Emmy Award winning Bob Finkel got his start in Hollywood writing scripts for Wild West features at $50 each. From that beginning, he went on to three Emmys and the coveted Peabody Award for his work in television. Finkel was one of four executive producers under exclusive contract to the NBC Television Network. (The others were Sheldon Leonard, David Dortort and Norman Felton.) The prolific producer has mainly been associated with variety shows, including four years as producer of "The Andy Williams Show". He also helmed "The Perry Como Show", "The Dinah Shore Show", "The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show", "The George Goebel Show", "The Pearl Bailey Show", "The Jerry Lewis Show", and "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show". Finkel occasionally returns to his first love-Directing - with some of those shows being: "Circus of the Stars", "The Winning Hand", "McMillan & Wife", "The Bob Newhart Show", "Barney Miller", and on the live stage with "The Hasty Heart", at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre and the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Finkel captured the Peabody Award for the widely acclaimed "The Julie Andrews Show", as well as the European Festival Award-- the 'Silver Rose of Montreaux'. He served as Executive Producer for "Elvis", the first television special starring Elvis Presley. Finkel has also produced numerousspecials. They have included four John Davidson Specials, two specials with John Denver, as well as many others including Jimmy McNichols, Wayne Newton, Liberace and Chevy Chase.

Recent special projects include directing "The Winning Hand", with Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash, and producing a three-hour extravaganza for ABC honoring the 1984 Olympics which aired the evening prior to the opening ceremonies. He has served as producer for thirteen years on the highly successful "Circus of the Stars", and in 1985 took the added hat as director.

Finkel's three Emmys were for "The Andy Williams Show". He has been nominated ten times for various shows as producer and twice for writing. He has also produced the Emmy Awards Telecast eleven times and the Academy Awards show twice. He has received acclaim for his ten year role in guiding "The People's Choice Awards" shows into becoming a model for similar shows.

A recognized leader as a producer, Finkel was elected president of the Producer's Guild of America in 1969. He presently serves on the Board of the Producer's Guild of America and the elite Caucus of the Producers, Directors and writers.

Finkel was born and educated in his native Pittsburgh, PA. During high school and college (B.A. in Drama, Carnegie Mellon University), he toured the Keith Circuit as a dancer and served variously as resident director of the Wharf Theatre in Provincetown, MA., and art director/lighting manager for the Pittsburgh Light Opera Company.

Then Finkel ventured to Hollywood and found himself doing western scripts. From this springboard, he moved to a post as assistant producer at Republic Studios.

When World War II erupted, Finkel enlisted in the Army Signal Corps. He earned a field commission while attached Merrill’s Marauders in the China-Burma-India theatre, where he received a Unit Citation Award and two Bronze Battle Stars in the Burma Campaign.

Following his discharge, Finkel returned to Hollywood and took a position as production manager for the Coronet and Las Palmas Theatres. It was at the Las Palmas that he produced the acclaimed "Lend An Ear" which subsequently went to Broadway and launched the careers of Carol Channing and Gower Champion. He was then hired by ABC as that network's first television director in Los Angeles, was moved to Revue Productions as a director and then to NBC-TV as a producer/director.

Currently, Finkel heads his own company, Teram Productions, packaging television series, specials and motion pictures. Some of Teram's recent offerings are: "Have You Seen My Son?"(MOW), "The Grizzly Bear Murders" (MOW - working title),"Columbia Pictures' 50th Anniversary Special," "The Muhammed Ali Variety Special," "Miss U.S.A. Pageant," "Miss Universe Pageant," "The Ted Knight Musical Comedy Variety Special," "The World of Entertainment," "The Olympic Gala" and "The Great American Celebrity Road Rally."

At one time, Finkel belonged to 27 organizations and was aboard member of eight of them. They included, (he is still being active in many), The Producer's Guild of America, The Writers Guild of America, The Directors Guild of America, The Television Academy of Arts & Sciences, American Federation of Musicians, Actors Equity, The Association of Stage Directors & Choreographers, Varsity Clan of Carnegie Mellon University, The University's West Coast Drama Alumni Association, and the Advisory Board, of the Television, Radio and Film Department of Stephens College in Columbia, MO. as well as Alpha Epsilon Rho, the National Radio-Television Fraternity.

In other areas, Finkel has served on the Hollywood Office of Economic Opportunity, Masons, Variety Clubs and was an alternate delegate to the Democratic Convention and was an entertainment director in the 1968 Robert Kennedy Campaign. He currently serves on the Olympic Citizens Advisory Committee and the Carnegie Mellon Admissions Advisory Council.

Besides receiving the highest awards given in his profession, Finkel has been honored throughout his life for his work and activities. The Chinese Government gave him their Citation Medal for his service in WWII, Carnegie Mellon University Alumni has given him a Merit Award, and this year he was awarded "The Distinguished Achievement Award"- their highest Alumni award. The City of Hope has bestowed him its "Heart of the World" award. The Florida Drama Critic's recently Gave him their Carbonnel Award for Best Director for "The Hasty Heart" at the Burt Reynold Theater.

Finkel believes it is important to share his knowledge with today's students. He has taught for two years at UCLA, taught classes at USC, conducted a seminar for the American Film Institute, and just served on the Producer's Guild Panel for the 1985 Show Biz Expo. Finkel and his wife, Jane, reside in Los Angeles. They have two daughters, Terry Lee and Pamela Ann.