David Hartman (TV personality)

Last updated
David Hartman
David Hartman at the Society of Experimental Test Pilots Oct 5, 2002.jpg
Hartman at the Society of Experimental Test Pilots banquet in 2002
Born
David Downs Hartman

(1935-05-19) May 19, 1935 (age 88)
Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor
Broadcaster
Years active1964–present
Spouse(s)Maureen Downey (1974–1997) (her death)
Mary Clark Putman (2001–present)

David Downs Hartman (born May 19, 1935) is an American journalist and media host who began his media career as an actor. He currently anchors and hosts documentary programs on History and PBS. Hartman is best known as the first host of ABC's Good Morning America , from 1975 to 1987. As an actor, he starred in the 1970s as a young resident, Dr. Paul Hunter, on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors and as a teacher in the series Lucas Tanner . He acted in the 1973 TV movie remake of Miracle on 34th Street .

Contents

Early life

Hartman was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the son of Fannie Rodman (Downs) and Cyril Baldwin Hartman. [1] He is of part German descent. Hartman attended Mount Hermon School (now Northfield Mount Hermon) and was geared toward professional baseball in high school. However, he turned down a baseball scholarship to attend Duke University, where he majored in economics and became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. After college, he served three years of active duty as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, Strategic Air Command. He was a supply officer at Dow AFB in Bangor, Maine, and acted in local musicals there, including Oklahoma!, in the role of Curly. David spent the summer of 1960 at the Surflight Summer Theatre in Beach Haven, New Jersey, and had lead roles in Mister Roberts , South Pacific , and Kismet .

Acting career (1964–1975)

Hartman appeared in two Broadway shows; the original Hello, Dolly! in 1964, and The Yearling (1965). After working in films such as the Doris Day comedy The Ballad of Josie (1967), Nobody's Perfect (1968), and Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968) with Phyllis Diller, he refocused on television. He appeared in The Virginian in 1969 and won attention as a dedicated doctor on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors , earning a nomination for a Golden Globe award. Hartman played a lead role alongside Hal Linden in the industrial musical Diesel Dazzle (1966). [2]

Hartman also appeared as the character David Sutton in more than two dozen episodes of the television series The Virginian and guest-starred on several other popular TV series such as Marcus Welby, M.D. ; The Name of the Game ; Ironside ; and The Carol Burnett Show. In 1970, Hartman appeared in the made-for-TV pilot film for San Francisco International as an embittered pilot whose wife was held hostage by criminals. In 1973 he starred in Miracle on 34th Street , a TV remake of the holiday classic, along with Jane Alexander and Sebastian Cabot. The next year he starred in the Disney movie The Island at the Top of the World as an archaeology professor.

On the 1974-75 NBC series Lucas Tanner , Hartman played a retired baseball player turned unconventional high-school teacher. The cancellation of this series marked the end of his acting career.

News and broadcasting career (1975–present)

On November 3, 1975, Hartman became the original male co-host of ABC's renamed morning news show, Good Morning America (1975–1987). During his 11 years as a co-host, GMA would often be the highest-rated morning news program on network television. Although Hartman did not have a journalism background, he professionally conducted more than 12,000 interviews during his time on the show. [3]

Hartman usually closed each Good Morning America broadcast with the same benediction: "Make it a good day today." [4] In a statement that Hartman prepared for the 30th anniversary GMA broadcast in 2005, he explained, "My daily sign-off line, 'Make it a good day today,' reflected 'GMA's' values and the belief that each of us can affect our lives in a positive way, that our program was, we hoped, a public service." [5]

Hartman has been an anchor and host of a series of documentaries on the Discovery Channel and PBS member station WNET in New York City. Produced by James Nicoloro, the PBS documentaries are a series of "Walk Through" documentaries about various communities around New York City, which include A Walk Down 42nd Street (August 1998), A Walk Up Broadway (March 1999), A Walk Through Harlem (December 1999), [6] A Walk Around Brooklyn with David Hartman and Historian Barry Lewis (2000), [7] A Walk Through Greenwich Village (2001), A Walk Through Central Park (2001), A Walk Through Newark (2002), [8] A Walk Through Hoboken (2003), [9] A Walk Through Queens (2004), [10] A Walk Through the Bronx (2005), [11] and A Walk Around Staten Island (2007). [12]

In North Carolina, Hartman is also heard on North Carolina Public Radio and WCPE-FM as host of the North Carolina Symphony radio broadcasts. For the television documentaries he has done, Hartman would win several Emmy and journalist awards.

Hartman was the 2017 recipient of the National Association of Broadcasters Distinguished Service Award. [13]

Personal life

Hartman was married to Maureen Downey from 1974 until her death on September 17, 1997. In 2001, he married Mary Clark Putman, a widowed homemaker. [14] He has four children from his first marriage.

Filmography

Films
TitleRoleDirectorYearNotes #
The Ballad of Josie Sheriff Fonse Pruitt Andrew V. McLaglen 1967Theatrical release
Nobody's Perfect Boats McCafferty Alan Rafkin 1968Theatrical release
Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? Constable Don Weis 1968Theatrical release
The Virginian (TV series) David Sutton Charles S. Dubin 19681968-1969 complete saison 7 (26 episodes)
The Feminist and the Fuzz Officer Jerry Frazer Jerry Paris 1971Made for television
I Love a Mystery Doc Long Leslie Stevens 1973Made for television; filmed in 1966, shelved until 1973
You'll Never See Me AgainNed Bilss Jeannot Szwarc 1973Made for television
Miracle on 34th Street Bill Schaffner Fielder Cook 1973Made for television
The Island at the Top of the World Prof. Ivarsson Robert Stevenson 1974Theatrical release

[15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Masterpiece</i> (TV series) Drama anthology television series

Masterpiece is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these are produced by the BBC, but the line-up has also included programs shown on the UK commercial channels ITV and Channel 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Waterston</span> American actor (born 1940)

Samuel Atkinson Waterston is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television, and film. He has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a BAFTA Award. His acting career has spanned over five decades acting on stage and screen. Waterston received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2012.

WNET, branded on-air as "Thirteen", is a primary PBS member television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area. Owned by The WNET Group, it is a sister station to the area's secondary PBS member, Garden City, New York–licensed WLIW, and two class A stations which share spectrum with WNET: WNDT-CD and WMBQ-CD ; through an outsourcing agreement, The WNET Group also operates New Jersey's PBS state network NJ PBS and the website NJ Spotlight.

<i>Good Morning America</i> American morning news television show

Good Morning America is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. The Sunday edition was canceled in 1999; weekend editions returned on both Saturdays and Sundays on September 4, 2004. The weekday and Saturday programs airs from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in all United States timezones. The Sunday editions are an hour long and are transmitted to ABC's stations live at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, although stations in some media markets air them at different times. Viewers in the Pacific Time Zone receive an updated feed with a specialized opening and updated live reports. A third hour of the weekday broadcast aired from 2007 to 2008, exclusively on ABC News Now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lara Spencer</span> American television journalist

Lara Christine Von Seelen is an American television presenter. She is best known for being the co-anchor for ABC's Good Morning America. She is also a correspondent for Nightline and ABC News. She was the host of the syndicated entertainment newsmagazine The Insider from 2004 to 2011 and was a regular contributor to CBS's The Early Show. She was the national correspondent for Good Morning America and spent several years as a lifestyle reporter for WABC-TV. She hosted Antiques Roadshow on PBS for the 2004 and 2005 seasons and Antiques Roadshow FYI, a spin-off of Antiques Roadshow, during 2005. She hosts the show Flea Market Flip on both HGTV and the Great American Country channel. In April 2018, she announced she would be only appearing on GMA three days a week to focus on her television producing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Lunden</span> American television journalist

Joan Lunden is an American journalist, an author, and a television host. Lunden was the co-host of ABC's Good Morning America from 1980 to 1997, and has authored over ten books. She has appeared on the Biography program and Biography Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KERA-TV</span> PBS member station in Dallas

KERA-TV is a PBS member television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. Owned by North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc., it is sister to NPR member station KERA, adult album alternative station KKXT, and classical music station WRR. The stations share studios on Harry Hines Boulevard, while KERA-TV's transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Roberts (newscaster)</span> American television broadcaster (born 1960)

Robin Roberts is an American television broadcaster. Roberts is the anchor of ABC's Good Morning America.

Stephen Robert Hartman is an American broadcast journalist. Hartman earned a degree in broadcast journalism at Bowling Green State University, graduating in 1985. Hartman lives with his wife, Andrea, and their three children in Catskill, New York. One of his children has autism. Hartman is an Eagle Scout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles O'Brien (journalist)</span> American science journalist

Miles O'Brien is an independent American broadcast news journalist specializing in science, technology, and aerospace who has been serving as national science correspondent for PBS NewsHour since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Feinstein</span> American musician

Michael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist and music revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs. Feinstein is also a multi-platinum-selling, five-time Grammy-nominated recording artist. He currently serves as Artistic Director for The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.

<i>Independent Lens</i> Television documentary film series (began 1999)

Independent Lens is a weekly television series airing on PBS featuring documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens were hosted by Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, America Ferrera, Mary-Louise Parker, and Stanley Tucci, who served two stints as host from 2012-2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITVS</span>

ITVS is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries on public television through distribution by PBS, American Public Television and NETA, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly series Independent Lens on PBS. Aside from Independent Lens, ITVS funded and produced films for more than 40 television hours per year on the PBS series POV, Frontline, American Masters and American Experience. Some ITVS programs are produced along with organizations like Latino Public Broadcasting and KQED.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Agoncillo</span> Filipino actor, model and singer

Kristoffer Lou Gonzales "Ryan" Agoncillo is a Filipino actor, model, host, musician, and photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juju Chang</span> American television journalist

Hyunju "Juju" Chang is an American television journalist for ABC News, and currently serves as an anchor of Nightline. She previously served as a special correspondent and fill-in anchor for Nightline, and was also the news anchor for ABC News' morning news program Good Morning America from 2009 to 2011.

<i>This American Life</i> (TV series) American television series

This American Life is an American television series based on the radio program of the same name. Like the radio program, the series is hosted by Ira Glass. The series premiered on March 22, 2007. Two seasons of the show have aired on Showtime. The second season finale aired on September 3, 2008, and Showtime aired one final episode in May 2009.

<i>Nature</i> (TV program) American TV series or program

Nature is a wildlife television program produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. It has been distributed to United States public television stations by the PBS television service since its debut on October 10, 1982. Some episodes may appear in syndication on many PBS member stations around the United States and Canada, and on the Discovery Channel. This series currently airs on Wednesday on PBS.

Jose R. Taruc III is a Filipino journalist and former television news reporter and presenter for GMA Network. Together with Jessica Soho, he won a George Foster Peabody award for his documentary produced for Brigada Siete. In 2019, he moved to One News on airing his program Ride PH.

Barry Stephen Lewis was an architectural historian, author, educator, New York City tour guide, and television show host.

References

  1. ↑ "Hartman, David D. 1935– | Encyclopedia.com".
  2. ↑ "David Hartman Discography : CastAlbums.org". castalbums.org. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  3. ↑ "40 Years Later, David Hartman on the Birth of 'Good Morning America'".
  4. ↑ BBC-TV "Breakfast Time," January 17, 1983 (premiere broadcast, greetings from David Hartman and Joan Lunden).
  5. ↑ 'GMA' Family Members Reminisce, Nov. 3, 2005, ABCNews.go.com.
  6. ↑ "A Walk Through Harlem". thirteen.org. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  7. ↑ "A Walk Around Brooklyn". thirteen.org. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  8. ↑ "A Walk Through Newark". thirteen.org. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  9. ↑ "A Walk Through Hoboken". thirteen.org. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  10. ↑ "A Walk Through Queens". thirteen.org. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  11. ↑ "A Walk Through the Bronx". thirteen.org. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  12. ↑ "A Walk Around Staten Island". thirteen.org. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  13. ↑ Broadcasters, National Association of. "NAB Awards | Past Award Recipients". National Association of Broadcasters. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  14. ↑ "Where Are They Now? David Hartman". adweek.com. Retrieved 2014-10-03.
  15. ↑ IMDb - David Hartman (II), Filmography
Preceded by
Position inaugurated		 Good Morning America co-host
November 3, 1975–February 20, 1987
with Nancy Dussault from 1975 to 1977, with Sandy Hill from 1977 to 1980, and with Joan Lunden from 1980 to 1987		Succeeded by
Charles Gibson and Joan Lunden
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.