Dick Arlett
[...] ARLETT
Executive Producer, and president of Trailwood Productions, Inc. is a seasoned veteran of the TV production business. His extensive multimedia/broadcasting show credits range from network programs to syndicated series in both domestic and international markets, that include a variety of documentaries, location/concert & entertainment specials, DVDs, home videos and award-winning Series.
Starting out as a Page at NBC at 30 Rock, fresh out of a University of Miami TV/Film curriculum, Arlett was quickly recruited on to the TODAY Show staff, where he worked the first four years of his network experience as production coordinator, literary editor, researcher, writer, talent coordinator and remote producer. Then, after living in London, working on shows like “Music World” for the BBC, he pursued various other production areas such as with “Dr. Zhivago” filming in Spain or a Hans Christian Andersen documentary in Denmark.
Returning to the U.S. to produce the “Sounds of Summer” at the first New Orleans Jazz Festival, hosted by Steve Allen for PBS, Arlett launched his own production company which generated numerous independent productions over the years that followed. This French Quarter/Concert Special included classic performances by Count Basie & his Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, and a famous “Take Ten” duet with saxophone greats, Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond.
20th Century Fox’s Syndicated 90-minute, daily talk/variety “DINAH & Friends” was the next stop on the production road for Arlett, writing and producing segments in Los Angeles with Dinah’s co-hosts Fernando Lamas, Charles Nelson Reilly and Don Merideth, while coordinating remotes ranging from Singapore to Sun Valley with Clint Eastwood, winding up in Jupiter, Florida at the Burt Reynolds Theater. Shortly after, [...] and his production team produced the last Mike Douglas Special starring Carol Burnett, Bob Hope and a newcomer comic Louie Anderson, discovered while career-struggling at San Diego’s Comedy Club. What followed amounted to the first beach video action/sports magazine series Michelob’s “Wind Surf World” starring Randi Oakes, Michael Dudikoff, Lorenzo Lamas, Mary Hart, Deidre Hall, Mark Harmon, Windsurfing Champions Robby Naish & Rhonda Smith, Markie Post, Mitch Gaylord, Ernie Hudson and even Ruth Buzzi up on a surfboard, on-location in Maui. And, while in Maui, Arlett added a taping aboard Peter Fonda’s yacht “Tatoosh” for a pilot episode of a person-to-person style “Welcome Aboard” series to be hosted by sailor/skipper Charles Nelson Reilly.
Next came Arlett’s producing of the award-winning “COMEBACK” Documentary Series, hosted by James Whitmore; profile/biographies of Rosemary Clooney, Neil Sedaka, Herve “Tatoo” Villechaize, Rick Nelson and Patricia Neal. Two shows of which turned network movie-of-the-weeks for Paramount Television with Don Silverman as Executive Producer.
Then, Entertainment/Variety Specials, taped On-Location, were the next steps in [...]’s career, with Holiday themes like Marie Osmond’s Merry Christmas from Utah with Lee Greenwood, [Sally Struthers] and Kirk Cameron & other Musical Specials in Sweden with Crystal Gayle, David Hasselhoff, John Davidson and Michael Damian, or “A Christmas Card From Branson” hosted by Jim Stafford, complete with performances by Boxcar Willie, with Mickey Gilley and Tony Orlando; consistently major guest-star lineups performing everywhere from Tahiti to The Bahamas, or out on the Island of Bali in Indonesia. Then “Rockin’ Round California” starred Kim Carnes, Jan & Dean and Paul Rodriguez, followed, as did a new International “HOLIDAY” Series taped/on-location musicals, originating first from Finland, then from the Island of Moorea in French Polynesia. DVD production of “Ronnie Milsap LIVE” from Biloxi added to the Concert Video Specials collection, with the most recent example of these shows capturing the musical rhythm of a locale during last years’ Bahamas’ JUNKANOO Carnival Parade Celebration, taped on famous Bay Street in Nassau right along in step with the Baha Men. Next up for the “Holiday” Series - - “Holiday in the Marquesas Islands”, taping while cruising later this year aboard the freighter Aranui out of Papeete.
In association with Procter & Gamble Productions, Arlett and his partners developed and created the situation comedy “Wings”, subsequently produced for eight consecutive seasons on NBC. In similar fashion, together with famous Special Events’ producer, Sid Smith, Arlett created the annual TV Hall of Fame, together with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which eventually began broadcasts in 1984. Another show model created and moving on to successful broadcast; along with Revlon heir and world famous race-driver, Peter Revson, was the World Series of Auto Racing, later turned International Race of Champions for ABC Sports.
Raising millions of dollars in donations via prominent fundraiser TV Concert Specials has always been a priority and production challenge for [...] and his production company; two consecutive years and two Specials Kennedy Center’s “Salute to the American Red Cross” hosted by Kevin Pollak and starring Mary Chapin Carpenter; then “Red Cross Across America” from NBC’s Studio 1, hosted by Bill Maher, jointly raised nearly 12 million dollars for the American Red Cross. Then Nashville Network’s “Kyle Petty’s Ride Across America” aided theMake-A-Wish Foundation, followed by a “United Against Hunger” Special, taped at Los Angeles’ downtown Mission for the Hunger Initiative starring Edward Asner, Marriette Hartley and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Then, an International Telecast Special, hosted by Jon Secada and Maria Conchita Alonso from the Dominican Republic, “Hope for the Hemisphere” raising critical relief funds for hurricane flood victims on the Island and neighboring Caribbean.
Most industry executives associate Arlett with the co-producing or packaging many NBC Bob Hope Specials, taped anywhere from the Colorado Rockies to Bermuda to Nashville with McCauley Caulkin, to the Bahamas with LaToya Jackson and Andy Williams, or a Christmas Boat Parade with Reba McIntire, Tony Randall and Brooke Shields in Fort Lauderdale to a Riverwalk Special with Clint Black in San Antonio or Christmas with Dolly Parton and Don Johnson at Williams Island in Florida, plus Bob Hope in Tahiti with Morgan Brittany, John Denver, Howard Keel and Jonathan Winters; or a Royal Gala from Sweden for a children’s charity, attended by King Carl XVI Gustaf and H.M. Queen Silvia in Stockholm, starring Liv Ullman, Dolph Lundgren, Scott Grimes, Emmanuel Lewis, Boy George, Shirley Jones, Omar Sharif and, naturally, Miss Sweden.
Diversity of programming has also been a trademark of Arlett’s productions, working in as wide a spectrum of challenging venues and formats as possible; Executive Producing Lorenzo Lamas and Sandra Santiago hosting the World Ballroom Dance Championships from Miami Beach and “The 100 Million Dollar Mega Bonus Poker Special” from London, hosted by Joanna Krupa and Ali Nejad, as well as newcomer documentaries such as “World of Kelly King” shot in Brooklyn. [...] also produced Dr. Dean Ornish’s DVD version of his bestselling book “Eat More, Weigh Less” and he served as Executive Producer of the Commemorative Anniversary DVD of “The Wall That Heals” for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in Washington D.C. with Former President George H.W. Bush, Senator Robert Dole, Lou Gossett, Jr., Ret. General Barry McCaffrey and James Carville. As another; the three-part “One Child, One Life” documentary series for the Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Or, A&E style biographies of Tupac Shakur or Notorious B.I.G. along with the classic Rap video “Soul of the Streets” and “The Spice Girls Invasion” documentary with Channel 5 in London. Plus, the generous production of public service commercial spots (PSAs), with spokespersons Hillary Clinton for Kosovo Relief Fund, Patrick Wayne for the National Exchange Club’s Child Abuse Campaign or Luciano Pavarotti on behalf of the Scleroderma Foundation. Then, a nostalgic poolside home video with MGM great, Esther Williams, teaching babies how to “Swim Baby Swim”.
PBS Documentary work capturing the dedicated work of organizations such as Africare, Save The Children, The ONE Campaign or the Dr. Scott Kellerman Bwindi Foundation has taken Arlett and his crews to Rwanda, Mozambique and Uganda each year for the past two years, producing hour-long documentaries such as “Land of Pygmy/Land of Gorilla” hosted by Dr. Keller Wortham, and, most recently, Senator Bill Frist’s hosting of a “Journey of Hope” focusing on humanitarian/medical missions in Sub-Sahara Africa, accompanied by fellow ONE volunteer workers Tom Daschle, Governor Mike Huckabee, Cindy McCain and John Podesta.
Besides launching the first Veterans’ Television Network & Media Group, Arlett has created and will begin Executive Producing a new weekly TV game show, “POKEBINGO”, now scheduled for taping In-Studio in Costa Rica and London in 2010, as well as at sea while aboard Costa Crociere Cruise Lines’ sailings in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera and Far East.
Early in 2011 Arlett returns to Scandinavia for a combined "Anniversary" TV Special Event honoring both the Children's International Summer Villages (CISV) and their 60th Anniversary, along with another Royal Gala from Stockholm's Oscars Theater - - same site/same stage as Bob Hope's "Command Performance" Special for CISV and NBC 25 years ago. [...] lives in California and Florida with his wife, Valerie, and chocolate Labrador retriever, “Bosco”