Name George Burditt Role Television writer | Years active 1970–1987 | |
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Full Name George Henry Burditt Resting place San Fernando Mission Cemetery (Mission Hills, Los Angeles)34°16′25.48″N 118°28′1.71″W / 34.2737444°N 118.4671417°W / 34.2737444; -118.4671417 Nominations Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing - Variety Series Similar People Brian Cooke, Steve Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Einstein, Mitch Markowitz | ||
George Henry Burditt (July 29, 1923 – June 25, 2013) was an American television writer and producer. He wrote sketches of variety shows and other television shows, like Three's Company, which he also served as an executive producer in its last few seasons.
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Early life
George Henry Burditt was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in July 29, 1923, to John and Dorothy Burditt. He had one brother. He served in the United States Marine Corps around the Pacific Ocean during World War II. In Cleveland, Ohio, he worked for American Greetings and married his former employee Joyce Rebeta-Burdett on May 11, 1957.
Career
Burditt moved from Cleveland to Los Angeles to become a television writer. All together with his writing partner Paul Wayne and other writing crew, they earned Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Series: The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1972 and 1974, and Van Dyke and Company in 1977, a variety show starring Dick Van Dyke. Burditt and Wayne co-wrote mainly the first three seasons (1977–79) of the television series Three's Company, and Burditt served as an executive producer of the series in 1981–84. Both together co-wrote one episode of All in the Family, "Archie Eats and Runs" (1974), and another episode of Sanford and Son (alongside Aaron Ruben), "The Way to Lamont's Heart" (1974).
Individually or with other writers, in 1976, Burditt earned also an Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Variety or Music Special nomination for the television special Van Dyke and Company, a predecessor to its short-lived television series of the same name. He also wrote episodes of its short-lived spinoffs, The Ropers (1979–80) and Three's a Crowd (1984–85), which he also produced, the first season of Doc (1975–76), and one episode of The Jeffersons, "George vs. Wall Street" (1975). He also wrote sketches for other variety shows of the Hudson Brothers, of Joey Heatherton and her father Ray, of Lola Falana, and of individually Sonny Bono. He also served only as executive producer of Silver Spoons and 227.
Selected filmography
Unless otherwise, years indicate duration of the show, not duration of Burditt's work.Executive producer (only)
Award nominations
Burditt earned four Emmy Award nominations alongside writing crew of the television variety series that he wrote for:
Personal life and death
Burditt and his wife Joyce were the parents of two sons, Paul and Jack, and one daughter, Ellen. Joyce later became a network executive and a mystery writer; Jack is a TV writer and producer.
Burditt resided for 46 years in Burbank, California. He had nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, one of whom predeceased him. He died at age 89 on June 25, 2013, and was buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles.