Monday, February 01, 2021

RIP Allan Burns

One of the comedy writers I absolutely revered passed away on Saturday.  Allan Burns was 85.  Among his many achievements, Allan was co-creator and co-showrunner of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW.    He later went on to do LOU GRANT, get an Oscar nomination for A LITTLE ROMANCE, but before all that wrote Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons.  

He was also one of the nicest men on the planet.  

His writing was hilarious but always rooted in humanity. As funny as THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW was, to me the key was that you always cared — cared about the characters, cared about their problems — and much of that came from Allan.  The laughs were relatable, universal, and never mean spirited.  

When David Isaacs and I were doing that later show for Mary Tyler Moore, Allan was an invaluable resource; gracious with his time and advice.  

I’d go to lunch with him from time to time and never could believe he was treating me as a peer.  This was comedy royalty.  When David and I were starting out, we wrote spec episodes of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and RHODA.  Allan and his partner Jim Brooks were our idols.  Their shows were the gold standard.  We studied them.  Frankly, I was more impressed meeting Allan Burns than Mary Tyler Moore.  

In a town that runs on schadenfreude, Allan always wanted you to do well.  He derived genuine pleasure out of others success.  He welcomed your ideas, your contributions and was the first to laugh at your jokes.  In a rough and tumble industry Allan was gentle.  Decisive and always striving for excellence but kind and respectful of your feelings.  You did your best work for Allan because you wanted to.  

Allan Burns inspired me to become a TV comedy writer.  I owe so much to him.    And he wouldn’t even let me pay for lunch.  But that’s Allan.  He will be forever missed. From now on when you see Mary throw her hat in the air and it freezes, don't watch the hat, read the names on the screen.  



22 comments :

  1. One of the retro channels has been showing one of his other shows, THE MUNSTERS, in prime time. I wish they were showing THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW instead.

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  2. A Little Romance was a terrific film. A perfect gem of a movie.

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  3. Speaking of MTM,I was expecting an obit this weekend to Chloris Leachman,,to say nothing of Cicely Tyson.

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  4. Arlen Peters2/01/2021 7:57 AM

    As usual Ken, you've written a glorious tribute to a glorious man, an inspiration, a mensch!

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  5. I just read the Hollywood Reporter obituary- not only did he write for Rocky & Bullwinkle, but he developed the characters Cap'n Crunch and Jean LaFoote for Quaker! That's a large chunk of my childhood right there.

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  6. I looked up an episode of "He & She" on YouTube yesterday. Still great. Produced by Talent Associates, for whom Burns had been a story editor for "Get Smart." The thing I love here is that in the sixties, Burns went from creating "The Munsters" and "My Mother the Car" to winning an Emmy for the sophisticated (i.e. "lasted one season") "He & She."

    He will remain in my memory for getting me to read "Crime and Punishment," just because the favorite expletive of Boris Badenov (spinning the opera "Boris Godunov") was "Raskolnikov!" Jay Ward cartoons - all the references you don't even begin to get until you reach your teens.

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  7. And let's not forget (although we may try to) his "My Mother, The Car," the nadir of gimmicky mid-sixties sitcoms, and there were many. On several "Mary Tyler Moore Show" episodes, we'd see a board with the current WJM-TV schedule, and as an in-joke "My Mother, The Car" was usually listed somewhere. (Jerry Van Dyke guested on one ep, too.)

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  8. I've grown up enjoying his writing. I'm glad to know he was a wonderful man as well. I'm sorry for your loss.

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  9. Tonight at 11:30/10:30c, MeTV honors Cloris Leachman with her guest appearances on "Perry Mason" and "The Twilight Zone" (the famed 1961 "It's A Great Life" episode with the great Billy Mumy).

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  10. Another lovely tribute.

    He co-wrote the pilot episode of MTM, and I still think that may be one of the greatest first episodes ever because it did so much to establish their personalities. If he didn't come up with "I hate spunk," Brooks did, and they were geniuses.

    A word about Jay Ward. I met him and didn't know it. He had a store, The Dudley Do-Right Emporium, and a friend and I went in there. Only later when I saw a rare photo of him did I realize I'd met a genius. When I met Chuck Jones, I knew I was meeting a genius. I didn't screw up the second time.

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  11. He was very generous with his time when I interviewed him for "Funny You Should Ask." He was not hesitant to heap praise on others. He even called me later to relate a funny anecdote about the great David Lloyd.

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  12. This is completely off topic, but I thought it might be of interest to Ken and commenters. NPR did a segment on Desi Arnez and his impact on TV.
    https://www.npr.org/transcripts/959609533

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  13. Pete Grossman2/01/2021 1:38 PM

    So tough when you lose a mentor who nurtured your talents and enjoyed your, and others success. So rare. May his memory be a blessing.

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  14. My condolences for your loss, Ken. But you are so lucky to have known so many amazing people.

    Virtually all of the shows mentioned above I grew up watching. I have "Rocky & Bullwinkle" on DVD. I'll have to rewatch it.
    I admit I've never seen "A Little Romance" even though for a while I had a major crush on Diane Lane. I'll have to see if I can find it somewhere.
    One show of his that I didn't particularly enjoy was "The Duck Factory." It had everything going for it, yet it never clicked with me. Maybe that's another show I should give a second chance.

    Miscellaneous trivia: Grandpa Munster, Al Lewis, used to live in Van Nuys, California. When I was a kid we used to see him on Van Nuys Boulevard all the time. Of course Van Nuys was much nicer back then.
    My mentor, the late Avery Schreiber had a recurring roll on "My Mother the Car."

    Did you ever do a podcast with or a previous blog about Allan Burns? Maybe a repost would be appropriate.

    M.B.

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  15. Ken,

    I'm sorry for your loss and especially after recently losing another mentor, another good man from what I know, Carl Reiner.

    My mom says getting old is not for the faint of heart. But, for the little part I can do I hope to--"Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep." So I'll be sad at least a little for you and for Allan Burns family today.

    And I'll pray an Irish blessing for you because of this time that seems to have taken such a heck of a bite out of you in so many ways--

    Ken, May the road always rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

    I hope you find peace,


    Sean

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  16. Troy McClure2/01/2021 6:07 PM

    A part of my childhood is gone with the sad death of Dustin Diamond. I watched Saved by the Bell all through my school years. Sadly, like so many former child stars, his later life was blighted with controversy and missteps.

    RIP

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  17. ViscountManzeppi2/01/2021 10:38 PM

    VP81955 said...
    Tonight at 11:30/10:30c, MeTV honors Cloris Leachman with her guest appearances on "Perry Mason" and "The Twilight Zone" (the famed 1961 "It's A Great Life" episode with the great Billy Mumy).

    They should also include her first Gunsmoke appearance, "Legal Murder."

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  18. So sorry for your loss - which I think is a loss to the entertainment industry and its fans.

    One of the things that struck me about Allan Burns - especially the MTM show - was that you didn't have the current need for someone to be the eternal butt monkey. Even Ted Baxter had some success, a wife who loved him and even children.

    I like comedy that doesn't need to constantly diminish its own characters to get laughs.

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