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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Michael Denison to Carol L. Dudley
Hugh Downs Biography (1921-)
Full name, Hugh Malcolm Downs; born February 14, 1921, in Akron, OH; son of Milton Howard (in business) and Edith (maiden name, Hick or Hicks) Downs; married Ruth Shaheen, February 20, 1944; children: Hugh Raymond, Deirdre Lynn Downs Maslin. Addresses: Agent: (lectures) Harry Walker Agency, Inc., 355Lexington Ave., 21st Floor, New York, NY 10017.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Radio and television broadcaster, actor, producer, and writer
- Birth Details
- February 14, 1921
- Akron, Ohio, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Television Appearances
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Series
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Hawkins Falls, 1950
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American Inventory, 1951-1955
- Host, Your Luncheon Date, NBC, 1951
- Host, The Home Show (also known as Home), NBC, 1954
- Master of ceremonies, Concentration, NBC, 1958-1969
- Host, The Today Show (also known as NBC News Today,
TheRise and Shine Revue, and Today), NBC, 1962-1972
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The Tonight Show, NBC, 1962
- Cohost, Not for Women Only, syndicated, 1972
- Host, Over Easy, PBS, 1977-1981
- Coanchor, 20/20 (also known as ABC News 20/20), ABC, 1978-1999
- Host, Live from Lincoln Center (also known as Great Performances: Live from Lincoln Center), PBS, beginning 1990
- Anchor, ABC News Saturday Night, ABC, 1998
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Specials
- Narrator and reporter, The First Americans, NBC, 1969
- Reporter, Survival on the Prairie, NBC, 1970
- Narrator and reporter, The Great Barrier Reef, NBC, 1970
- Narrator and reporter, The Ice People, NBC, 1970
- Narrator and reporter, The American Wilderness, NBC, 1971
- Narrator and reporter, The Everglades, NBC, 1971
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Survival of Spaceship Earth, 1972
- Moderator, Broken Treaty at Battle Mountain: A Discussion, 1975
- Host, Growing Old in America, PBS, 1985
- Reporter, Liberty Weekend Preview, 1986
- Commentator, Liberty Weekend, 1986
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NBC's 60th Anniversary Celebration, NBC, 1986
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Today at 35, 1987
- Anchor and narrator, Burning Questions: The Poisoning of America,ABC, 1988
- Anchor, The National Cholesterol Test, ABC, 1989
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The Television Academy Hall of Fame, Fox, 1990
- Host, Depression: Beyond the Darkness, ABC, 1990
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Today at 40, NBC, 1992
- Host, What Every Man Should Know: Your Body, Your Life, ABC, 1993
- Host, The 20/20 15th Anniversary Special, ABC, 1993
- Host and narrator, Barry Goldwater: Photographs and Memories, PBS,1995
- Narrator, "Danny Kaye: A Legacy of Laughter," American Masters, PBS, 1996
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Gail Sheehy's New Passages, ABC, 1996
- Narrator, Assassination, The Discovery Channel, 1996
- "Jack Paar `As I Was Saying...,'" American Masters, PBS, 1997
- Host, Tales from the Tomb: Lost Sons of the Pharaoh, ABC, 1997
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Geraldo Rivera, Arts and Entertainment, 1998
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NYTV: By the People Who Made It, PBS, 1998
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Barbara Walters: A Driving Force, Arts and Entertainment, 2000
- Presenter (with others), The '70s: The Decade That Changed Television, ABC, 2000
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Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live, Fox, 2000
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Host of Live from Lincoln Center Specials
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New York Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta and Daniel Barenboim, PBS,1990
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New York City Opera: "Le Nozze di Figaro," PBS, 1991
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Opening Night--Masur and the Philharmonic, PBS, 1991
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The Chamber Music Society: Masters and Masterpieces, PBS, 1992
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New York City Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, PBS, 1992
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New York Philharmonic 150th Anniversary, PBS, 1992
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New York Philharmonic 150th Opening Night Celebration, PBS, 1992
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Pavarotti Plus!, PBS, 1992
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Mostly Mozart and Mendelssohn Too, PBS, 1993
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Philharmonic Opening Night: Masur and Perlman, PBS, 1993
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New York Philharmonic--Masur, Ax, and Beethoven's 5th, PBS, 1994
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Pavarotti Plus!, PBS, 1994
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An Evening with Kathleen Battle and Thomas Hampson, PBS, 1995
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Mostly Mozart Opening Concert, PBS, 1995
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New York City Opera "La Traviata," PBS, 1995
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New York Philharmonic--Kurt Masur and Yo-Yo Ma (also known as Live from Lincoln Center: Yo Yo Ma in Concert), PBS, 1995
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New York Philharmonic Opening Night--Kurt Masur and Jessye Norman,PBS, 1995
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New York Philharmonic: Kurt Masur and Sarah Chang, PBS, 1995
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Mostly Mozart Opening Concert, PBS, 1996
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New York City Opera: Franz Lehar's "The Merry Widow," PBS, 1996
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Great Performers at Lincoln Center: A Celebration of the American Musical, PBS, 1997
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The Juilliard Opera: Hansel und Gretel, PBS, 1997
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New York City Opera: Puccini's "La Boheme," PBS, 1997
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New York Philharmonic Opening Night Gala, PBS, 1997
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New York Philharmonic: Debussy's "The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian,"PBS, 1997
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New York Philharmonic: Masur & Vengerov, PBS, 1997
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Episodic
- "The Talent Scouts Program," Startime (also known as Ford Startime), CBS, 1960
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Talent Search, NBC, 1960
- "The Night of the Faceless Men," Riverboat, 1960
- Himself, "Catch Me on the Jack Paar Show," Car 54, Where Are You?,1961
- "Rock Hudson Show," The Jack Benny Program, 1962
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The Hollywood Squares, 1967, 1968
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Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in, 1968
- Guest host, Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 2000
- Voice, "The Kiss Seen `round the World," Family Guy, Fox, 2001
- Also guest panelist on To Tell the Truth.
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Other
- Television newscaster, A Global Affair (movie), 1964
- Host, Variety (pilot), ABC, 1974
- Himself, Woman of the Year (movie), 1976
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Television Work
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Series Announcer
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Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, NBC, 1949
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Sid Caesar's Hour (also known as Caesar's Hour), NBC, 1956-1957
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The Jack Paar Show, NBC, 1957-1962
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The Tonight Show, NBC, 1962
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Film Appearances
- Introductory host of U.S. version, Vynalez zkazy (also known as The Deadly Invention,
The Fabulous World of Jules Verne, and Invention of Destruction), 1958
- Narrator of U.S. version, La sonrisa de la Virgen (also known as Little Angel), 1961
- Narrator, Nothing by Chance (documentary), 1974
- NBC newscaster, Oh, God! Book II, Warner Bros., 1980
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Someone Like You (also known as Animal Attraction), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2001
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Film Work
- Executive producer, Nothing by Chance (documentary), 1974
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Radio Appearances
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Perspective (series), ABC, 1995
- Host of Monitor, NBC.
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RECORDINGS
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Albums
- Narrator, Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, RCA, 1964
- (With Harvey Wheeler) Mass Media and the Future, Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, 1972
- Narrator, Historical Highlights from Space (commentary by Wernhervon Braun), National Space Institute, 1976
- Also recorded the album An Evening with Hugh Downs.
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WRITINGS
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Books
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Yours Truly (autobiography), Holt, 1960
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A Shoal of Stars (sailing memoir), Doubleday, 1967
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Rings around Tomorrow (essays; introduction by Isaac Asimov), Doubleday, 1970
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Potential: The Way to Emotional Maturity, Doubleday, 1973
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Thirty Dirty Lies about Old, Argus Communications, 1979
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The Best Years Book, Delacorte, 1980
- (With Richard J. Roll) Hugh Downs' Years Book: How to Plan for Fulfillment, Security, and Happiness in the Retirement Years, Dell, 1982
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On Camera: My 10,000 Hours on Television, Putnam, 1986
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Fifty to Forever, T. N. Publishers, 1994
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Perspectives (collected radio broadcasts), Turner Publishing, 1995
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Greater Phoenix: The Desert in Bloom, Towery, 1999
- (Editor and author of introduction) My America: What My Country Meansto Me by 150 Americans from All Walks of Life, Scribner, 2002
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Books
- Downs, Hugh, Yours Truly (autobiography), Holt, 1960
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St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, St. James Press, 2000
Periodicals
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TV Guide, September 25, 1999, pp. 43-46
Electronic
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ABC News, http://abcnews.go.com/20/20, March 25, 2003
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