Alistair Cooke, 95

Alistair Cooke, British journalist and host of television's Masterpiece Theatre, died Tuesday at his Manhattan home. He was 95.

As the host of Masterpiece Theatre from 1971 to 1992, Cooke delivered informative introductions for British imports such as Upstairs, Downstairs and I, Claudius on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre.

Across the Atlantic, Cooke provided British radio audiences with his Letter from America - weekly commentaries broadcast on BBC radio starting in 1946 and continuing until his final report aired Feb. 20. He gave 2,869 talks, delivering his observations on political and cultural life in the United States.

Cooke received three Emmys: one for the 1972 series America, A Personal History of the US, one for Masterpiece Theater in 1975, and a governors award in 1985. He also received three Peabody awards for broadcasting and was made a Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire.

Born in northern England in 1908, Cooke earned an honors degree in English from Cambridge University. He began his broadcasting career in 1934 at the BBC working as a film critic.

Emmy winner Isaac Kleinerman, producer and editor of television documentaries, died March 7. He was 87.

As a producer at CBS News, he collaborated with Burton Benjamin on the series The 20th Century for which he earned an Emmy Award.

Born in New York City, Kleinerman began his career working for film studios, and edited training films when he served in the Army during World War II.

After retiring from CBS in 1975, Kleinerman and his wife, Linda Richardson, formed an independent film company, producing documentaries about the Soviet Union and China.