Bill Persky

Bill Persky was interviewed for four hours in New York, NY. Persky discussed his early years in advertising and radio, before teaming up with longtime partner, Sam Denoff. He described how after writing for The Steve Allen Show and The Andy Williams Show, he and Denoff were hired to write for The Dick Van Dyke Show, where they eventually became producers. He revealed the genesis of the series’ most well-known episodes including “That’s My Boy” and “Coast to Coast Bigmouth.” Persky outlined the creation of their next show, That Girl and its role in promoting women’s liberation. He spoke of his continuing interest in directing and his eventual transition to directing, following the end of his partnership with Denoff. Lastly, he described the creation of Kate and Allie and his five-year association with the series. He concluded the interview by describing some of his current projects with Nick at Nite and TV Land. The interview was conducted by Karen Herman on November 12, 2005.