Legendary TV comedy performers Ted Danson and Jean Smart, irreverent South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, current Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, former HBO Documentary Films chief Sheila Nevins and the late 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley will be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, the organization announced Tuesday.
The seven, who constitute the 28th class of inductees since the establishment of the Hall of Fame in 1984, will be feted at a ceremony on the opening night of Televerse, the Television Academy’s official festival, on Thursday, Aug. 13.
The prior 27 classes of inductees have included some 180 individuals, groups or shows who/that “have made outstanding contributions in the arts, sciences or management of television over a lifetime career or via singular achievements.” Among them: Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Norman Lear, Edward R. Murrow, Rod Serling, Sid Caesar, Carol Burnett, Walter Cronkite, Mary Tyler Moore, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Jim Henson, Jack Benny, Ted Turner, Dick Clark, Oprah Winfrey, Howard Cosell, Bill Moyers, Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, Aaron Spelling, Carl Reiner, Fred Rogers, Lorne Michaels, Katie Couric, Regis Philbin, James Burrows, William Shatner, Merv Griffin, Dick Wolf, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Joan Rivers, Shonda Rhimes, Ken Burns and Henry Winkler.
“These visionary performers, creators, executives and storytellers have made a profound and enduring impact on the television industry,” Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy, said in a statement. “Through their innovation, talent and dedication to their craft, they have helped transform and enrich the medium, influencing generations of audiences and professionals alike. We are proud to induct these distinguished individuals into the Hall of Fame and celebrate their extraordinary contributions to the growth and advancement of television.”
This year’s Hall of Fame selection committee was chaired by Rick Rosen, WME co-founder and head of television, and also included Karey Burke, president, 20th Television; Marcy Carsey, Emmy Award-winning producer; Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman, Universal Studio Group; Peter Roth, former chairman and CEO, Warner Bros., and former president, Fox; and Nina Tassler, former CBS Entertainment chairperson and producer.
“Each of these seven honorees has made an extraordinary contribution to television through their creativity, leadership and dedication to the craft,” Rosen said. “Their work has left a lasting impact on the industry, and the Television Academy is honored to celebrate their achievements and the legacy they continue to build.”
The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported that this year’s Televerse, which will run Aug. 14-16 at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live, will also feature reunions of the casts of the beloved ABC drama series Revenge (2011-2015) and My So-Called Life (2004-2005), among other programming.
Details bios of this year’s Television Academy Hall of Fame inductees, provided by the organization, follow.
Ed Bradley (posthumous)
Ed Bradley was among the first black journalists to make a name for himself on national television. He is one of the most recognized journalists in America, and his name is synonymous with the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes where he showcased his immense talent. Bradley spent nearly his entire 39-year career with CBS News, which began with a position at WCBS radio in New York. He then served as CBS News’ White House correspondent, anchor of the CBS Sunday Night News, and a principal correspondent for CBS Reports before joining 60 Minutes. He received 20 Emmys over the course of his career along with the George Foster Peabody Award, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and Overseas Press Club Award. Bradley died in 2006 at the age of 65 of complications from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Ted Danson
Ted Danson is an Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning actor known for an array of exceptional performances, most memorably for his portrayal of Boston bartender Sam Malone on NBC’s multi-award-winning, iconic comedy Cheers, which ran for 11 seasons and won three Emmys as Best Comedy Series. Most recently, Danson has starred in the Netflix comedy series, A Man on the Inside and has played himself in the quintessential comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, which recently concluded its 12th and final season on HBO. Danson also starred in the acclaimed NBC comedy The Good Place for which he was nominated for his 14th Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor and received a Critics Choice Award for his role as “Michael.” In addition to acting and producing, Danson is an environmental activist, co-founding the American Oceans Campaign in 1987, which merged with Oceana in 2001, and shows citizens how they can participate in protecting and restoring marine resources.
Sheila Nevins
Sheila Nevins is a prolific American television producer and one of the most influential people in documentary filmmaking. In her remarkable career, she was both president of HBO Documentary Films and head of MTV Documentary Films division for MTV Entertainment Studios. During more than three decades with HBO, Nevins produced more than 1,500 documentaries, including Spike Lee’s Hurricane Katrina, If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise, For Neda, Baghdad ER, Section 60 Arlington National Cemetery and To Die in Jerusalem. She has worked on productions that have been recognized with 36 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, 44 Peabody Awards, and 27 Academy Awards. Nevins has won 32 individual Primetime Emmy Awards, more than any other person. In 2000 Nevins was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and in 2009 she was selected for the Television Academy’s Governors Award in recognition of her contribution to the industry.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are animators, writers, producers, directors and songwriters best known for co-creating the animated series South Park and the musical The Book of Mormon. South Park, which has garnered 18 Emmy nominations and five wins for Outstanding Animated Program, is currently preparing for its 29th season. Since its 1997 debut, the Comedy Central series has remained a dominant force in both viewership and cultural relevance. Alongside award-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez, they developed the hit Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, which premiered in 2011 and celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. It is now the tenth longest-running show in Broadway history with nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Ted Sarandos
Ted Sarandos was named co-CEO of Netflix in July 2020. He has been responsible for all content operations since 2000 and has led the company’s transition into original content production beginning in 2013 with the launch of the series House of Cards, Arrested Development and Orange Is the New Black, among numerous others. Sarandos was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2013 and 2025 and received the Producers Guild of America Milestone Award in 2019. He is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute; a trustee of the American Film Institute and the Paley Center for Media; and on the boards of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Exploring the Arts and Spotify. Sarandos was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) from King Charles in 2024 for extraordinary service to the creative industries in the United Kingdom.
Jean Smart
Jean Smart is a celebrated actress who can currently be seen in Hacks on HBO Max. She has won seven Emmy Awards and is one of only two actors to have earned the award in the comedy lead, supporting and guest categories. She has also received three Actor Awards (SAG-AFTRA), three Golden Globes, a Tony nomination, six Critics Choice Awards and a Grammy nomination. Her television credits include Mare of Easttown, Watchmen and Fargo. Smart received a 2026 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Call Me Izzy on Broadwayand earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Her Off-Broadway credits include Fit to Be Tied, The End of the Day and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove for which she received a Drama Desk nomination and won an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award. Select film credits include Babylon, The Accountant, Garden State, Sweet Home Alabama, A Simple Favor and Guinevere (for which she received an Independent Spirit Award).
