Now, Fox News Channel is giving a new generation of viewers a chance to see it. His achievements in live television drama were particularly impressive, among them bringing Laurence Olivier to the small screen for the first time. But through all his years of producing and packaging shows, every week Susskind grabbed his trademark clipboard and headed to a New York studio where he cemented his reputation as the father of the topic-driven TV talk show. Although many of his most famous shows were with single interview subjects, Susskind was the first to bring multiple guests whether they were political journalists or call girls together on a set to have freewheeling discussions. It was a place where celebrities, public figures and regular civilians let their guard down and talked freely about themselves.
Today there is a tendency to create conflict to drive ratings instead of getting information.
David was never judgmental. It's a job, just like you're sitting here doing your job. It was also syndicated around the country during most of its run. That also referred to Susskind's reputation for publicly bashing the television business. It was something one didn't do back then, particularly when you were trying to sell the shows you were doing.