Sadly, a TV veteran who was best known for Two and a Half Men has p@ssed away.
Today, the entertainment world is grieving the de@th of a true giant. Tributes are coming in for a man whose work changed television humour for decades.
According to De@dline, coworkers remember him as “a legend in the TV business” and “such an amazing agent and teacher to us all.”
Ted Chervin, a longtime friend, told the New York Post that he raised the bar for what it takes to be an agent.
He worked at a level of authority, intelligence, and intricacy that really transformed the game. The way he talked to other people in the neighbourhood made him seem like a real statesman.
Director James Burrows, who was guided by this industry giant throughout his career, said goodbye with tears in his eyes: “I can’t believe I won’t be able to call him anymore.” I will miss you, my friend.
Rick Rosen of WME said he was “a mentor to me and a huge influence on my career,” while Jay Sures of UTA said he was “the fiercest competitor one can ever imagine.”
Bob Broder, the famed television agent who put together some of the most popular shows in history, such Two and a Half Men, Cheers, Frasier, The X-Files, and The Big Bang Theory, was the man behind these touching tributes.
Broder worked in television for 50 years and transformed the way the industry works in a big way.
In 1978, he helped start The Broder Kurland Agency, which eventually changed its name to Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann. This small agency represented some of the biggest names in television and did a lot of business.
ICM later bought the agency, and Broder was a significant player in the management buyout that turned ICM Partners into an agent-owned organisation.
Broder is known as one of “the real fathers of TV packaging.” He helped change the way shows are sold financially.
His packaged series was like a collection of the best TV comedies and dramas, such as Modern Family, The King of Queens, Dharma & Greg, and Touched By An Angel.
Cheers is probably the show that is most strongly linked to Broder.
He was so devoted to the show that he got a cameo in the series finale as the man who knocks on the pub door in the last few seconds of the episode.
Broder had an impact that went beyond the many clients he worked with. He was a mentor to many young agents throughout the years, running ICM’s TV agent training program and spending a lot of time helping assistants and coordinators.
When he left ICM in 2012, agency colleagues gave him two standing ovations, which showed how much they respected and cared about him.
People called him “Darth Broder” because he was so forthright with his coworkers, but those who knew him best could see past his gruff demeanour to his kind heart.
Chris Silbermann, who used to be his partner, remarked, “He was there for you through everything if he cared about you and believed in you.”
Broder d!ed on Rosh Hashanah, which marks the start of the Jewish New Year. In Jewish culture, someone who d!es on this holy day is seen as a tzaddik, which means they are a very good person. This is a suitable tribute to a guy who made everyone around him better.
He d!ed on Tuesday, September 23, at the age of 85, after a long fight with cancer and with his family by his side.
He leaves behind his wife Cindy, daughter Julie, son Greg, and a large family that includes all the people whose lives he changed during his amazing career.