and moved to Hollywood. There he created formats for several specials for NBC and ABC. Bearde's method of combining slapstick and political satire made him a resident writer on the original Laugh In.

While working with the producer of Laugh In, George Schlatter, Bearde created the formats for specials, including Like Hep with Dinah Shore and The Grammy Awards. In 1968, he formed a partnership with Canadian producer Allan Blye and they created the format for the 1968 TV special Singer Presents Elvis for producer Bob Finkel and director Steve Binder. Bearde and Blye co-produced several specials for Andy Williams and produced two years of The Andy Williams Show from 1969 to 1971. Blye and Bearde also created a summer series, The Who Is Ray Stevens Show, which featured the first appearance of Steve Martin.

Bearde created and co-produced the format for The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour for CBS.^{[citation needed]} Blye and Bearde also created and produced one of the first African-American situation comedies, That's My Mama, for ABC.

After splitting with Allan Blye, Bearde created the format and produced with Chuck Barris The Bobby Vinton Show and the first major breakthrough talent reality television show, The Gong Show. He also produced The Bob Hope Christmas Show and returned to Australia to produce Texaco Presents Bob Hope in Australia.

Bearde formed a partnership with ex-CBS president Robert Wood and created pilots and a children's series, The W.A.C.K.O. Show, for CBS.^[2] Bearde directed a comedy film called Hysterical, released in 1983, starring The Hudson Brothers.

Bearde formed a long-term partnership with Dick Clark and produced The Half Hour Comedy Hour, which featured the first national appearance of Arsenio Hall as a host. Clark and Bearde co-produced Bearde's lip sync hit series Puttin' on the Hits in 1985.^[2]

In the 1990s, Bearde was contracted by Playboy to create a series called The Sex and Violence Family Hour.^{[citation needed]} Bearde formed a co production partnership with Vin Di Bona, the producer of America's Funniest Home Videos. He created and produced the Showtime cult comedy hit Sherman Oaks. Di Bona and Bearde also produced several specials for CBS.

[edit] Move to Las Vegas

In 2005, Bearde moved his operation to Las Vegas and created and trademarked "Chris Bearde's International Comedy Hall of Fame", a 30,000 sq ft (3,000 m²) entertainment retail restaurant and comedy tribute exhibition complex, currently in the design and planning stages.