As I reflect upon the passing of Woody Fraser, a pioneering figure in television production, I find myself in awe of his remarkable journey and indelible impact on the industry. With over five decades of contributions to talk, news, and variety programming, he truly embodied the spirit of innovation and creativity.

Noted American television pioneer Woody Fraser, famous for debuting “The Mike Douglas Show” and “Good Morning America,” passed away at the age of 90.

EbMaster’s daughter, Stacy, confirmed that Fraser passed away on Saturday afternoon. Further information will be disclosed in the upcoming days.

Throughout nearly five decades in the entertainment industry, Fraser has consistently proven himself to be one of the most accomplished TV producers. His expertise lies particularly in talk shows, news broadcasts, and variety programming. During his tenure in Hollywood, Fraser accumulated an impressive list of credits on various shows such as “The Dick Cavett Show,” “The Richard Simmons Show,” “On Trial,” “What Would You Do?,” “The Family Challenge,” “That’s Incredible!,” and “The Home Show.

Over the weekend, longtime associate and music producer E.V. Di Massa Jr., paid tribute on Facebook to a person who was both his mentor and friend.

My esteemed mentor and prolific producer Woody Fraser has sadly passed away,” Massa penned, accompanying the post with a photo of them. “So many cherished moments… here we are receiving the Mike Douglas Lifetime Award at the Emmys. May he rest peacefully until our next production meeting in heaven.

1960 marked the beginning of Fraser’s television journey, where he initially worked as a director for NBC. During the same year, he crossed paths with Mike Douglas. Not long after their meeting, they jointly developed “The Mike Douglas Show,” which aired from 1961 to 1982, spanning an impressive 4000 episodes.

Following the successful debut of “Mike Douglas,” my career took off like a rocket, making me one of the busiest producers in the industry during the mid-’60s to early-’70s. From 1966 to 1973, I was behind the scenes for approximately 32 hours of television every week, working on shows such as “The Della Reese Show,” “The Bill Russel Show,” and “Kid Talk.

More currently, Fraser has been instrumental in initiating shows such as “McEnroe” on CNBC and “Huckabee” on Fox News.

Fraser is survived by his eight children and three grandchildren.

Read More

2024-12-23 04:16