Harry Friedman

Harry Friedman (born November 12, 1946) is an American television industry executive. He was the executive producer of the syndicated game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune from 1999 to 2020. Initially he shared the title of executive producer with the shows' creator, Merv Griffin, but from Griffin's 2000 retirement until his own 2020 retirement, he served as their sole executive producer.

Friedman has produced a combined total of more than 5,500 episodes of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

In September 2021, it was reported Friedman will be executive producer for a proposed NBC revival of the game show Tic Tac Dough with Tom Bergeron as host. The show, however, was not picked up.

On April 28, 2022, it was confirmed Friedman will be the executive producer for the second season of another NBC game show revival, Capital One College Bowl, which ran until October 28, 2022.

Life and career Friedman was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He developed an early fascination with television programming and personalities, including Johnny Carson when he was a young local celebrity. Long before the conception of student internships, Friedman began working for Omaha's first television stations, doing whatever work management permitted. He attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

In 1971, Friedman moved to Los Angeles, and without contacts he gave himself six months to find a job in the business. With less than 24 hours remaining on his self-imposed deadline, Friedman became a part-time question writer on the TV game show The Hollywood Squares, and continued with that show for eleven years, writing and producing thousands of episodes for three different versions of the show. He was also involved in the development of such other programs as Gambit and High Rollers. During his tenure with the show, Friedman attempted to keep the show's gameplay fresh and exciting with many new additions to the rules. The new gameplay elements and rule modifications that were introduced to Wheel during Friedman's tenure, in chronological order based on their times of introduction, include the progressive cash jackpot wedge (in 1996), Toss-Up puzzles (in 2000), the increase of the bonus round's top value from its previous $25,000 to $100,000 (in 2001), the replacement of said round's former "W-H-E-E-L" prize envelope holder with the current Bonus Wheel (also in 2001), the Mystery wedges (in 2002), the Prize Puzzle (in 2003), the Wild Card (in 2006), localizing the million dollar wedge from the Australian version into the U.S. (in 2008), the replacement of the long-standing Free Spin token with the Free Play wedge (in 2009), the ½ Car tags (in 2011), and most recently, retiring the jackpot wedge in favor of the new Express wedge (in 2013).

Friedman was responsible for many of Wheel'''s digital extensions, including the launch of the show's official website, and the development of video games based on the show for Sony's PlayStation consoles and Nintendo's Wii. He also conceived adaptations of the show for the iPhone, the iPad, and other electronic devices.

A major technological advancement initiated by Friedman was the introduction of a new, highly sophisticated set in 2003. This set incorporates an LED and glass light extension, as well as a modernized puzzle board first introduced in 1997 with LCD screens that can be touched by the hostess (Vanna White throughout Friedman's tenure) to make letters appear.

The show's "Wheel Watchers Club", the first-ever, long-term, online viewer loyalty program in television history (now totaling over 5.7 million members

The Clue Crew from 2019 to 2022 consisted of Sarah Whitcomb Foss and Jimmy McGuire, both original members of the team. In the past, they also included Kelly Miyahara (from 2005 to 2019), Sofia Lidskog (from 2001 to 2004), Cheryl Farrell (from 2001 to 2008), and Jon Cannon (from 2005 to 2009). When shows are filmed, Foss serves as the show's in-studio announcer for early sessions, while McGuire is the host of practice games.

The Clue Crew was disbanded at the end of the show's 38th season after Foss and McGuire became, respectively, a producer and a stage manager for the show.

Internet Friedman played a very active role in the show's official website, which receives over 400,000 visitors per month.

Pyramid Friedman was the executive consultant for the 2002–04 version of Pyramid, which by that time was property of Sony Pictures Television.

Other work Friedman produced the 1993–1994 game show Caesars Challenge for Rick Rosner and Stephen J. Cannell's production companies. His other writing and producing credits include network primetime specials such as American Yearbook for CBS, documentaries such as Nova on PBS, and home video. He has also worked over the years with such other television production companies as FOX, Dick Clark Productions, Buena Vista Television, ABC, Orion Television, Laurel Entertainment, Vin Di Bona Productions, A&E Network, Krofft Productions, and Four Star Productions.

Friedman is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was succeeded by Mike Richards. The origins of his retirement plans began when he was hospitalized in April 2018 for 30 days for a series of three abdominal surgeries, which were life-threatening episodes, in which he made a full recovery.

NBC Projects In 2021, NBCUniversal appointed Friedman to be the executive producer for a proposed revival of the game show Tic Tac Dough with Tom Bergeron as host, and in April 2022, was named executive producer for the second season of NBC's Capital One College Bowl revival.

Personal life Friedman lives in Los Angeles with his wife Judy (married since 1973), and they have two daughters, Amy (married to Dax Shelby) and Leslie (a personal trainer living in Denver), and one granddaughter, Ayla Marin Shelby. In January 2007, the National Association of Television Program Executives honored him with its prestigious "Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award", and, in October of that same year, Broadcasting & Cable inducted him into its Hall of Fame.

On September 29, 2022, Friedman was inducted into the inaugural class of the Jeopardy! Hall of Fame at the 1st Jeopardy! Honors'' event.