Ted Knight devoted years of his life to preparation for his role as the pompous little newscaster on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Knight humorously recounts a succession of radio and television jobs on local channels in New England.
He was Uncle Ted, Farmer Ted, Windy Knight. Milkman Ted and other cornball characters in and around Albany, Troy and Schenectady, N.Y. It was minor league work, but he came across a dozen prototypes of superego Ted Baxter.
Offscreen Ted Knight has little in common with his video character.
Knight moved to Southern California in 1957. For the past 14 years he has done voiceover commercials, cartoon voices and played small roles in motion pictures along with appearances on television.
His current job is the big time.
He has been married to his wife Dorothy, who also is a native of Connecticut, for 23 years. They are the parents of Ted Jr., 17; Elyse, 11; and Eric, 8. In turn, the children are the masters of a trio of Siamese cats: My Guy, Chopstick and San.
All live in a Spanish style home in the San Fernando Valley. They are a bit crowded with growing children in a threebedroom house. But there is a spacious yard and a large swimming pool.
In most respects the Knights are a typical suburban family, as far removed from the bright lights of Hollywood's social activities as if they'd never left New England.
Their closest friends are other members of the series.
Four days a week Ted drives to CBS Studio Center to rehearse the show. On Friday nights the episodes are taped before a live audience.
Otherwise Ted makes it home in time to have dinner with his family, a luxury enjoyed by few television series regulars.
On long summer evenings Ted often enjoys a game of basketball with his sons.
Ted Knight has probably one of the most unusual avocations among the film colony's performers-collecting ventriloqual memorabilia.
A sometimes ventriloquist, Ted entertains neighborhood children with his talent. He has an expensive figure-"never called dummy"-named Duncan. He is a smart alec child who tops Ted with quips and various conversational gambits.
Knight is surprisingly adept. He learned the art over the years on those small television stations and now collects books, magazines and other information relating to ventriloquism.
He has no plans for becoming a professional ventriloquist.
Ted once was a golfer but the combination of smog and slow play on Los Angeles links have made a beach enthusiast of him.
Currently Dorothy and Ted are househunting in Santa Monica. They want a home closer to the ocean and the cooler climate.
Almost the only time Ted can be seen wearing a necktie is on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. At home and at small parties he invariably wears sports clothes.
"When you move west," he says, "one of the benefits is throwing away your neckties."
[Unknown paper, Los Angeles area, summer, 1971]