Brandon Tartikoff

Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 – August 27, 1997) was an American television executive who served as the president of NBC from 1981 to 1991. During his tenure, he successfully revived NBC's prime time lineup with hit series such as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Law & Order, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, The Golden Girls, Wings, Miami Vice, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, St. Elsewhere, and Night Court. Tartikoff also contributed to the development of popular shows like Punky Brewster, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Beggars and Choosers. He was born in Freeport, New York, and graduated from Lawrenceville School and Yale University, where he was involved in The Yale Record humor magazine.