Fred Silverman (13 September 1937 – 30 January 2020) was an American television executive and producer. At various times, he was in charge of programming at each of the three major U.S. television networks: first at CBS, then at ABC, and finally at NBC.
Hanna-Barbera Connections[]
- When he was head of programming at CBS, Silverman suggested the title for Scooby Doo Where Are You! after hearing Frank Sinatra's song "Strangers in the Night". The character of Fred Jones was named for Silverman.
- After moving from CBS to ABC in 1975, Silverman overhauled that network's Saturday morning schedule. He filled the ABC schedule with Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including The Great Grape Ape and The Scooby-Doo Dynomutt Hour, after canceling Filmation's Uncle Croc's Block.
- After leaving ABC to lead NBC in 1978, Silverman commissioned Hanna-Barbera to create series for that network, including Yogi's Space Race, The Flintstone Comedy Show, and Smurfs. He also brought back the peacock as NBC's corporate logo.