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Perry Rosemond, CM, (born November 13) is a Canadian television writer, producer and director.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Career 2 Personal life 2.1 Teaching 3 Awards 3.1 Key Credits

[edit] Biography

Rosemond was born in Winnipeg where he began his fascination with the performing arts by acting in stage and radio productions as a teen. At age 18, he was a founding member of John Hirsch’s Manitoba Theatre Centre company. He went to Toronto in his early 20s to study television production at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.

[edit] Career

In addition to directing Royal Canadian Air Farce since the December 1992 Year of the Farce special, Rosemond is also the creator of Children of the World (CBC Television, PBS, United Nations), King of Kensington and Canadian Sesame Street (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). He has directed programs for all three U.S. networks, as well as for pay TV and syndication. Most recently, Rosemond was awarded the Order of Canada. He is currently directing the first season of worldwide children's series Artzooka.

In 1963 Rosemond became head of CBC Television’s school and pre-school departments, where he produced Through the Eyes of Tomorrow, a show that turned high school students into reporters and inspired many teens to go into journalism, and later created and produced Children of the World for CBC, PBS and the United Nations. It was a series on children of developing nations and was seen by a worldwide audience of 600 million. It won the Japan Prize as ‘Best Children’s Programming’, and remains one of Rosemond’s proudest achievements.

In 1964 he became executive producer of the landmark children’s show Mr. Dressup, that would run for thirty-five years, and when the CBC was allowed to alter the look of Sesame Street, Rosemond produced a Canadianized edition of the series that included segments reflecting bilingual Canada and adding First Nations Canadians to the show among many other changes.

In 1965 Rosemond collaborated with Elwy Yost to create original programming for M.E.T.A that was later to become TVOntario. In 1967 Rosemond directed profiles of Oscar Peterson, Arthur Hailey, Gordon Pinsent, Donald Sutherland, among others, for CBC Television’s Telescope series .

He was asked by John Hirsch to create a new comedy series for CBC Television and developed King of Kensington. Rosemond cast Al Waxman in the title role and chose Fiona Reid to play his wife. The series debuted in 1975 and ran for five seasons. It became part of Canadian television history. Rosemond's credits range from creating the long-running CBC sitcom King of Kensington to directing episodes of the US sitcom Good Times, including its pilot.

Rosemond has produced many hours of television awards shows and variety and music specials. He has masterminded the Juno Awards, Genie Awards, and the Molson Indy. He received an ACTRA Award nomination for A Gala Evening at Expo 86 with the Prince and Princess of Wales in the audience.

The most popular programme on Canadian television is Royal Canadian Air Farce and Rosemond has directed every episode since the series began in 1992. Every week he oversaw Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson and Luba Goy as they turn headlines and foibles in comedy.

He directed CBC Centennial Project on Youth, an ACTRA award-winning three-part documentary series. CBC Television Sunday night flagship public affairs series, The Way It Is. In 1988 he produced the opening special Olympics Arts Festival with Anne Murray and Oscar Peterson at the Calgary Olympics. CBC/Showtime special Mike MacDonald: My House, My Rules and A Tribute to Gilda Radner in aid of ovarian cancer research. He gave television debuts to many performers, including John Candy, Andrea Martin, Martin Short and Dave Thomas on CTV’s David Steinberg variety series.

From 1985-1990, as president of Molstar Production, Rosemond oversaw the production of Hockey Night in Canada and the midweek hockey telecasts.

Work in the US has included two PBS series, the award-winning Meeting of the Minds starring Steve Allen, and Free Style, a groundbreaking series on androgyny. He produced and directed the television version of the play Cold Storage with Martin Balsam and Len Cariou, and produced and directed many network specials with stars such as Steve Martin, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Richard Pryor, Bob Dylan and Dean Martin. And in 1979 he directed ABC’s Silver Anniversary Special featuring Julie Andrews and John Wayne among the participants.

[edit] Personal life

He lives in Toronto with his wife, Nora, and son, Calvin. His first son, Michael, is married and works as a lawyer.

[edit] Teaching

Rosemond has taught television production and performance skills at Humber College, University of Southern California and Brigham Young University.

[edit] Awards

1964 Ohio State Award for CBC youth program Cities and Their Challenge

1965 Ohio State Award for CBC youth program Exploring with Poetry

1966 United Arab Republic Silver Statue for CBC youth documentary Variety Village about Variety Club Centre for physically challenged children

1967 ACTRA Award for three-part CBC youth centennial series The Restless Years, Countdown to a Gold Medal, and Youth and the Arts

1968 Japan Prize for CBC series Children of the World

1976 ACTRA Award for CBC Television series King of Kensington

1981 George Foster Peabody Award and Critics Circle Award for PBS series Meeting of the Minds

1984 A.C.E Award for Global TV and PBS special presentation of Broadway play Cold Storage

1986 Gemini Award for CBC special The Juno Awards Gemini Award nomination for CBC Television special A Gala Evening at Expo '86

1987 Gemini Award for CBC special The Molson Indy

1997 A.C.E Award nomination for the CBC and the Entertainment Channel special presentation, The Mike MacDonald Special

1998 Gemini Award nomination for CBC Television series Royal Canadian Air Farce

2004 Order of Canada

(Dozens of shows Perry has worked on have won awards. The list above features only the awards specifically given to him)

[edit] Key Credits

King of Kensington, Steve Martin's Twilight Theatre, Dick Clark's Good Old Days, Pat Boone and Family, Dean Martin's Music Country, Fraggle Rock, Billy Crystal's Comedy Salute to Baseball, The ABC Silver Anniversary Show, The Richard Pryor Special, Good Times, The Donny and Marie Show, Maniac Mansion, A Tribute to Gilda Radner, Hockey Night in Canada and Royal Canadian Air Farce