Pioneers of Television, produced by University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alum Steven J. Boettcher, ’82, and fellow graduate, co-producer and writer Michael J. Trinklein, ’82, premiered this month on PBS.

Nearly 100 stars from TV’s formative years brought their stories to PBS in a four-part documentary series titled “Pioneers of Television.” Each episode blends new interviews with archival clips, offering a fresh take on TV’s founding celebrities.

Boettcher and Trinklein had the opportunity to personally interview a wide range of TV greats, including Jay Leno, Mary Tyler Moore, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, Merv Griffin, Regis Philbin, Betty White, Phyllis Diller, Tim Conway and Jonathan Winters.

The series’ ratings were 50 percent higher than normal for PBS and the network has asked Boettcher and Trinklein to produce a second season of “Pioneers of Television.”