Herbie J Pilato | |
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 Pilato in 2020 | |
| Born | October 9, 1960 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Years active | 1992–present |
Herbert James Pilato (born October 9, 1960) is an American writer and talk show host best known for his books about classic television programming in the United States.
Herbert James Pilato was born on October 9, 1960, in Rochester, New York to Frances Mary Pilato (née Turri) and Herbert Pompeii Pilato. [1] [2] His parents were of Italian descent. [3] He completed a bachelor's degree from Nazareth College of Rochester, and also attended the University of California, Los Angeles. [1]
An aspiring actor, he applied in late 1983 to become an NBC page, and was accepted six months later. [4] He made uncredited appearances in several television shows, but never landed a breakthrough role. [1] In 1989, he returned to Rochester to care for his aging parents and to write. [5]
Pilato's all-time favorite TV show, the 1960s sitcom Bewitched , was the subject of his first book, The Bewitched Book, published in 1992. He followed it with a companion guide to the early 1970s television series Kung Fu . Writing for AsianWeek , Gerald Lim described The Kung Fu Book of Caine (1993) as, "everything and anything one could possibly want to know – and not want to know" on the subject, and "an overly heroic portrait of Caine". [3] A second book about the series, The Kung Fu Book of Wisdom, followed in 1995. Pilato's subject expertise led to a gig as consultant on the 2005 film Bewitched , a re-imagining of the original series. [6] A revised edition of his first book, retitled Bewitched Forever, was published in 2004. [7]
Pilato told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that his usual practice when researching a show is to interview as many people involved with it as possible, and that directors, writers, and producers are often "more open to interviews as they don't get the chance to talk about themselves as much as actors". He also hires a team of fans to help with trivia. [8] He started writing a book about The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman in 1993, and finished it two years later, but it was not published until 2007, after he found a new publisher. [9] Nearly half of the book is devoted to an episode-by-episode guide. Brett Taylor, of Video Watchdog , wrote that the volume, "earns its definitive title hands down; even for those with only a casual interest, it proves more diverting than one might expect". [10] Another pop-culture/media tie-in book, about Life Goes On , quickly followed, as did as a book drawing on his experience as an NBC page.
In 2012, Pilato returned to Bewitched and its star Elizabeth Montgomery with his first biography, Twitch Upon a Star. Based to a great extent upon his four interviews with Montgomery, who died in 1995, Pilato's work explores her complicated life. A year later, he followed with The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery. [1] [6] [11]
In 2019, Pilato published a biography of television star Mary Tyler Moore. [12]
As of 2021, Pilato hosts Then Again with Herbie J Pilato, a talk show on Amazon Prime about classic TV. [13]
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She is best remembered for her leading role as the witch Samantha Stephens on the television series Bewitched.
Bewitched is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife. The show was popular, finishing as the second-rated show in America during its debut season, staying in the top ten for its first three seasons, and ranking in eleventh place for both seasons four and five. The show continues to be seen throughout the world in syndication and on recorded media.
Kung Fu is an American action-adventure martial arts Western drama television series starring David Carradine. The series follows the adventures of Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who travels through the American Old West, armed only with his spiritual training and his skill in martial arts, as he seeks Danny Caine, his half-brother.
Robert Montgomery was an American actor, director, and producer. He began his acting career on the stage, but was soon hired by MGM. Initially assigned roles in comedies, he soon proved he was able to handle dramatic ones as well. He appeared in a wide variety of roles, such as the weak-willed prisoner Kent in The Big House (1930), the psychotic Danny in Night Must Fall (1937), and Joe, the boxer mistakenly sent to Heaven in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). The last two earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Radames Pera is an American actor best known for his role as "Grasshopper," the student Kwai Chang Caine in the 1972–1975 television series Kung Fu.
Elizabeth Ann Sheridan was an American actress. While best known for her roles as Jerry's mother, Helen, in Seinfeld and the nosy neighbor, Mrs. Ochmonek, on sitcom ALF, her decades-long career was extensive and included work on the stage and on large and small screens.
Herman Miller was a Hollywood film writer and producer.
Tabitha is an American fantasy sitcom and a spin-off of Bewitched that aired on ABC from September 10, 1977 to January 14, 1978. The series starred Lisa Hartman in the title role as Tabitha Stephens, the witch daughter of Samantha and Darrin Stephens who was introduced on Bewitched during its second season.
Kung Fu: The Movie is a 1986 made-for-television film and the first in a series of sequels which continued the story of the Shaolin monk, Kwai Chang Caine, first introduced in the 1972–1975 television series Kung Fu. The role of Caine is resumed by David Carradine. The role of his son, Chung Wang, is portrayed by Brandon Lee in his acting debut. The film aired on Brandon's 21st birthday on February 1, 1986. The role of Master Po is also resumed by Keye Luke and The Manchu is portrayed by Mako. In the film, the show's hero, Kwai Chang Caine (Carradine), is forced to fight his hitherto unknown son, Chung Wang (Lee).
Kung Fu: The Next Generation is a 1987 television pilot which was intended to be a follow-up to the 1972–75 television series, Kung Fu. It was the second follow-up to the series after Kung Fu: The Movie (1986). It tells the story in present day of the great-grandson of the Shaolin monk played by David Darlow and his son Johnny Caine, portrayed by Brandon Lee. The main supporting cast includes Miguel Ferrer as Mic, Paula Kelly as Lt. Lois S. Poole, and Dominic Barto as Carl Levin.
John Blyth Barrymore III is an American film and television actor.
Kwai Chang Caine is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ABC 1972–1975 action-adventure western television series Kung Fu. He has been portrayed by David Carradine as an adult, Keith Carradine as a younger Caine, Radames Pera as the child Caine, and Stephen Manley as the youngest Caine.
A Case of Rape is a 1974 American made-for-television drama film starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Ronny Cox. It premiered on NBC on February 20, 1974. The film tells the story of a wife and mother who is raped twice by the same man and her ordeals dealing with the actual rape and her subsequent dealing with the police and the trial.
Lin Bolen was an American television executive and producer. She was most noted for her role at NBC daytime television programming as the first female vice president of a TV network, a position she held from 1972 until 1976. In this role, Bolen was responsible for commissioning the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune and is credited with bringing successful long form to network soap operas. Bolen was mentioned in Who's Who in America as a trailblazer for women in television.
"Sisters at Heart" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season, and 213th episode overall, of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) fantasy television sitcom Bewitched. This Christmas episode aired on ABC on December 24, 1970, and again the following December.
Richard Michaels is a retired American film and TV show director and producer whose career spanned five decades.
Ashmont Productions was an American television production company. The company was founded by William Asher and his then wife Elizabeth Montgomery initially as a production company for the television series Bewitched.
"I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha" is the pilot episode of American television series Bewitched. The episode was produced three weeks after starring actress Elizabeth Montgomery gave birth to her first child with her husband, series director William Asher. The episode was written by Sol Saks, the creator of the series, and initially aired on September 17, 1964. José Ferrer served as the episode's narrator, starting with the words, "Once upon a time...". Ferrer was not credited for this role. In the episode, Samantha Stephens promises her new husband Darrin that she will not use magic, a promise that initiates a pattern that continues into each subsequent episode of the series; the conflict in each episode surrounds Samantha's failed attempts to keep her promise.
Ed Spielman is a writer and producer. He is one of the creators of the TV series Kung Fu. Spielman wrote the story and teleplay for the series pilot, which has been credited as "the first American Martial Arts film." He also created the TV series The Young Riders starring Stephen Baldwin and Josh Brolin, and co-created with his brother the series Dead Man's Gun.
Also, I usually hire a team of fans who help me with the general trivia of each show I profile.
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