Susan Harris

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For other people named Susan Harris, see Susan Harris (disambiguation).

Susan Harris
Born
Susan Spivak

(1940-10-28) October 28, 1940 (age 80)
Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Years active1970–1999
Spouse(s)Berkeley Harris (1965–1969; divorced)
Paul Junger Witt (1983–2018; his death)
ChildrenSam Harris
RelativesMarion Segal Freed (step-sister)

Susan Harris (née Spivak; born October 28, 1940) is an American television writer and producer, creator of Emmy Award-winning sitcoms Soap (1977–81) and The Golden Girls (1985–92).[1] Between 1975 and 1998, Harris was one of the most prolific television writers, creating 13 comedy series.[2] In 2011, she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

Life and career[]

The first script Harris sold was Then Came Bronson. She then wrote for Love, American Style, All in the Family, The Partridge Family and the TV adaptation of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. Her abortion episode for the Bea Arthur-starring series Maude in the 1970s won Harris the Humanitas Prize. She would later work with Arthur again in the 1980s when Arthur took one of the lead roles in The Golden Girls.

Harris created many television series: Fay, Soap, Loves Me, Loves Me Not, Benson, It Takes Two, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses, Good & Evil, The Golden Palace and The Secret Lives of Men.[3] Her most financially successful show was The Golden Girls.

Harris had the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, which affected her ability to participate in the production of The Golden Girls. In an episode of that show titled "Sick and Tired" (1989), Harris wrote some of her struggles into the storyline where Bea Arthur's character Dorothy Zbornak was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. It later turned out Harris had an adrenal issue, but she wrote the episode as "my revenge script for all the people out there who had a disease like that".[4]

Harris formed the production company Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions with Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas.

Harris married television producer Paul Junger Witt on September 18, 1983; he co-produced all the shows she created. He died in 2018. Earlier, she was married from 1965 to 1969 to actor Berkeley Harris; the couple's son is author Sam Harris. She lives in suburban Los Angeles. Harris was the step-sister to American film producer, editor and screenwriter Marion Segal Freed.[5]

Awards and honors[]

She was honored with the Writers' Guild's Paddy Chayefsky Award in 2005 and inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2011.[6]

Credits[]

Year Title Role Notes
1970 Then Came Bronson writer Episode: "Then Came Bronson"
1970 Barefoot in the Park writer Episode: "You'll Never Walk Alone"
1971 The Courtship of Eddie's Father writer Episode: "To Catch a Thief"
1971 The Good Life writer 3 episodes
1972-1973 The Partridge Family writer 3 episodes
1973 Love, American Style writer 2 episodes
1971-1973 All in the Family writer 3 episodes
1972-1973 Maude writer 4 episodes
1975-1976 Fay creator 10 episodes
1977 Loves Me, Loves Me Not creator 6 episodes
1977-1981 Soap creator, executive producer 87 episodes
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1978, 1980-81)
1979-1986 Benson creator, executive producer 158 episodes
1980-1981 I'm a Big Girl Now creator, executive producer 19 episodes
1982-1983 It Takes Two creator, executive producer 22 episodes
Nominated — Humanitas Prize for 30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television
1985 Hail to the Chief creator, executive producer 7 episodes
1985-1992 The Golden Girls creator, executive producer 177 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1987)
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1988-1991)
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (1986)
1988-1995 Empty Nest creator, executive producer 170 episodes
1991 Good & Evil creator, executive producer 6 episodes
1991-1994 Nurses creator, executive producer 68 episodes
1992-1993 The Golden Palace creator, executive producer 24 episodes
1998-1999 The Secret Lives of Men creator, executive producer 13 episodes

References[]

  1. ^ "The Golden Girls creator Susan Harris on pushing the boundaries of the sitcom". CBC Radio. November 16, 2018.
  2. ^ "How The Golden Girls creator Susan Harris changed TV comedy forever — and why she doesn't watch it now". www.yahoo.com.
  3. ^ "Golden Girls Creator Adds Shows". LA Times. September 10, 1991. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  4. ^ Hunt, Stacey Wilson. "The Golden Girls Creators On Finding a New Generation of Fans". Vulture. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  5. ^ Barnes, Mike (December 25, 2011). "Marion Segal Freed, Film Editor, Dies at 77". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  6. ^ "Susan Harris - Hall of Fame Inductee". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

External links[]

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