Herbie J Pilato

As a writer, producer, actor/performer, and TV personality, Herbie J Pilato loves all things nostalgic, particularly anything having to do with classic television programming.

​

Herbie J (no “period” after the “J”) began his career in the 1980s as an NBC Page at the network’s facility in Burbank, CA. He went on to bit roles on daytime soaps like “General Hospital” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” as well as nighttime fare such as “Highway to Heaven,” and “The Golden Girls.” For a time, he was a stand-in dancer on TV’s music-variety series, “Solid Gold,” and acted and sang in clubs along the Sunset Strip.

​

By the early ’90s, Herbie J switched gears to writing, with the publication of The “Bewitched” Book, about the classic 1960s TV series. From there, he published other classic TV literary companions and began producing and appearing on classic TV documentaries for Bravo, A&E, and TLC, among others. He also consulted on and appeared in some DVD and Blu-ray packages of classic TV shows for Sony, Warner Bros., and NBCUniversal.

​

In 2013, Herbie J established the Classic TV Preservation Society (CTVPS), a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that celebrates and advocates for the positive social effect of classic TV shows.

​

In 2019, Herbie J hosted, co-created, and co-executive-produced his TV talk show, Then Again with Herbie J Pilato, which began streaming on Shout! TV and Amazon Prime.

​

In October 2022, the Reelz Channel aired his documentary, Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitched Life, for which he served with AMS Pictures as a co-executive producer, co-director, and co-writer. He also was the primary on-screen cultural commentator for this production.

​

In December of 2022, Herbie J published The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas: A Treasure House of December Memories Revealed, a holiday memoir of his youth growing up in his hometown of Rochester, NY during the 1960s and ’70s. Featuring a Foreword by TV icon Dean Butler, of “Little House on the Prairie,” and an Introduction by actor/voiceover star Jerry Houser (“The Summer of ‘42”), The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas universalizes the messages of kindness and unity for all cultures.

​

In early 2023, Herbie J published Retro Active Television: An In-Depth Perspective of Classic TV’s Social Circuitry, which explores the positive impact of classic TV. That year, the Los Angeles Book Festival named Retro “Book of the Year,” and subsequently, Herbie J, “Author of the Year.” With a Foreword by actor Eric Scott, of “The Waltons,” Retro Active Television has received additional high praise, including endorsements from those such as Marc Wade of the Television Academy, and Emmys.com.

​

In his blurb on the back cover of the Retro guide, Wade says the book “connects the dots between the medium’s origins and milestones, between the past and the present…and how we can utilize it productively for the future.”

In the fall of 2023, Herbie J had two new books published: Connery, Sean Connery: Before, During and After His Most Famous Role, a biography of the Oscar-winning star, and a “Special Commemorative Edition” of The Bionic Book: The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman Reconstructed.

​

The Connery biography features a Foreword by actress Barbara Carrera, Connery’s co-star from “Never Say Never Again,” his final film bow as James Bond 007 — and which this year celebrated its 40th Anniversary. The book was also released on the 60th Anniversary of “From Russia With Love,” which was Connery’s favorite of his Bond movies.

The new edition of The Bionic Book was released in tandem with the 50th Anniversary of “The Six Million Dollar Man’s” debut (and features exclusive commentary from Bionic stars Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner).

​

Additionally, 2023 saw the audiobook release of Herbie J’s Retro book, along with his celebrity biographies, Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story, and Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery. While, too, his Connery, Sean Connery biography also became available in audiobook form.

​

In other news for 2023, Closer Magazine featured Herbie J’s Sean Connery biography and his commentary in their October 9, 2023 issue; ReMind Magazine published his "Bewitched" cover story in their October 2023 issue.

​

In its March 2024 issue, Retro Fan Magazine published his Magical Memories of Elizabeth Montgomery for a “Bewitched” 60th Anniversary Celebration cover story.

 

In the spring 2024 issue, Retro Fan Magazine published his cover story tribute to The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman.

 

Next, Retro Fan Magazine will publish Herbie J’s cover story tribute to CHiPs, the classic TV series starring Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox.

 

Also in the fall, September 16, 2024, to be exact, the University Press of Mississippi will publish One Tough Dame: The Life and Career of Diana Rigg, Herbie J’s biography of the 1960s TV female icon. Rupert Macnee, son of Patrick Macnee (Rigg’s former TV Avengers co-star) has written the Foreword, while Avengers director Ray Austin has penned the Introduction.

 

One month later, in October 2024, Applause Books will publish Herbie J’s Christmas TV Memories: Nostalgic Favorites of the Small Screen, for which Marlo Thomas has written the Foreword.

 

In addition to all of this, Herbie J is now returning to acting.

 

To keep up with Herbie J's life and career subscribe to The Latest From Herbie J Pilato.

 

For any questions or more information, click the CONTACT page.