Título: Ernie Kovacs
Seção: TV specials
Background: Ernest Edward "Ernie" Kovacs (January 23, 1919 - January 13, 1962) was an American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years after his death. Many individuals and shows, such as Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Saturday Night Live, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Jim Henson, Max Headroom, Chevy Chase, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Captain Kangaroo, Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Dave Garroway, Uncle Floyd, and many others have credited Kovacs as an influence. Chevy Chase thanked Kovacs during his acceptance speech for his Emmy award for Saturday Night Live.

Conteúdo: He also did several television specials, including the famous Silent Show (1957), featuring his character, Eugene, the first all-pantomime prime-time network program. After the end of the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis partnership, NBC offered Lewis the opportunity to host his own 90-minute color television special. Lewis opted to use only 60 minutes, leaving the network 30 minutes to fill; no one wanted this time slot, but Kovacs was willing to have it. The program contained no spoken dialogue and contained only sound effects and music. Featuring Kovacs as the mute, Charlie Chaplin-like character "Eugene", the program contained surreal sight gags. Kovacs developed the Eugene character during the autumn of 1956 when hosting the television series The Tonight Show. Expectations were high for the Lewis program, but it was Kovacs's special that received the most attention; Kovacs received his first movie offer, had a cover story in Life magazine, and received the Sylvania Award that year. In 1961, Kovacs and his co-director, Joe Behar, were recipients of the Directors Guild of America Award for a second version of this program broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company network.  A series of monthly half-hour specials for ABC during 1961-62 is often considered his best television work. Produced on videotape using new editing and special effects techniques, it won a 1962 Emmy Award. Kovacs and co-director Behar also won the Directors Guild of America award for an Ernie Kovacs Special 

user: What tv specials was he on?

assistant: the famous Silent Show (

user: What did he do next?

assistant: Featuring Kovacs as the mute, Charlie Chaplin-like character "Eugene", the program

user: What happened with the Eugene character?

assistant: Kovacs developed the Eugene character during the autumn of 1956

user: What was going on with the show?

assistant: Kovacs's special that received the most attention;

user: What resulted from the popular show?

assistant: Kovacs received his first movie offer,

user: What movie offer did he get?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What did he go on to do next?

assistant: had a cover story in Life magazine,

user: What else happened to him?

assistant: received the Sylvania Award

user: Did he get any other awards at this time?

assistant: recipients of the Directors Guild of America Award

user: What specials was he in after this?

assistant: A series of monthly half-hour specials for ABC during