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Andy Friendly, Founding Producer of Entertainment Tonight, Dies at 74

Industry tributes emphasize his outsized impact on how television covers entertainment.

Overview

  • His family announced he died Jan. 4 at his Bel-Air home at age 74, and no cause of death was disclosed.
  • He launched Entertainment Tonight as its first producer in 1981 and earned a 1982 Emmy nomination for the show.
  • From 1990 to 1995 he served as CNBC’s vice president of primetime programs, overseeing talk shows hosted by Tom Snyder, Tim Russert and Geraldo Rivera.
  • He led programming and production at King World from 1995 to 2001, guiding first-run syndication for series the company distributed, including Oprah Winfrey, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav praised his leadership and mentorship, and coverage noted his roles with HRTS, USC and nonprofit boards; survivors include siblings, and his wife of 39 years, actress Patricia Crowley, died in September at 91.