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Don Pardo

️Fri Aug 09 2024

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Don Pardo (1918-2014) talks about joining NBC in 1944. He defines his duties as a staff announcer and lists several of the radio and early television series on which he worked. He describes his trademark announcing style and speaks of his long association with several game shows, including the original The Price Is Right, Choose Up Sides (where he appeared on-camera as "Mr. Mischief"), and the original Jeopardy! (which launched the pop culture catchphrase: "Don Pardo, tell her what she's won!"). Finally, Pardo details the series with which he is most closely associated, Saturday Night Live. He then recalls leaving his post as staff announcer at NBC, having held the position for a record 60 years and 6 months. David Schwartz conducted the interview on August 18, 2006 in Tucson, AZ.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Live, from New York...It's Saturday Night!"

Highlights

Don Pardo on a skit where he plays "Ron Lardo" and recites his famous line "It's Saturday Night Live"

01:43

Don Pardo on his announcing style and keeping his voice in shape

02:54

Don Pardo on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death

03:22

Don Pardo on special moments from his career

02:50

Don Pardo on the catch-phrase "Thank you, Don Pardo", first mentioned on Jeopardy! by Art Fleming

01:44

Full Interview

Play Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his family, growing up in Massachusetts

On high school and college memories

On meeting resistance from his father in choosing a vocation: he wanted to be a dentist

On deciding he wanted to pursue a career in acting

On how he got into radio, working at WJAR in Providence, R.I.; on getting hired as a radio announcer

On how his wife convinced him to take his first job in announcing for radio at WJAR; his job duties as an announcer

On his first trip to New York and meeting other announcers: Hal Sims, Mark Goodson

On becoming a "hitchhike" announcer for commercial radio, along with Mark Goodson as the main announcer

On first working for NBC radio in New York; meeting Patrick J. Kelly

On hearing Frank Gallup and Charles Stark announce when he visited NBC and approaching Patrick Kelly about a job there

Chapter 2

On meeting Patrick Kelly at NBC

On getting a job offer from NBC to become an announcer

On the announcer's role to the story on radio

On delivering a news announcement and having to double as an engineer

On first working in early television; on the process of broadcasting early television

On announcing a baseball game in 1946 on television; on not being interested in working in early television

On working on children's television: Animal Fair

Chapter 3

On meeting and working with with Bill Cullen; on working on Follow Your Heart, an early soap opera on NBC

On working with Fred Allen and regretting not having taken a photograph with any of the Hollywood stars

On working with Fred Allen on The Price is Right and how he got the job announcing on that show

On the children's show Choose Up Sides (does voice); on "continuous performance" (speaking over a B movie); on how he preferred radio over television

On The Price is Right; on a typical day and his duties as announcer; on appearing on-camera while filling in for Bill Cullen; on blowing the surprise of a contestant winning a trip to "Rooooooome" on an early Price is Right episode

On rehearsing for The Price is Right; on doing a lot of readings

On Sid Caesar and working on Caesar's Hour, Your Show of Shows; on the Jonathan Winters Show and meeting Carol Burnett

Chapter 4

On a sample announcement: Use Shorter Words!

On Stanley; on working with Buddy Hackett, Carol Burnett, Paul Lynde, and Max Liebman

On the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death on-air

On his decision not to follow The Price is Right to ABC; on becoming the announcer on Saturday Night Live

On Jeopardy! and working with Art Fleming; on how the catchphrase "Thank you, Don Pardo" developed on that show

On how Senator John McCain appeared on Saturday Night Live , and told him he had actually met him as a contestant on Jeopardy! when Pardo was the announcer

On working with Bill Cullen on Jeopardy!

On his various jobs at NBC radio and TV remotes: Peppy's Young Family, Magnificent Montague, and Monitor

On becoming the announcer on Saturday Night Live; on meeting Lorne Michaels

Chapter 5

On the beginning of Saturday Night Live and how the announcer gig was described to him; on flubbing the opening for the very first show- misstating the Not Ready for Prime Time players

On Lorne Michaels; on appearing on-camera occasionally on SNL; on a skit where he plays "Ron Lardo" and recites his famous line "It's Saturday Night Live"; on the initial reaction to SNL; on what rehearsals were like

On working at Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center for SNL

On his SNL recollections; on Tina Fey, and Dick Ebersol; on Lorne Michaels leaving the show and his replacement, Jean Doumanian

Chapter 6

On working with Frank Zappa; on a music video with Weird Al

On his work in commercials; on his announcing style; on his then-current projects

Chapter 7

On special moments from his career; on getting recognized; on how microphones have changed over the years

On advice to aspiring announcers; on how he'd like to be remembered

Chapter 8

On advice to aspiring announcers

Shows

Animal Fair

Don Pardo on working on children's television: Animal Fair

01:26

Caesar's Hour

Don Pardo on working on Caesar's Hour with Sid Caesar; on being replaced by Hugh Downs

01:19

Choose Up Sides

Don Pardo on the children's show Choose Up Sides (performs his announcing voice from that show)

00:44

Follow Your Heart

Don Pardo on working on Follow Your Heart, an early soap opera on NBC

02:46

Jeopardy!

Don Pardo on the catch-phrase "Thank you, Don Pardo", developed on Jeopardy! , by Art Fleming

01:44

Don Pardo on how Senator John McCain appeared on Saturday Night Live , and told him he had actually met him as a contestant on Jeopardy! when Pardo was the announcer; working with Bill Cullen

01:44

Judge For Yourself

Don Pardo on working with Fred Allen on Judge for Yourself and regretting not having taken a photograph with any of the Hollywood stars

04:17

Price is Right, The

Don Pardo on working with Fred Allen on The Price is Right and how he got the job announcing on that show

03:11

Don Pardo on The Price is Right; on a typical day and his duties as announcer and appearing on-camera

01:50

Don Pardo on appearing on-camera on The Price is Right to fill in for host Bill Cullen

00:44

Don Pardo on The Price is Right moving to ABC; on the original format of the show

03:33

Don Pardo on blowing the surprise of a contestant winning a trip to "Rooooooome" on an early Price is Right episode

03:18

Saturday Night Live

Don Pardo on becoming the announcer on Saturday Night Live; on meeting Lorne Michaels

01:37

Don Pardo on the beginning of Saturday Night Live and how the announcer gig was described to him

02:41

Don Pardo on flubbing the opening for the very first Saturday Night Live show - misstating the Not Ready for Prime Time players

01:43

Don Pardo on an SNL skit where he plays "Ron Lardo" and recites his famous line "It's Saturday Night Live"

01:43

Don Pardo on the initial reaction to SNL; on what rehearsals were like

03:43

Don Pardo on working at Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center for SNL

06:49

Don Pardo on his SNL recollections; on Tina Fey, and Dick Ebersol; on Lorne Michaels leaving the show and his replacement, Jean Doumanian

06:13

Topics

Characters & Catchphrases

Don Pardo on an SNL skit where he plays "Ron Lardo" and recites his famous line "It's Saturday Night Live"

01:43

Historic Events and Social Change

Don Pardo on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death

03:22

JFK Assassination and Funeral

Don Pardo on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death

03:22

Memorable Moments on Television

Don Pardo on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death

03:22

Pop Culture

Don Pardo on an SNL skit where he plays "Ron Lardo" and recites his famous line "It's Saturday Night Live"

01:43

Sports

Don Pardo on announcing a baseball game in 1946 on television

04:39

Technological Innovation

Don Pardo on how microphones have changed over the years

05:00

Television and the Presidency

Don Pardo on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death

03:22

We Cried

Don Pardo on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death

03:22

Professions

Announcer

View Profession

Don Pardo on the announcer's role to the story on radio

03:43

Don Pardo on delivering a news announcement and having to double as an engineer

01:52

Don Pardo on the process of broadcasting early television as an announcer

04:13

Don Pardo on announcing a baseball game in 1946 on television

04:39

Don Pardo on his announcing style and keeping his voice in shape

02:54

Don Pardo on advice to aspiring announcers

02:58

Children's Show Host

View Profession

Don Pardo on working on children's television: Animal Fair

01:26

Hosts

View Profession

Don Pardo on the announcer's role to the story on radio

03:43

Don Pardo on delivering a news announcement and having to double as an engineer

01:52

Don Pardo on the process of broadcasting early television as an announcer

04:13

Don Pardo on announcing a baseball game in 1946 on television

04:39

Don Pardo on working on children's television: Animal Fair

01:26

Don Pardo on his announcing style and keeping his voice in shape

02:54

Don Pardo on advice to aspiring announcers

02:58

Genres

Commercials

Don Pardo on his work in commercials

07:43

Game Shows

Don Pardo on The Price is Right; on a typical day and his duties as announcer; on appearing on-camera while filling in for Bill Cullen; on blowing the surprise of a contestant winning a trip to "Rooooooome" on an early Price is Right episode; on rehearsals

10:21

Don Pardo on working with Bill Cullen on Jeopardy! "tell them what they've won, Don"

01:44

Late Night

Don Pardo on becoming the announcer on Saturday Night Live; on meeting Lorne Michaels

01:37

Don Pardo on announcing for SNL

23:18

Sports

Don Pardo on announcing a baseball game in 1946 on television

23:57

People

Bill Cullen

View Person Page

Don Pardo on appearing on-camera on The Price is Right to fill in for host Bill Cullen

00:44

Don Pardo on working with Bill Cullen on Jeopardy! "tell them what they've won, Don"

01:44

Frank Zappa

View Person Page

Don Pardo on working with Frank Zappa

06:41

Fred Allen

View Person Page

Don Pardo on working with Fred Allen on Judge for Yourself and regretting not having taken a photograph with any of the Hollywood stars; on working again with Allen on The Price is Right and how he got that job

04:13

Hugh Downs

View Interview Page

Don Pardo on working on Caesar's Hour with Sid Caesar; on being replaced by Hugh Downs

01:19

Jean Doumanian

View Person Page

Don Pardo on his SNL recollections; on Tina Fey, and Dick Ebersol; on Lorne Michaels leaving the show and his replacement, Jean Doumanian

06:13

John F. Kennedy

View Person Page

Don Pardo on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and having to read the announcement of his death

03:22

Lorne Michaels

View Person Page

Don Pardo on Lorne Michaels; on appearing on-camera occasionally on SNL

02:09