Rick Ludwin Collection Page 1 Rick Ludwin Collection OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Creator: Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President for Late-night and Primetime Series, NBC Entertainment and Miami University alumnus Media: Magnetic media, magazines, news articles, program scripts, camera-ready advertising artwork, promotional materials, photographs, books, newsletters, correspondence and realia Date Range: 1937-2017 Quantity: 12.0 linear feet Location: Manuscript shelving COLLECTION SUMMARY The majority of the Rick Ludwin Collection focuses primarily on NBC TV primetime and late- night programming beginning in the 1980s through the 1990s, with several items from more recent years, as well as a subseries devoted to The Mike Douglas Show, from the late 1970s. Items in the collection include: • magnetic and vinyl media, containing NBC broadcast programs and “FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION” awards compilations, etc. • program scripts, treatments, and rehearsal schedules • industry publications • national news clippings • awards program catalogs • network communications, and • camera-ready advertising copy • television production photographs Included in the collection are historical narratives of broadcast radio and television and the history of NBC, including various mergers and acquisitions over the years. 10/22/2019 Rick Ludwin Collection Page 2 Other special interests highlighted by this collection include: • Bob Hope • Johnny Carson • Jay Leno • Conan O’Brien • Jimmy Fallon • Disney • Motown • The Emmy Awards • Seinfeld • Saturday Night Live (SNL) • Carson Daly • The Mike Douglas Show • Kennedy & Co. • AM America • Miami University Studio 14 Nineteen original Seinfeld scripts are included; most of which were working copies, reflecting the use of multi-colored pages to call out draft revisions. Notably, the original pilot scripts are included, which indicate that the original title ideas for the show were Stand Up, and later The Seinfeld Chronicles. Furthermore, a signed copy of the table draft script for the show’s finale is also included in this collection. Other scripts are also contained here--some for primetime, some for broadcast specials such as the landmark three-hour broadcast of SNL’S 25th Anniversary. Several of the scripts include hand notes, presumed to be those of Rick Ludwin. Other documents in this collection are industry-specific, including program development reports, annual independent seasonal reviews covering all major networks, ratings reports, etc. There are also several awards program catalogs from a variety of events ranging from the Emmys to the 23rd American Film Institute Life Achievement Award--presented to Steven Spielberg. Also included are books commemorating the 15th and 20th anniversaries of The Comedy Store, which opened its doors on the Sunset Strip in 1972. These provide biographical and anecdotal information and several photographs of the people who continue to impact a broad sector within the American entertainment industry. A variety of other materials are also included in this collection. This includes a large amount of materials related to television programs where Ludwin worked as a producer earlier on in his career, including “The Mike Douglass Show,” “Kennedy & Co.” and “Kennedy at Night.” Plus, there are a number of recordings of “Studio 14,” a variety show that Ludwin worked on when he was a student at Miami University, plus recordings of lectures he gave at the university in later years. Additional industry related monographs in this collection are cataloged within the Miami University Libraries’ collections. The monographs can be located using a keyword search for “Rick Ludwin” in the online catalog. 10/22/2019 Rick Ludwin Collection Page 3 All items in this collection are organized chronologically within series. PROVENANCE OF THE COLLECTION This collection was assembled by Rick Ludwin, a graduate of Miami University, and donated to The Walter Havighurst Special Collections, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. The initial donation was received in 2008. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Rick Ludwin was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Rocky River High School in Rocky River, Ohio, and then attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech in 1970. During his college days at Miami University, Ludwin hosted “Studio 14,” a variety-comedy show that aired on Miami's WMUB-TV station. The show was completely student-run. Ludwin and his fellow classmates wrote, produced, directed and starred in the live show. "I had this love for live television. There was nothing more exciting," says Ludwin. Ludwin next went on to complete a Master of Arts degree at Northwestern University. Soon after, he began working in broadcasting for stations WLS-TV Chicago and WXYZ-TV Detroit. Eventually, he became a producer on both Bob Kennedy and Mike Douglas’ television talk shows. In free-lance stints for NBC, Ludwin helped to produce “Olympathon '79,” a television fundraiser special designed to foster support for American athletes who would be participating in the Olympic games in 1980. He also helped produce the NBC daytime television show “America Alive!.” During his time working in Chicago television, Ludwin met and impressed Brandon Tartikoff, who soon after was appointed President of NBC Entertainment. Tartikoff then offered Ludwin the position of Director of Variety Programs at NBC in 1980. By 1983 Ludwin had been promoted to Vice President for Specials and Variety Programs. Later, in 1989, he was named the Senior Vice President for Specials, Variety Programs and Late Night, and then in 2005 Ludwin was promoted to Executive Vice President for Late Night and Primetime Series. Looking back on his early years with the network Ludwin admits, "I thought I'd be here a year and be fired or would leave out of frustration, and here I am all these years later. It worked out pretty well." Ludwin is credited for the success of series such as “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with Conan O'Brien,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Unsolved Mysteries” and “Seinfeld.” Furthermore, in addition to serving as an executive on those numerous successful NBC programs since the 1980s, Ludwin has also made cameo appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with Conan O'Brien” and alongside comedian Bob Hope. Ludwin has also supervised numerous landmark primetime specials, including the EMMY Awards, Golden Globe Awards and “Saturday Night Live” primetime specials. He also worked on NBC’s 60th and 75th Anniversary telecasts, both of which featured a wide array of famous guests, such as Jennifer Aniston, Bea Arthur, Pierce Brosnan, Johnny Carson, Dick Clark, Courteney Cox, Ted Danson, Barbara Eden, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Michael J. Fox, David Hasselhoff, Bob Hope, Matt LeBlanc, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Rue McClanahan, Ed McMahon, Bob Newhart, Conan O’Brien, Rhea Pearlman, Matthew Perry, Mekhi Phifer, Phylicia Rashad, John Ratzenberger, Alfonso Ribeiro, Joan Rivers, Doris 10/22/2019 Rick Ludwin Collection Page 4 Roberts, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, David Schwimmer, Jerry Seinfeld, Molly Shannon, William Shatner, Barbara Walters, Betty White and many more. Additionally, Ludwin helped to oversee the television special “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever,” which was a celebration of Motown’s 25th year. Notable performers on the special included Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, Martha Reeves, The Jackson 5, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, and The Temptations and Four Tops, who competed in a “Battle of the Groups” style event. This special also included the now-iconic performance by Michael Jackson of his song “Billie Jean.” This was the first time that Jackson performed what would become his most famous signature move, the moonwalk. In fact, his concert performances of "Billie Jean" in the years after “Motown 25” were always based on his performance on the special, from the opening pose with the fedora, black sequin jacket and glove, to the moonwalk routine in the song's bridge. Being the "longest-tenured employee at NBC Entertainment," Ludwin "rises up in meetings to argue for what he believes...but rarely stands up to take a bow," according to Chicago Tribune writer Phil Rosenthal. "Without Ludwin, there would have been no Seinfeld. He commissioned the pilot, took money out of his specials budget to keep the show alive and oversaw the program for its entire run. Ludwin's reply, "I don't put that in the category of death-defying leaps. That's what we're supposed to be doing." Ludwin’s connections to his alma mater, Miami University, also remain strong. He visits the campus regularly to give talks to students in the Media, Journalism and Film Department. Furthermore, thanks to his professional connections in the entertainment industry, Miami University has been able to secure campus appearances by stars such as Bob Hope and Jay Leno. Most recently, on March 19, 2019 the Williams Hall TV studio located on campus, the place where Ludwin began his career by hosting “Studio 14,” was named the “Rick Ludwin Studio” in his honor. ORGANIZATION OF THE COLLECTION Series I: Program Scripts, Treatments, and Rehearsal Schedules Series II: NBC Newsletter, Press Releases and Marketing Collateral Series III: Press Clip Packages Series IV: Magazine Articles and News Clippings Series V: Magazines Series VI: Oversized Magazines Series VII: The Hollywood Reporter – TV Season Guides/Previews Series VIII: Program Development Projects and Reports