Emmy winning television writer and producer Sam Denoff has died at age 83.
With Bill Persky, he picked up a couple Emmys for writing THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW (1961 - 1966), which they also produced during its 5th and final season. With Carl Reiner, Denoff & Persky produced and wrote the 1-season favorite GOOD MORNING WORLD (1967) starring Goldie Hawn. The team also created, produced and wrote/script-supervised Marlo Thomas' THAT GIRL (1966 - 1971).
The 1960s are my favorite period for classic TV. Denoff's work was quality, and like Leonard Stern several weeks ago, it's sad to lose another of the good ones whose work I grew up with.
A classic
DICK VAN DYKE SHOW moment in the Denoff & Persky episode
"That's My Boy?!" (1963). CBS was reluctant to air this, for fear of offending some viewers; for you "youngsters," believe it or not, this was controversial stuff in 1963. In the episode's payoff moment, there were several minutes of studio audience laughter, which naturally were edited down to appropriate seconds for the broadcast version; it was that favorable response that convinced CBS to go ahead and air it.
Slapstick-style moments from
THAT GIRL "Anatomy of a Blunder" (1966)...
The complete, hilarious, Emmy-winning Denoff & Persky
DICK VAN DYKE SHOW episode
"Coast to Coast Big Mouth" (1966).
Stooges fans should enjoy this brief clip from the Denoff-written
THAT GIRL episode
"Fur All We Know" (1968). Quinn Redeker (THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES) was the episode's guest star; you can see him at the end of the clip. And, if you look closely, you will spot
Ethelreda Leopold as one of the party guests.
