Jimmy Hirschfeld


Jimmy Hirschfeld is a television director and producer known for his work on Captain Kangaroo and Picture Pages.

Biography

In 1951, Hirschfeld took a job as a stagehand with WCAU-TV under Bill Bode where he eventually worked his way up Assistant Director. In 1954, he became a staff director and then producer and director for the "Shock Theater" which starred John Zacherle. Hirschfeld was also the director of numerous WCAU-TV documentaries and for shows produced by Gene London and Jane Norman's Pixanne telecasts. He directed various shows during his career including the Philadelphia segments of the CBS Thanksgiving Parade ; the annual Philadelphia Orchestra Concerts series and; NFL Football broadcasts for CBS from 1960 to 1980. In 1967, WCAU-TV named him Program Manager and Executive Producer; and in 1971, he was named Program Director. In 1973, he moved to New York City where he was the producer of CBS-TV's Captain Kangaroo. In 1978, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked for CBS-TV as the producer of the Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour. In 1979, he became the director of "Bill Cosby's Picturepages also for CBS-TV; and in 1981, he returned to Captain Kangaroo serving as Director and Executive Producer for CBS-TV and then PBS.
Hirschfeld has won 3 Emmy Awards for Captain Kangaroo ; and won the 1981 Gold Award at the International Film and TV Festival for "Picturepages." On November 22, 2013, he was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia's "Hall of Fame."

Personal life

Hirschfeld was married to Janet Susan Rubner at Rodeph Shalom Synagogue in Philadelphia; their daughter is CNN political analyst Julie Hirschfeld Davis. His wife died in 1998.