Art Baer, TV Comedy Writer, 81

[Stephen Bowie]

Paid obit in the LA Times today:

BAER, Art (81) Emmy award winning writer/producer, passed away on his
birthday, Sunday, September 17, 2006 at his home in Los Angeles,
California of complications from cancer. Born in Washington Heights,
N.Y. and a graduate from New York University, Art Baer began his career
writing for the "Robert Q. Lewis Show" where he met his writing partner
of forty years, Ben Joelson. Together they wrote over 100 scripts for
some of television's most popular situation comedies, including "Andy
Griffith", "Dick Van Dyke", "Gomer Pyle", "Get Smart", "The Odd
Couple", "Car 54", "Alice", "The Jefferson's", "Hogan's Heroes", "Happy
Days" and numerous others. From 1977-1985 Art Baer and his writing
partner were associated with Aaron Spelling Productions as writers and
Executive Producers of "The Love Boat". Among his many other credits
Art Baer wrote specials for Victor Borge, Perry Como and Flip Wilson.
He also wrote variety shows for Jonathan Winters, Jim Nabors and "The
Carol Burnett Show" for which he won an Emmy. Art Baer is survived by
his partner of 45 years Charles Colarusso, his brother Paul Baer and
sister-in-law Ceil, his three nieces Jill Baer-Blackwell, Ellie Baer
and Melissa Baer and his nephew Wilder Baer Shaw.
Services will be held at noon at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary
- Hollywood Hills, in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, September
21, 2006.

[Brad Ferguson]

Post by Stephen Bowie
BAER, Art (81) Emmy award winning writer/producer, passed away on his
birthday, Sunday, September 17, 2006 at his home in Los Angeles,
California of complications from cancer. Born in Washington Heights,
N.Y. and a graduate from New York University, Art Baer began his career
writing for the "Robert Q. Lewis Show" where he met his writing partner
of forty years, Ben Joelson. Together they wrote over 100 scripts for
some of television's most popular situation comedies, including "Andy
Griffith", "Dick Van Dyke", "Gomer Pyle", "Get Smart", "The Odd
Couple", "Car 54", "Alice", "The Jefferson's", "Hogan's Heroes", "Happy
Days" and numerous others. From 1977-1985 Art Baer and his writing
partner were associated with Aaron Spelling Productions as writers and
Executive Producers of "The Love Boat". Among his many other credits
Art Baer wrote specials for Victor Borge, Perry Como and Flip Wilson.
He also wrote variety shows for Jonathan Winters, Jim Nabors and "The
Carol Burnett Show" for which he won an Emmy. Art Baer is survived by
his partner of 45 years Charles Colarusso, his brother Paul Baer and
sister-in-law Ceil, his three nieces Jill Baer-Blackwell, Ellie Baer
and Melissa Baer and his nephew Wilder Baer Shaw.
Services will be held at noon at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary
- Hollywood Hills, in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, September
21, 2006.

There was an Arthur "Bugs" Baer who wrote a humor column for the Hearst
papers during the middle of the last century, but I think at 81 that
this Art Baer was too young to have been he. I guess the woods are
full of 'em.

Noted that he died on his birthday. Also noted that he and his partner
were together for 45 years.

[Corby Gilmore]

Post by Stephen Bowie
BAER, Art (81) Emmy award winning writer/producer, passed away on his
birthday, Sunday, September 17, 2006 at his home in Los Angeles,
California of complications from cancer. Born in Washington Heights,
N.Y. and a graduate from New York University, Art Baer began his career
writing for the "Robert Q. Lewis Show" where he met his writing partner
of forty years, Ben Joelson. Together they wrote over 100 scripts for
some of television's most popular situation comedies, including "Andy
Griffith", "Dick Van Dyke", "Gomer Pyle", "Get Smart", "The Odd
Couple", "Car 54", "Alice", "The Jefferson's", "Hogan's Heroes", "Happy
Days" and numerous others. From 1977-1985 Art Baer and his writing
partner were associated with Aaron Spelling Productions as writers and
Executive Producers of "The Love Boat". Among his many other credits
Art Baer wrote specials for Victor Borge, Perry Como and Flip Wilson.
He also wrote variety shows for Jonathan Winters, Jim Nabors and "The
Carol Burnett Show" for which he won an Emmy. Art Baer is survived by
his partner of 45 years Charles Colarusso, his brother Paul Baer and
sister-in-law Ceil, his three nieces Jill Baer-Blackwell, Ellie Baer
and Melissa Baer and his nephew Wilder Baer Shaw.
Services will be held at noon at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary
- Hollywood Hills, in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, September
21, 2006.

I'd like to make him a lock for all his contributions to TV, but for now
I'm going to make him a top contender only.