Garvin Eddy

Production Designer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his three-hour interview, Garvin Eddy talks about his early years, and his very first experience on a television show set, when he visited Maude to talk to Edward Stephenson. He recalls being Stephenson's assistant in the art department on several Norman Lear shows including Sanford and Son and Good Times, as well as his first solo assignment as production designer on the Beatrice Arthur comedy Amanda's. He chronicles his time in the art department on the Witt/Thomas/Harris productions Soap and Benson, which led to his being the production designer on The Cosby Show. He details the many aspects of production design, including the importance of collaboration with the director, producers, and star. He discusses production designing for several other series, including Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and That '70s Show. He concludes with a summation of his career and advice to aspiring television production designers. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on May 21, 2010 in North Hollywood, CA.

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

"The production designer is responsible for everything you see on the screen that doesn't move. What is this world that these writers have created in their minds and have written about? And how do you make that into a real, three-dimensional living thing that actors move into? It's our job to bring that to life."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Good Times
02:20
Garvin Eddy on designing the Huxtable residence on The Cosby Show and working with Bill Cosby
11:34
Garvin Eddy on choosing the afghan and sofa on Roseanne
05:07
Garvin Eddy on designing the junkyard on Sanford and Son, and on the junk or things around the set defining the characters
05:06
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Grace Under Fire starring Brett Butler and produced by Chuck Lorre
06:11
Garvin Eddy on Roseanne Barr's conflicts with the producers of Roseanne
02:33
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on television he watched as a kid; on visiting the set of Maude
On working in the art department as an assistant to Edward Stephenson for shows including Maude and Sanford & Son; on going from assistant to collaborator with Edward Stephenson on Amanda's, Victory at Entebbe, and other shows; on the role of a production designer or art director
On the importance of production designers doing research; on choosing the afghan and sofa on Roseanne; on making sets look unique and non-generic
On what he learned from his mentor Edward Stephenson; on the look of the Norman Lear shows he assistant art directed early in his career; on designing the junkyard on Sanford and Son, and on the junk or things around the set defining the characters
On how the set of Maude reflected the character of "Maude Findlay" played by Beatrice Arthur; on production designing for Good Times; on the logistics and budgets on production designing for sitcoms in the 1970s

Chapter 2

On going to work in production design for Witt-Thomas-Harris productions with the series Soap; on production designing for Benson, a spinoff of Soap; on his first non-assistant production design job on the Beatrice Arthur series Amanda's (misidentified here as "Amanda's By the Sea")
On being hired as production designer for The Cosby Show; on designing the Huxtable residence on The Cosby Show and working with Bill Cosby; on his schedule during the run of The Cosby Show
On the number of sets for The Cosby Show, and on the evolution of and mood on the set; on favorite episodes or memories of The Cosby Show; on collaborating with the producers and directors of The Cosby Show, and on the budget of the show
On the legacy of The Cosby Show; on production designing for A Different World starring Lisa Bonet; on production designing for Roseanne
On how his sets may have contributed the success of Roseanne; on working with Roseanne Barr on Roseanne; on the most important, key pieces of the Roseanne set
On Roseanne Barr's conflicts with the producers of Roseanne; on being nominated for an Emmy Award for Roseanne; on staying with the show for its entire run

Chapter 3

On the evolution of the title from art director to production designer; on becoming vice president of production design for the Carsey-Werner Company; on production designing for Grace Under Fire, and on the challenges of designing for the show; on working with Chuck Lorre
On dealing with product placement as a production designer; on production designing for Cybill starring Cybill Shepherd
On production designing for 3rd Rock From the Sun starring John Lithgow and Jane Curtin; on production designing for That '70s Show, and on the challenge of doing a period piece
On production designing for the John Goodman show Normal, Ohio and Sunny with a Chance; on what a producer needs to know about the production designer they're working with, and on their collaboration
On the most important developments in the technology or technique of production design; on the then-current state of production design on television; on the essential elements that make a production design work
On the importance of a production designer understanding what the camera sees, and on the challenge HDTV presented; on advice to aspiring production designers; on career highlights, and how he would like to be remembered
Shows

3rd Rock From the Sun

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for 3rd Rock From the Sun starring John Lithgow and Jane Curtin
03:22

Amanda's

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Garvin Eddy on going from assistant to collaborator with Edward Stephenson on Amanda's and Victory at Entebbe
02:19
Garvin Eddy on his first non-assistant production design job on the Beatrice Arthur series Amanda's (misidentified here as "Amanda's By the Sea")
02:26

Benson

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for Benson, a spinoff of Soap
00:46

Cosby Show, The

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Garvin Eddy on being hired as production designer for The Cosby Show
02:20
Garvin Eddy on designing the Huxtable residence on The Cosby Show and working with Bill Cosby
11:34
Garvin Eddy on his schedule during the run of The Cosby Show
02:17
Garvin Eddy on the number of sets for The Cosby Show, and on the evolution of and mood on the set
04:36
Garvin Eddy on favorite episodes or memories of The Cosby Show
02:34
Garvin Eddy on collaborating with the producers and directors of The Cosby Show
01:20
Garvin Eddy on what working with the budget The Cosby Show afforded him for production design
01:03
Garvin Eddy on the legacy of The Cosby Show
00:28

Cybill

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for Cybill starring Cybill Shepherd
03:09
Garvin Eddy on winning an Emmy Award for Cybill
00:44

Different World, A

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for A Different World starring Lisa Bonet
02:00

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

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Garvin Eddy on being nominated for an Emmy for Roseanne
01:12
Garvin Eddy on winning an Emmy for Cybill
00:44

Good Times

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for Good Times
02:20

Grace Under Fire

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for Grace Under Fire starring Brett Butler and produced by Chuck Lorre
06:11

Maude

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Garvin Eddy on visiting the set of Maude
01:41
Garvin Eddy on working in the art department as an assistant to Edward Stephenson for shows including Maude and Sanford & Son
04:19
Garvin Eddy on how the set of Maude reflected the character of "Maude Findlay"
02:45

Normal, Ohio

View Show Page
Garvin Eddy on production designing for the John Goodman show Normal, Ohio
01:12

Roseanne

View Show Page
Garvin Eddy on choosing the afghan and sofa on Roseanne
05:07
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Roseanne
06:20
Garvin Eddy on how his sets may have contributed the success of Roseanne
03:36
Garvin Eddy on working with Roseanne Barr on Roseanne
01:09
Garvin Eddy on the key pieces of the Roseanne set
01:24
Garvin Eddy on Roseanne Barr's conflicts with the producers of Roseanne
02:33
Garvin Eddy on being nominated for an Emmy Award for Roseanne
01:12
Garvin Eddy on staying with Roseanne for the show's entire run
00:56

Sanford and Son

View Show Page
Garvin Eddy on working in the art department as an assistant to Edward Stephenson for shows including Maude and Sanford & Son
04:19
Garvin Eddy on designing the junkyard on Sanford and Son, and on the junk or things around the set defining the characters
05:06
Garvin Eddy on working with Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son
01:11

Soap

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Garvin Eddy on going to work in production design for Witt-Thomas-Harris productions with the series Soap
10:08

Sonny with a Chance

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for Sonny with a Chance and on the Disney Channel formula
04:13

That '70s Show

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Garvin Eddy on production designing for That '70s Showm and on the challenge of doing a period piece
11:17
Garvin Eddy on being nominated for several Emmys for That '70s Show, and on the particular challenges of that show
01:56

Victory at Entebbe

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Garvin Eddy on going from assistant to collaborator with Edward Stephenson on Amanda's and Victory at Entebbe
02:19
Topics

Advice

View Topic
Garvin Eddy on advice to aspiring production designers
00:56

Creative Influences and Inspiration

View Topic
Garvin Eddy on what he learned from his mentor Edward Stephenson
03:21

Emmy Awards

View Topic
Garvin Eddy on being nominated for an Emmy for Roseanne
01:12

Pivotal Career Moments

View Topic
Garvin Eddy on what he learned from his mentor Edward Stephenson
03:21

Technological Innovation

View Topic
Garvin Eddy on the most important developments in the technology or technique of production design
03:31
Garvin Eddy on the importance of a production designer understanding what the camera sees, and on the challenge HDTV presented
02:34

Television Industry

View Topic
Garvin Eddy on becoming vice president of production design for the Carsey-Werner Company
00:58
Garvin Eddy on the then-current state of production design on television
01:36
Garvin Eddy on advice to aspiring production designers
00:56
Professions

Art Director/Set Decorator

View Profession
Garvin Eddy on the role and responsibilities of a production designer or art director
02:43
Garvin Eddy on the evolution of the title from art director to production designer
00:54

Designers

View Profession
Garvin Eddy on the role and responsibilities of a production designer or art director
02:43
Garvin Eddy on the importance of doing research as a production designer
04:07
Garvin Eddy on making sets look unique and non-generic
05:31
Garvin Eddy on the significance of the production designer in television
03:18
Garvin Eddy on the logistics and budgets on production designing for sitcoms in the 1970s
02:46
Garvin Eddy on collaborating with the creative team on his production design of a show, using The Cosby Show as an example
07:50
Garvin Eddy on the evolution of the title from art director to production designer
00:54
Garvin Eddy on dealing with product placement as a production designer
07:50
Garvin Eddy on what a producer needs to know about a given production designer, and on their collaboration
04:10
Garvin Eddy on the most important developments in the technology or technique of production design
03:31
Garvin Eddy on the essential elements that make a production design work
03:09
Garvin Eddy on the importance of a production designer understanding what the camera sees, and on the challenge HDTV presented
02:34
Garvin Eddy on advice to aspiring production designers
00:56

Production Designer

View Profession
Garvin Eddy on the role and responsibilities of a production designer or art director
02:43
Garvin Eddy on the importance of doing research as a production designer
04:07
Garvin Eddy on making sets look unique and non-generic
05:31
Garvin Eddy on the significance of the production designer in television
03:18
Garvin Eddy on the logistics and budgets on production designing for sitcoms in the 1970s
02:46
Garvin Eddy on collaborating with the creative team on his production design of a show, using The Cosby Show as an example
07:50
Garvin Eddy on the evolution of the title from art director to production designer
00:54
Garvin Eddy on dealing with product placement as a production designer
07:50
Garvin Eddy on what a producer needs to know about a given production designer, and on their collaboration
04:10
Garvin Eddy on the most important developments in the technology or technique of production design
03:31
Garvin Eddy on the essential elements that make a production design work
03:09
Garvin Eddy on the importance of a production designer understanding what the camera sees, and on the challenge HDTV presented
02:34
Garvin Eddy on advice to aspiring production designers
00:56
Genres

Comedy Series

View Genre
Garvin Eddy on working in the art department as an assistant on Maude and Sanford & Son
01:41
Garvin Eddy on going from assistant to collaborator to Edward Stephenson on Amanda's and Victory at Entebbe
02:19
Garvin Eddy on choosing the afghan and sofa on Roseanne
05:07
Garvin Eddy on designing the junkyard on Sanford and Son
09:35
Garvin Eddy on how the set of Maude reflected the character of "Maude Findlay"
02:45
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Good Times
02:20
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Soap and Benson
10:54
Garvin Eddy on production designing for The Cosby Show
23:55
Garvin Eddy on production designing for A Different World
02:00
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Roseanne
17:12
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Grace Under Fire
06:11
People

Beatrice Arthur

View Interview Page
Garvin Eddy on how the set of Maude reflected the character of "Maude Findlay" played by Beatrice Arthur
02:46

Brett Butler

View Person Page
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Grace Under Fire starring Brett Butler and produced by Chuck Lorre
06:11

Marcy Carsey

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Garvin Eddy on working for producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner of the Carsey-Werner Company
02:02

Bill Cosby

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Garvin Eddy on designing the Huxtable residence on The Cosby Show and working with Bill Cosby
11:34

Redd Foxx

View Person Page
Garvin Eddy on working with Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son
01:11

Susan Harris

View Person Page
Garvin Eddy on going to work in production design for Witt-Thomas-Harris productions with the series Soap
10:08

Norman Lear

View Interview Page
Garvin Eddy on the look of the Norman Lear shows he assistant art directed early in his career
03:45

Chuck Lorre

View Interview Page
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Grace Under Fire starring Brett Butler and produced by Chuck Lorre
06:11

Roseanne

View Person Page
Garvin Eddy on Roseanne Barr's conflicts with the producers of Roseanne
02:33

Cybill Shepherd

View Interview Page
Garvin Eddy on production designing for Cybill starring Cybill Shepherd
03:09

Tony Thomas

View Interview Page
Garvin Eddy on going to work in production design for Witt-Thomas-Harris productions with the series Soap
10:08

Tom Werner

View Interview Page
Garvin Eddy on working for producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner of the Carsey-Werner Company
02:02

Paul Junger Witt

View Person Page
Garvin Eddy on going to work in production design for Witt-Thomas-Harris productions with the series Soap
10:08

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