Dynamo who coined the phrase ‘Must See TV’ and famously fired Norm Macdonald from Saturday Night Live for too many off-color OJ Simpson jokes dies aged 72
- Don Ohlmeyer first worked at ABC Sports where he produced Monday Night Football and directed the network’s Olympic coverage
- In 1977, he moved to NBC Sports and executive produced World Series and Super Bowl broadcasts
- Ohlmeyer came up with the phrase ‘Must See TV’ and boosted NBC to Number One in primetime with a line up including Seinfeld and Friends
- It is suspected that Norm Macdonald was fired from Saturday Night Live in 1998, for telling jokes about Ohlmeyer’s OJ Simpson
Don Ohlmeyer, the the NBC exec and former Monday Night Football producer who coined the phrase ‘Must See TV’, died Sunday at age 72.
‘It is with heavy hearts we share that Don Ohlmeyer, our beloved husband, father and grandfather, has passed away at age of 72 due to cancer,’ Ohlmeyer’s family said in a statement.
‘Surrounded by loved ones, he died peacefully at his home in Indian Wells.’
Ohlmeyer was known for being a tough boss but his competitive nature led NBC out of the ratings basement the network was in during the early 1990s.
He also famously fired Norm Macdonald from Saturday Night Live after the comedian made too many jokes about Ohlmeyer’s friend OJ Simpson during his trial.
Ohlmeyer first worked for ABC Sports producing Monday Night Football and directing the network’s Olympic coverage before moving to NBC in 1977.
Longtime friend Al Michaels announced Ohlmeyer’s death while broadcasting NBC’s Sunday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
‘Don [was] the original producer of Monday Night Football. He made NBC an entertainment powerhouse in the ’80s and ’90s…he was truly special and one of a kind,’ Michael said.
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