Television Writer, Producer. Born Austin Roy Kalish, he, along with his wife Irma, wrote episodes for the some of the most famous comedies in television history. After marrying his wife Irma in 1948, they started writing in radio for "The Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Hour". They followed Martin and Lewis to television and soon were writing for various shows such as "Meet Corliss Archer", "The Colgate Comedy Hour", "Johnny Staccato", "The Bob Cummings Show", "The Patty Duke Show", "F-Troop", and "I Dream of Jeannie". In 1964 they co-wrote the pilot episode for "Gilligan's Island" with Elroy Schwartz, the brother of the show's creator Sherwood Schwartz. The couple continued their television writing into the 1970s and 1980s on such shows as "Family Affair", "Nanny And The Professor", "Maude", "All in the Family", "Good Times", "Too Close for Comfort", "The Facts of Life", and "227". They wrote one of the most talked-about episodes of comedy in primetime history, the 1973 "Maude’s Choice" episode of "Maude" in which the titular character wrestles with the decision to have an abortion after an unexpected pregnancy. Airing in the same year that the Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, the episode brought the polarizing issue squarely into America’s living rooms. The last show that they wrote for was "The Famous Jett Jackson" in 2000. Besides writing, he also served as either producer or executive producer for such shows as "Good Times", "Carter Country", and "Too Close for Comfort".
Television Writer, Producer. Born Austin Roy Kalish, he, along with his wife Irma, wrote episodes for the some of the most famous comedies in television history. After marrying his wife Irma in 1948, they started writing in radio for "The Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Hour". They followed Martin and Lewis to television and soon were writing for various shows such as "Meet Corliss Archer", "The Colgate Comedy Hour", "Johnny Staccato", "The Bob Cummings Show", "The Patty Duke Show", "F-Troop", and "I Dream of Jeannie". In 1964 they co-wrote the pilot episode for "Gilligan's Island" with Elroy Schwartz, the brother of the show's creator Sherwood Schwartz. The couple continued their television writing into the 1970s and 1980s on such shows as "Family Affair", "Nanny And The Professor", "Maude", "All in the Family", "Good Times", "Too Close for Comfort", "The Facts of Life", and "227". They wrote one of the most talked-about episodes of comedy in primetime history, the 1973 "Maude’s Choice" episode of "Maude" in which the titular character wrestles with the decision to have an abortion after an unexpected pregnancy. Airing in the same year that the Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, the episode brought the polarizing issue squarely into America’s living rooms. The last show that they wrote for was "The Famous Jett Jackson" in 2000. Besides writing, he also served as either producer or executive producer for such shows as "Good Times", "Carter Country", and "Too Close for Comfort".
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
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Fade In: Feb. 3, 1921
Austin Roy Kalish
Our Beloved Writer Rocky
Cherished Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather
Fade Out: Oct. 5, 2016
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