Jack Perkins (born December 28, 1933, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American reporter, commentator, war correspondent, and anchorman. He has been dubbed "America's most literate correspondent" by the Associated Press.

Perkins received a Bachelor of the Arts degree in political science from Case Western Reserve University in 1956.^[1] While at Case Western Reserve, Perkins joined the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.^[2]

Jack Perkins has appeared on NBC Nightly News and The Today Show, and on A&E as host of Biography. He currently hosts A Gulf Coast Journal, a weekly magazine show which airs on Tampa, Florida PBS affiliate WEDU-TV. He also hosts and narrates special programs on Chattanooga, Tennessee PBS affiliate WTCI-TV. Perkins was formerly a news reporter for NBC affiliate KNBC, in Los Angeles, California.

Currently, Perkins devotes a great deal of his time to creating original photography and poetry which he brings together in books, the most recent being Island Prayers: Photographs and Poems of Praise.

Perkins's son, Eric Perkins, has followed his father into journalism, serving as a sports anchor in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at its NBC affiliate, KARE-TV.

[edit] Parodies

Perkins and his Biography introductions have been parodied several times on Mystery Science Theater 3000, with Perkins portrayed by Michael J. Nelson as a somewhat scatter-minded man prone to long, meandering, name-dropping rambles about nothing in particular, and who was later shown to be in love with Mr. B Natural (portrayed by Bridget Jones Nelson). Perkins has declared himself a fan of the show and his parody on it, even participating in an online drive to save the program during its first cancellation. [1]

He was similarly spoofed by Darrell Hammond on Saturday Night Live, who played Perkins as a sarcastic alcoholic while hosting Biography.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Jack Perkins official website
• Jack Perkins at the Internet Movie Database
• Jack Perkins at TV.com