The Archive of American Television – The Field & Midnight House

Writing team Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf joined the I Love Lucy writing staff during the fifth and sixths seasons, which saw the Ricardos and Mertzes wrapping up their trip to Hollywood, traveling to Europe, and moving to the country.

Before their work on Lucy, Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf worked in radio, writing their first script together for the Our Miss Brooks radio series. Their writing partnership would lead them to write for Make Room for Daddy, and The Bob Cummings Show, which would lead to their hiring on I Love Lucy.

If you’re familiar with the sitcoms of Norman Lear, the names Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf are frequently credited for their comedy writing, especially on the Bea Arthur series, Maude. They also were involved with All in the Family and its spin-off, Archie Bunker’s Place.

Fun fact: Fellow I Love Lucy writer, Jess Oppenheimer, was roommates with Bob Weiskopf in college 13 years before Oppenheimer hired Weiskopf and Schiller to work on the series.

Below is their interview with The Archive of American Television, where they discuss their career in TV (the clips were not numbered, so I organized them the best I could).

Enjoy!

And as a bonus, here’s their interview with The Writers Guild Foundation:

Another day, another I Love Lucy writer. Stay tuned!

Photo Credit: https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-bob-schiller-20171010-story.html

Madelyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. began their writing careers in radio, most notably on the comedy series, My Favorite Husband (1948-1951). On the show, their paths would cross with an actress, Lucille Ball, who – upon the radio series ending in 1951 – would be doing a TV series for CBS with her husband, Desi Arnaz. The series, I Love Lucy, would initially be staffed by three writers: Pugh Davis, Carroll, Jr., and Jess Oppenheimer.

Pugh Davis and Carroll would remain with I Love Lucy for its six-year run, moving on as a writing team on future series like The Lucy Show, The Mothers-In-Law, Alice, and Sanford & Son.

Below is the entire interview with Madelyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. conducted by The Archive of American Television, where they talk about their multi-decade careers.

Enjoy!