Robert Fisher (playwright)

Robert "Bob" Fisher (September 21, 1922 – September 19, 2008) was an American playwright, and television and film screenwriter mostly of situational comedy.

Robert "Bob" Fisher
Born
Robert H. Fisher

(1922-09-21)September 21, 1922
California, United States
DiedSeptember 19, 2008(2008-09-19) (aged 85)
Topanga, California, United States
Occupation(s)Playwright. TV and film screenwriter
Years active1952-1986

Biography

One of the most prolific of sitcom writers, Fisher began in television the 1950s by pairing up with a veteran radio writer twenty-five years his senior named Alan Lipscott. Lipscott and Fisher wrote the first episode of the CBS-TV sitcom series Make Room For Daddy (starring Danny Thomas) in 1953, and went on to craft teleplays for The Donna Reed Show, Bachelor Father (which starred John Forsythe), Bronco, How to Marry a Millionaire, and others. Following Lipscott's death in 1961, Fisher then began writing with Arthur Marx, and that partnership (which lasted for over twenty-five years) produced episodes of McHale's Navy, My Three Sons, The Mothers-in-Law, the short lived ABC-TV series The Paul Lynde Show, and NBC-TV's Life With Lucy in 1986. He and Marx were also story editors and frequent writers on CBS-TV's Alice from 1977–1981.[1]

Fisher also wrote occasionally with Arthur Alsberg (on I Dream of Jeannie and Mona McCluskey) and had three plays produced on Broadway: the hit The Impossible Years (with Marx), Minnie's Boys (with Marx), and Happiness Is Just a Little Thing Called a Rolls Royce (with Alsberg), which closed after one performance.[1]

Fisher is also the author of the book "The Knight in Rusty Armor". A beautiful tale of man's journey to discover himself through a series of comic and tragic transformations.

Death

Fisher died in 2008 in Topanga, California, just two days before his 86th birthday,[1][2] although other sources given the date of death as 26 September.[3]

Works as screenwriter

His many works as a television writer included:[1]

Partial filmography

Screenwriter work
Year Title Job Notes
1986 Life with Lucy (TV series) Writer 3 episodes
1982 There Was a Little Girl Writer Feature film
1977-1981 Alice (TV series) Writer (Story) 40 episodes
1975 Good Times Story/Teleplay 1 episode ("The Dinner Party")
Maude Writer 1 episode ("Walter's Ethics")
The Jeffersons Writer 1 episode ("Jefferson vs. Jefferson")
1972-1973 The Paul Lynde Show Writer 9 episodes
1972 All in the Family Writer 1 episode ("The Locket")
1969 The Good Guys Writer 1 episode ("The Eyes Have It")
1968-1969 The Mothers-In-Law (TV series) Writer 4 episodes
1965 I Dream of Jeannie Writer 3 episodes
1963-1971 My Three Sons Writer 2 episodes
1961 Leave It to Beaver Story 1 episode ("Teacher's Daughter")
1959-1962 Bachelor Father Writer/Teleplay 30 episodes
1958-1959 The Donna Reed Show Writer/Teleplay 5 episodes total
Bronco Writer 2 episodes
1958 How to Marry a Millionaire Writer 2 episodes
1953-1963 Make Room For Daddy Writer/Teleplay Involved with 18 total episodes

Fisher also produced television episodes for:[1]

  • McHale’s Navy
  • My Three Sons
  • The Mothers-in-Law
  • The Paul Lynde Show
  • Life With Lucy
  • Cheyenne

His plays included:[4]

In his last few years he was said to lead a "a peripatetic lifestyle".[1]

References

  1. "Obituaries: Bob Fisher; Roland Wolpert; Juarez Roberts". The Classic TV history blog. 14 April 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  2. Evanier, Mark. "In Passing…". News from me. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  3. "Bob Fisher (I) (–2008)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  4. "ROBERT FISHER (c1930 - 2008)". The Playwrights Database. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
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