Russell Morash (born February 11, 1936) is an American television producer and director. Morash's many television programs are produced through WGBH and airing on PBS.

Early life

Morash is a native of Lexington, Massachusetts. Morash's father was a builder.[1]

Education

In 1957, Morash graduated from the Boston University College of Fine Arts.[2]

Career

Morash started his entertainment career as a cameraman for Boston public-television station WGBH-TV.[3] In 1961, as a cameraman, Morash met Julia Child when she appeared on a WGBH program called I've Been Reading, while promoting her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Viewers flooded the station with calls and letters asking to see more. The French Chef premiered on WGBH in 1962 and then was distributed nationally by American Public Television.[4] Morash began directing The French Chef in 1963.[1][3][5] They worked together on other cooking shows for more than thirty years.[5]

Morash's theater-inspired directorial style, and the technology of the day, required that the staff and host — all collected in a makeshift studio cobbled together with equipment that had escaped a massive station fire — would shoot each episode in one take. It established an in-the-moment template for a new kind of public television show that Morash took with him to launch other series, such as This Old House and The Victory Garden.[6]

The Victory Garden and This Old House spinoff series The New Yankee Workshop were filmed in Morash's own backyard in Massachusetts.[5]

Filmography

  • 1955 MIT Science Reporter - Director, producer
  • 1962-1966 The French Chef - Director, producer

Personal life

Morash's wife is Marian Morash, a James Beard Award-winning chef who also appeared on Julia Child's cooking show, appeared on The Victory Garden and edited The Victory Garden Cookbook.[1] [7][2]

Portrayals

Fran Kranz plays Morash in the 2022 HBO Max series Julia with Sarah Lancashire.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "A DYI Legacy Interview with Famed Public Television Producer Russell Morash". newengland.com. December 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Russell and Marian Morash". newwookiee.com. March 15, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Klein, Michael. "New 'Julia' documentary shows Julia Child as a cultural trailblazer beyond food". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  4. ↑ "Create TV: Julia Child History". createtv.com. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  5. 1 2 3 "'This Old House' creator Russell Morash's visionary career". Los Angeles Times. 2019-06-22. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  6. ↑ "First 'French Chef' Director Russ Morash Remembers Julia Child". News. 2012-08-10. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  7. ↑ "Marian Morash | James Beard Foundation".
  8. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2021-01-14). "HBO Max Orders Julia Child Series 'Julia' Starring Sarah Lancashire & David Hyde Pierce". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
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