Ed. Weinberger

{{Short description|American screenwriter}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}

File:Mary Tyler Moore Betty Ford Ed Weinberger Hay-Adams Hotel 1975.jpg Betty Ford and Mary Tyler Moore in 1975]]

Edwin B. "Ed." Weinberger (born September 1, 1945) is an American screenwriter and television producer.

Life and career

Born in Philadelphia, the only son of Jewish butcher Leon and his wife Helen Weinberger,{{cite news|last=Blandford|first=Linda|title=Anatomy Of A Sitcom|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/02/magazine/anatomy-of-a-sitcom.html|access-date=November 9, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 2, 1989}} Weinberger began his TV career after he dropped out of Columbia University, worked for such stand-up comedians as Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, and Bill Cosby. His first job in television was writing for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He also wrote for The Bob Hope Special, The Bill Cosby Show, and The Dean Martin Variety Hour.

Weinberger, along with James L. Brooks, David Davis, Allan Burns, and Stan Daniels, formed the core of MTM Enterprises. In 1977, they left for Paramount Pictures and started the John Charles Walters Company. Weinberger also played Mr. Walters in the logo. The series Taxi was created the following year. He also wrote and co-created The Cosby Show, which ran for eight years. Weinberger went on to create and executive produce several other sitcoms, including Amen, Mr. President, Dear John, Baby Talk, and Sparks. In 1985, he became president of television production company Carson Productions, replacing John J. McMahon.{{Cite news|date=1985-11-06|title=Confirm Weinberger Carson Prods. Prexy|page=3|work=Variety}}

Weinberger has won a Peabody Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and nine Emmy Awards. He has also received the Writers Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

He has been married to TV actress Carlene Watkins since 1984. With his son, Jack, Weinberger wrote and produced the musical play Mary and Joseph, which had a national tour in 2007–08.

Weinberger explained in 2000 that he began using the abbreviation "Ed." when he was eight years old, admitting that "it's an affectation that's gotten out of hand."{{cite news|last=McNary|first=David|title=WGA salutes scribe|url=https://variety.com/2000/scene/vpage/wga-salutes-scribe-1117789415/|access-date=November 9, 2012|newspaper=Variety|date=November 19, 2000}}

In 2012, he sued two former business managers, claiming they had failed to obtain revenue for him from his work on Amen.{{cite news |title=Cosby Show' Creator Revives Fight With Business Managers |author=Austin Siegemund-Broka |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 15, 2015 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/cosby-show-creator-revives-fight-794186}} His case was dismissed in 2013 by the Los Angeles Superior Court, but that decision was overturned in 2015 by the appellate court.

Accolades

class="wikitable"
YearAssociationCategoryWorkResult
1973rowspan="2"|Primetime Emmy Awardsrowspan="2"|Outstanding Comedy Seriesrowspan="2"|The Mary Tyler Moore Show{{nom}}
rowspan="2"|1974{{nom}}
Writers Guild of America AwardsEpisodic ComedyThe Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Lars Affair"{{nom}}
rowspan="3"|1975rowspan="2"|Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Comedy SeriesThe Mary Tyler Moore Show{{won}}
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Seriesrowspan="2"|The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?"{{won}}
Writers Guild of America AwardsEpisodic Comedy{{nom}}
1976rowspan="3"|Primetime Emmy Awardsrowspan="2"|Outstanding Comedy Seriesrowspan="2"|The Mary Tyler Moore Show{{won}}
rowspan="2"|1977{{won}}
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Seriesrowspan="2"|The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Last Show"{{won}}
1978Writers Guild of America AwardsEpisodic Comedy{{nom}}
1979rowspan="3"|Primetime Emmy Awardsrowspan="2"|Outstanding Comedy Seriesrowspan="2"|Taxi{{won}}
rowspan="2"|1980{{won}}
| Outstanding Writing for a Comedy SeriesThe Associates: "The Censors"{{nom}}
rowspan="2"|1981Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Comedy SeriesTaxi{{won}}
Writers Guild of America AwardsEpisodic ComedyThe Associates: "The Censors"{{nom}}
1982rowspan="3"|Primetime Emmy Awardsrowspan="2"|Outstanding Comedy Seriesrowspan="2"|Taxi{{nom}}
1983{{nom}}
1985Outstanding Writing for a Comedy SeriesThe Cosby Show: "Pilot"{{won}}

References

  • {{cite web |author=Michael B. Kassel |title=Ed Weinberger: U.S. Writer-Producer |url=http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/weinbergere/weinbergere.htm |publisher=Museum of Broadcast Communications |date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=2008-03-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207003215/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/weinbergere/weinbergere.htm |archive-date=2008-02-07 }}
  • {{cite news | first=John |last=O'Connor | title=Review/Television; Life After Divorce, in the 'Taxi' Spirit | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/06/arts/review-television-life-after-divorce-in-the-taxi-spirit.html | work=The New York Times | date=October 6, 1988 }}

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