ete er ▁B urr ▁Till st rom , ▁later ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁TV ▁show ▁K uk la , ▁Fran ▁and ▁O ll ie . ▁When ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁finally ▁granted ▁permission ▁for ▁TV ▁stations ▁to ▁broadcast , ▁N BC ▁promoted ▁Sim pson ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁studio ▁stage ▁manager ▁and ▁director ▁of ▁mobile - unit ▁special ▁events . ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁every ▁show ▁that ▁was ▁produced ▁in ▁the ▁studio . ▁He ▁also ▁directed ▁sport ing ▁events ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁super v ise ▁the ▁film ▁operations . ▁Films ▁compr ised ▁one - third ▁of ▁broadcast ▁time ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁select ▁all ▁feature ▁films ▁shown ▁and ▁edit ▁them ▁to ▁fit ▁the ▁schedule . ▁His ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁took ▁off . ▁ ▁Sim pson ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁direct ▁hundreds ▁of ▁television ▁programs , ▁sport ing ▁events ▁and ▁broadcast s , ▁most ▁not ably , ▁W ide ▁W ide ▁World , ▁Arm strong ▁Circle ▁Theatre , ▁Campbell ' s ▁Sound stage , ▁Ford ▁Festival , ▁The ▁D anny ▁Thomas ▁Show , ▁The ▁Che v ro let ▁Tele - The atre , ▁and ▁Mary ▁Kay ▁and ▁Johnny , ▁the ▁first ▁sit com ▁broadcast ▁on ▁network ▁television ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁a ▁couple ▁was ▁shown ▁sharing ▁a ▁bed ▁and ▁a ▁pre gn ancy ▁on ▁TV . ▁He ▁directed ▁the ▁first - ever ▁broadcast ▁of ▁heavy weight ▁box ing , ▁baseball ▁and ▁horse ▁racing . ▁Other ▁cred its ▁include ▁such ▁tele vised ▁spect ac ular s ▁from