Richard S. Kline

Richard S. Kline is an American television producer and director whose most notable work was in game shows. He directed and produced programs for Barry & Enright Productions until 1984, after which he formed his own production company, Kline & Friends (not to be confused with the actor Richard Kline of Three's Company fame).

One of Richard S. Kline's early shows where he worked as a director was on Jack Barry's The Joker's Wild on CBS, starting in 1972. He also served as an associate producer, and did both jobs until the series ended in 1975.

After Jack Barry and Dan Enright revived their partnership, Kline was assigned to direct a new series for them called Break the Bank, which only lasted 15 weeks on ABC in the Spring of 1976 despite being the second-highest rated daytime game show for the '75-'76 season. However, Break the Bank went into syndication that Fall, but faded after one season.

Kline also directed syndicated revivals of both The Joker's Wild and Tic-Tac-Dough (the latter was originally revived for CBS' daytime schedule in the Summer of 1978 just before entering syndication that Fall), and a brand new B&E creation, Bullseye, in 1980, also in syndication. In 1984, he directed another new creation for B&E: Hot Potato, which ran 23 weeks on NBC.

Jack Barry died in May 1984, not too long after completing production of the 1983-84 season of Joker. Upon his death, Dan Enright immediately succeeded his longtime producing partner; he promptly started making many changes other staffers, including Kline, opposed, including the choice of Bill Cullen (of Hot Potato) as the successor to Barry on Joker, as opposed to fill-in host Jim Peck, who Barry had intended to succeed him permanently for the 1984-85 season. Not long after, Kline and some B&E staff members, including Jack Barry's two sons Jon C. and Douglas C. Barry, as well as composer Hal Hidey and set designer John C. Mula, left the company and formed Kline and Friends; producer Gary Cox also joined Kline briefly, but soon left to work for Reg Grundy Productions, while Ron Greenberg became an independent producer once again.

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