David Davis, expert screenwriter and creator of American television comedies such as The Bob Newhart show and the taxi, and husband of actress Julie Kavner, died at the age of 86 in Los Angeles. The specialized site reports it Variety.
Davis’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Samantha Davis-Friedman. Also producer and showrunner of super agent 86 (1968-1970), roda (1974-1977), among others, Davis was having an affair with Kavner, known for being the English voice of Marge Simpsonsince 1976.
It was he who recommended Kavner for the role of Brenda Morgenstern, the insecure sister of Valerie Harper in Rhodes, her first paid acting job.
Rhoda “gave me my life, gave me my career, gave me the love of my life, David Davis,” Kavner said in a 2009 interview.
In addition to Kavner, Davis leaves another daughter, Abigail Davis Smith, son-in-law Steve Smith, and five grandchildren: Joshua Friedman, Jacob Friedman, Aden Smith, Asher Smith, and Elijah Smith.
His beginnings and the Bob Newhart show
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1936, Davis began his television career as a screenwriting supervisor for early 1960s comedies such as The many loves of Dobie Gillis and the pilot of Gilligan’s Island.
He rose to the rank of writer and producer in the mid-1960s to become an associate producer of series such as My mother the car Y Him and hera short-lived but highly influential 1967 romantic series starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss.
In 1972, together with Lorenzo Music, he created Bob Newhart’s showthe hit and hilarious sitcom in which comedian Bob Newhart plays a psychologist who interacts with his family, neighbors, patients and colleagues.
“He was in ICU at the time and we thought, ‘Let’s make this a psychologist,'” recalled Davis in an interview with American masters in 2005. “Bob listens in a fun way. And it is a reagent.
He is an excellent responsive comedian. But the key to the show, believe it or not, was that we wanted to give it a family life … We didn’t want to do a show with the kids. We didn’t want to do a show with dogs and pets like all old sitcoms. “
“And we thought, Bob is in that moment, he’s like 40 years old. Why don’t we marry him? But it’s a young marriage, it’s a new marriage, it’s a first marriage for both of us. So you could do a marriage show using young marital problems, but with mature people. And this, I believe, is the key to the success of the program, ”she explained.
Also played by Suzanne Pleshette – playing Newhart’s wife – Bob Hartley, Bill Daily, Peter Bonerz and Marcia Wallace, the series premiered on September 16, 1972 in CBS’s legendary Saturday night lineup – alongside The Mary Tyler Moore show, All in family Y The Carol Burnett show–and ran for six seasons.
A short and fruitful career
Davis was known for his work at the MTM Television factory. He was one of the librettists of the The Mary Tyler Moore showbetween 1970 and 1977and the above roda.
In 1978 he was one of the creators of Taxi, another long-standing success that lasted until 1983, won 13 Emmy Awards, including one for David as a producer in 1979, and was the rise to fame of several stars of the time such as Danny De Vito, Judd Hirsch and Tony Danzaamong others.
After retiring from writing in 1979, Davis worked as a consultant on other film and television projects, including the ABC television series. Phenomenon
In that role, he also collaborated on the films behind the news (1987), by James L. Brooks, with William Hurt and Holly Hunter; and the 1983 Oscar winner the power of lovealso by Brooks, with Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson and DeVito.
Source EFE
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