Iconic television producer George Schlatter will receive the Ernie Kovacs Award at The Video Association of Dallas VideoFest (DVF) on October 11. Schlatter is being recognized for the impact he has had in the field of television comedy. Many shows he produced starting 50 years ago in 1963, which include “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” “Real People,” “The Judy Garland Show” and years of “American Comedy Awards,” are now widely available for new generations to enjoy. The award presentation will take place at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 100 S Central Expy., Richardson, TX 75080 on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7:15 p.m.
“Throughout his long and successful career George Schlatter has been responsible for hundreds of hours of television shows,” said Bart Weiss, founder, Video Association of Dallas and artistic director, Dallas VideoFest. “He changed the face of television. Being able to honor him with the recently relaunched Ernie Kovacs Award is just icing on the cake.”
VideoFest is reviving the Ernie Kovacs Award this year. The Kovacs Award recognizes the career and talents of some of television’s greatest visionaries. Ernie Kovacs' work in the 1950s and early 1960s summed up the spirit of innovation and the development of the language of television art. Schlatter and Kovacs became friends when George’s wife, Jolene Brand Schlatter became a regular on Kovacs shows in Hollywood in 1960-1961.
George Schlatter received 25 Emmy nominations, won five Emmys, Golden Globe Awards, Television Critics Awards, Directors Guild Award, among many others. In 1989, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Dallas Video Festival and the Video Association of Dallas announced the first Ernie Kovacs Award at the 1997 Festival. Comedian Joel Hodgson of “Mystery Science 3000” was the first recipient and subsequent annual honorees include “Monty Python’s” Terry Gilliam, “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” writer/performer, Robert Smigel, Paul ("Pee-wee Herman") Reubens, Martin Mull, and Texas’ own. Mike Judge.
