Bob Schiller, a comedy writer whose credits reach back to TV’s infancy, including I Love Lucy, and later, Maude, All in the Family and The Carol Burnett Show, has died. He was 98.
Schiller died Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, Calif., according to his daughter, Sadie Novello.
He began writing for television in 1950, and three years later formed a partnership with Bob Weiskopf, with whom he collaborated for nearly a half-century. Among their hundreds of TV scripts was the classic I Love Lucy episode that found Lucy Ricardo stomping grapes.
The team also wrote for such 1950s sitcoms as The Bob Cummings Show, December Bride, The Jimmy Durante Show and The Ann Sothern Show.
Their partnership continued through the 1960s and ’70s with such shows as Lucille Ball’s follow-up comedy The Lucy Show which they co-created, and The Red Skelton Hour, Flip Wilson’s variety show Flip and Archie Bunker’s Place.
Schiller had also written scripts for such classic radio series as Duffy’s Tavern, Abbott and Costello and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
He shared writing Emmys with Weiskopf for All in the Family and Flip.
When asked about the success of his partnership with Weiskopf, Schiller was known to respond, “That’s easy — we’ve never agreed on anything,” to which Weiskopf would fire back, “Yes, we have!” Weiskopf died in 2001.
Schiller’s first job after joining Weiskopf was a radio script for the Our Miss Brooks comedy show.
Schiller retired in 1988.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Sabrina, and four children, including director-filmmaker Tom Schiller.
SOURCE: Associated Press
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