Carol Burnett, Don Cornelius, Bob Newhart and Aaron Spelling Among Honorees at Third Annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV

Awards Show Honoring the Best of Television to Tape at Santa Monica's Barkar Hangar on Sunday, March 13 and Premiering on Wednesday, March 16

NEW YORK, Feb. 24 -- TV Land announced today that The Carol Burnett Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Soul Train and legendary producer and show creator Aaron Spelling will all be honored at the third annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV, being taped at The Barker Hanger on Sunday, March 13. The 90-minute special will premiere with a special simulcast on TV Land and Nick at Nite on Wednesday, March 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT). The annual celebration recognizes shows and stars from television's rich history and is presented by Revlon.

Several awards will be bestowed upon some of television's legendary series' and stars. Celebrated film and television producer Aaron Spelling will receive the Pioneer Award, The Carol Burnett Show will be recognized with the Legend Award, The Bob Newhart Show will receive the Icon Award and Soul Train will be honored with the Pop Culture Award. TV Land will also present awards in several other categories, including The 2004 Future Classic Award -- which TV Land unveiled in 1998 and is presented annually to the one new show from the past calendar year which best exemplifies the qualities of an emerging television classic. Last year's recipient was FOX's critically-acclaimed comedy series Arrested Development.

Also slated to appear at the show include: legendary cast members from The Carol Burnett Show (Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner) as well as fashion designer Bob Mackie, who fitted Burnett with her glamorous gowns for the show; Peter Bonerz, Bill Daily, Suzanne Pleshette and Marcia Wallace of The Bob Newhart Show and Joan Collins, Peggy Lipton, Luke Perry, Jason Priestly and Tori Spelling, who will all be on hand to honor Aaron Spelling. More talent to be announced shortly.

The tribute awards include the following:

PIONEER AWARD

This award is given to a television creator who is an industry leader, a visionary who is able to bring together all the disparate elements that lead to great television -- wonderful ideas, skillful craftspeople, charismatic actors and talented writers. This year's recipient is Aaron Spelling.

The most prolific producer in television history according to The Guinness Book of World Records, Aaron Spelling knows his audience. From westerns to Emmy-winning television films on the atom bomb and AIDS to detective series and escapist fare, soaps, glamour, and family shows, Aaron Spelling has met the needs of his television viewers. Since selling his first script to Dick Powell in 1956, he has produced a record 4,500 plus hours of television programming, including 300 hours of movies for television as well as a dozen feature films.

In 1978, Spelling was the first producer to have four series simultaneously ranked in the top ten: Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. Spelling, Chairman and CEO of Spelling Television, a Paramount/Viacom Co, is currently represented on television by the WB hit series, 7th Heaven, just renewed for a 10th season, making it the longest running family show in television history, and Charmed and Summerland, both popular series for the WB.

Spelling partnered with another TV legend -- Danny Thomas -- and together they produced three series -- The Danny Thomas Show, The Guns of Will Sonnet, and The Mod Squad -- as well as six movies-of-the-week for ABC-TV. In 1971, he formed a partnership with Leonard Goldberg and over the next eight years, Spelling produced 38 television movies and the top-rated series Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, and the highly acclaimed, award-winning series Family.

Always at the forefront of relevant and current social issues, Spelling proved himself a pioneer in breaking new ground in the television arena. He was the first to sensitively portray gay characters with Steven Carrington and Matt Fielding on his mega-hit shows Dynasty and Melrose Place. Other series produced by Spelling adding to a virtual guide to television history include The Colbys, Hotel, The Love Boat, T.J. Hooker, Matt Houston, Vega$, The Rookies, Beverly Hills 90210, (which would launch the current wave of youth- oriented shows and ran a record 10 seasons), and its mega spin-off, Melrose Place, among others.

LEGEND AWARD

This award is presented to a television series which has stood the test of time and ranks among the most memorable and celebrated shows in TV history. TV Land will honor The Carol Burnett Show as this year's recipient.

For more than a decade, Carol Burnett and the talented cast of The Carol Burnett Show entertained America with song, dance and comedy in one of the most successful variety series of all time. The show was, in fact, one of the most successful programs in television history. In an era when variety shows would come and go, the Emmy-award winning program remained successful, due in large part to the chemistry between Carol and her supporting stars. Burnett, one of television's most versatile variety performers who could sing, dance, act, clown and mime was the cast's binding force.

ICON AWARD

This award is presented to a comedy show that made us laugh and keeps us laughing, a timeless classic. A show of enduring popularity, whose humor came not out of farce, wordplay and topicality, but from compelling stories and engaging characters. This year's recipient is The Bob Newhart Show.

A hugely popular hit, The Bob Newhart Show garnered several Emmy nominations and awards including nods for Outstanding Comedy Series. It originally aired from 1972-78 on CBS. It featured one of the most beloved casts in television history -- Suzanne Pleshette as Bob's wife, Emily; Bill Daily as their needy neighbor Howard Borden; Marcia Wallace as the quick- witted receptionist Carol Bondurant and Peter Bonerz as Bob's office neighbor, the orthodontist Jerry Robinson. The cast also boasted a lengthy list of well-known "patients" of Dr. Hartley, who became household figures in their own right.

POP CULTURE AWARD

This award is presented to a show that has crossed the line from television series to pop culture phenomenon. This year's honoree is Soul Train.

The longest-running TV program of any genre in the entire history of first-run, nationally syndicated TV programming, Soul Train became a national sensation in the mid-1970s and broke new ground for African-American entertainment. The brainchild of radio announcer Don Cornelius, he acted as creator and executive producer of the show. The weekly series, which originally premiered in October 1971, has featured performances by the top R&B, Hip Hop, Gospel and Jazz recording artists in the industry. It has also featured appearances by guest hosts and dance numbers from the Soul Train Gang. Each week, the latest hits and coolest dances were served up in a slick package that had kids of all ages and races dancing around the TV-room floor. It is often remembered as the television show that did the most to bring African-American popular culture into American households.

TV Land has also asked viewers to log on to tvland.com and vote for a variety of fun categories including "Favorite Singing Siblings" and "Favorite Sing-Along Theme Song" with the winners to be announced and presented at the show. The voting is taking place on tvland.com, and will end on March 10. To date, over 1.3 million votes have been cast and traffic to tvland.com increased 23% in the first month after the voting began. While most of the winners will be announced during the telecast, many will be announced exclusively at tvland.com during the live, synchronized show companion.

Michael Levitt (TV Land Awards 2003 and 2004, Billboard Music Awards) serves as Executive Producer, Emmy-award winning Glenn Weiss as Director (2003 Tony Awards, Christmas in Washington, Star Search), Greg Sills as Supervising Producer (VH1 Divas, Billboard Music Awards), Michael Dempsey as Producer (Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, mtvICON), and Sal Maniaci and Larry W. Jones also serve as Executive Producers.

Now seen in over 85 million U.S. homes, TV Land's program mix features popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns, Retromercials and a TV-referential interstitial environment, all programmed with a specific audience in mind -- the first generation of Americans to grow up watching television and features all-time Classic hits like "All in the Family," "I Love Lucy," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Carol Burnett Show" and "Bonanza."

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SOURCE TV Land
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