Dennis Doty remembers Gil Cates 1934-2011

Dennis E. Doty is a veteran television producer and former ABC TV Network executive. In his career, Doty has Produced or overseen more than 60 television films and live/event television specials.

Dennis E. Doty and Gilbert Cates formed Cates/Doty Productions in 1990 for the development and production of Motion Pictures, Mini-Series and Specials for Television. Doty serves as Executive Producer and/or Producer of all Cates/Doty productions.

Doty and Cates/Doty Productions continue to Produce An American Celebration at Ford's Theatre from Washington DC for ABC and the White House. For over 32 years a Washington event, this annual special is from historic Ford's Theatre before a live audience including President and First Lady and features major American performers from music, film and television.

Doty has Produced a record six of the official annual Academy Awards, Oscar's Red Carpet specials that immediately precede the Oscar's telecast. From Oscar's final telecast from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, to the Shrine Auditorium then taking this red carpet special to the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, this is one of the most watched specials on television.

Doty Produced CBS at 75, the three hour star filled gala broadcast live from New York. Over 200 CBS stars from Entertainment, News and Sports joined the black tie audience in this highly rated Cates/Doty production to celebrate of CBS's 75 years.

Doty's Producing credits on Television Films include:

PBS, James Agee's Pulitzer Prize winning "A Death in the Family". Produced by Doty and Directed by Cates, the film starred Annabeth Gish, John Slattery, Austin Wolff, Kathleen Chalfant and James Cromwell. "A Death in the Family", a Cates/Doty Production in association with ALT Films was part ALT's American Collection / Masterpiece Theater.

Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies' "Collected Stories" for PBS Hollywood Presents in association with KCET, Los Angeles. Directed by Cates and starred Linda Lavin and Samantha Mathis,

The 3 hour CBS / Chrysler Showcase / Marstar Production of "Escape from Sobibor" -- the true story of the only successful revolt and overthrow of a Nazi Death Camp by it's heroic prisoners. Starring Alan Arkin, Rutger Hauer and Joanna Pacula. Doty received a Golden Globe Award and Emmy nomination for Best Picture and the 1990 Remembrance Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Doty was Executive Producer and Producer of the action adventure ABC Mini-Series, Tom Clancy's "NetForce". Directed by Cates, based on the best selling book, Tom Clancy's NetForce dealt the FBI unit which handles high tech crime and a plot to take over the World Wide Web. The film starred Scott Bakula, Joanna Going, Kris Kristofferson, Brian Dennehy, Judge Reinhold, Xander Berkeley and CCH Pounder.

Doty was Exec on the 3 hour "The Scarlet and the Black" starring Gregory Peck, Christopher Plummer and Sir John Gielgud. The Emmy nominated CBS film of real life priest Monsignor Hugh O"Flaherty who saved thousands of Jews and Allied prisoners from Nazi occupied Rome.

Cates and Doty first worked together on ABC film "Consenting Adult" starring Marlo Thomas and Martin Sheen. Doty Produced and Cates Directed this Emmy nominated, 50th ABC Theater/ Marstar Production is based on Laura Z. Hobson's book.

Cates/Doty produced the 4 hour Mini-Series "Innocent Victims" aired on ABC -the network's highest rated mini-series of the season. This true story of justice gone wrong only to be made right by two committed young lawyers was Produced by Doty and Directed by Cates, "Innocent Victims" starred Rick Schroder, Hal Holbrook, John Corbett, Rue McClanahan and Howard Hesseman.

Cates/Doty, in association with Don Mischer Productions, produced the 3 hour Live, international all-star entertainment gala event from Los Angeles and Jerusalem, "America Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Israel" for CBS and worldwide television. Doty was Producer of this Special.

On Memorial Day weekend, 2002, CBS telecast "Rockin' for the USA: A National Salute to the US Military". This Cates/Doty entertainment special for McDonald's was hosted by Cuba Gooding, Jr. and starred Marc Anthony, Clint Black, Jessica Simpson, Jeff Foxworthy and Celine Dion. Produced by Doty, this special event was taped aboard the aircraft carrier "USS Harry S Truman before an audience of 5,000 service people.

Previous Cates/Doty Motion Pictures for Television include NBC's "Confessions: Two Faces of Evil" starring James Earl Jones, Jason Bateman, James Wilder Gloria Reuben and Melinda Dillon; CBS' "In My Daughter's Name" starring Donna Mills, Lee Grant and John Rubinstein and

Cates Doty's first TV film, Robert Anderson's screenplay, Emmy nominated "Absolute Strangers" starring Henry Winkler, Karl Malden, Richard Kiley and Patty Duke which won the Nancy Susan Reynolds Award.

In 1990, Doty Co-Produced the "42nd Annual Emmy Awards" hosted by Jay Leno, Jane Pauley and Candice Bergen for FOX Television and Marstar Prods.

Among Doty's additional Television Films are "The Return of Marcus Welby, MD" staring Robert Young, Darren McGavin and Elena Verdugo; the ABC/Disney mini-series "Earth*Star Voyager"; the CBS mystery thriller, "Jane Doe", starring William Devane and Karen Valentine and the CBS comedy "Sunset Limousine" starring John Ritter, Paul Reiser, Martin Short and Susan Dey.

While Senior Vice President in Charge of Television for Marble Arch / ITC Productions, produced under Doty's aegis were films including the Emmy Winning / ABC Theater production "Friendly Fire" starring Carol Burnett Ned Beatty and Sam Waterson; the Golden Globe winning, Emmy nominated "All Quiet on the Western Front" starring Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine and Patricia Neal;\ and the Emmy nominated ABC Theater production, "The Elephant Man" based on Bernard Pomeranz Broadway play

During his term as Executive Vice President for Worldwide Production of D.L. Taffner, Ltd. Doty was Executive Producer of six films based on Leslie Charteris' "The Saint" and three films based on mystery books written by Dick Francis. These films were shot on locations in New York, Canada, England, France, Germany and Australia.

Previously Doty was a Programming Vice President with ABC Television in both New York and Los Angeles and among his executive responsibilities were the original development of the comedy series, "Three's Company" and the creation of ABC's entry into early morning television, "AM America" which became "Good Morning America". Following his twelve years at ABC and prior to joining Marble Ach / ITC Productions, Doty was with the William Morris Agency as Executive of TV Creative Affairs.

Dennis Doty serves as Chairman of the Caucus of Producers, Writers and Directors, as Treasurer and Board Member of the Geffen Playhouse. Doty has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Producer's Guild of America, the Boards of the Caucus Foundation, the American Cinema Foundation, the UCLA Theater, Film and Television Education Association and the Producer's Peer Committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Doty is a graduate of USC. He and his wife Jeralyn live in Sherman Oaks California.