George Burditt | |
|---|---|
 Burditt inE! True Hollywood Story (1998) | |
| Born | George Henry Burditt (1923-07-29)July 29, 1923 Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 25, 2013(2013-06-25) (aged 89) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery (Mission Hills, Los Angeles) 34°16′25.48″N118°28′1.71″W / 34.2737444°N 118.4671417°W /34.2737444; -118.4671417 |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, producer |
| Years active | 1970–1987 |
| Television | Three's Company |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingJack Burditt |
| Parent(s) | John and Dorothy Burditt |
George Henry Burditt (July 29, 1923 – June 25, 2013) was an Americantelevision writer andproducer who wrote sketches for televisionvariety shows and other programs such asThree's Company, for which he was also anexecutive producer in its last few seasons. Burditt wasEmmy-nominated in writing categories alongside writing crew, including his writing partnerPaul Wayne, for twice eachThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour andVan Dyke and Company.
George Henry Burditt was born inBoston,Massachusetts, on July 29, 1923, to John and Dorothy Burditt.[1][2] He had one brother.[2] Burditt served in theUnited States Marine Corps in thePacific Ocean duringWorld War II.[1] After the war, he worked forAmerican Greetings, a greetings cards manufacturer, inCleveland, Ohio.[1] He marriedJoyce Rebeta-Burditt in the city on May 11, 1957, who later became also a writer.[2][3] Prior to their marriage, they both worked under the same manufacturer: Joyce was an employee writing verses for greeting cards, and George was her boss. She was fired from the company after working for three weeks.[3]
Burditt moved from Cleveland to Los Angeles to become a television writer.[1] Individually,[4] he wrote episodes of the first season ofDoc (1975–76),[5] an episode ofThe Jeffersons titled "George vs. Wall Street" (1975), and episodes of the short-livedThree's Company spinoffsThe Ropers (1979–80) andThree's a Crowd (1984–85), the latter he also produced.[1] He also wrote sketches for variety shows that featured theHudson Brothers,[6]Joey andRay Heatherton,[7]Lola Falana,[8] andSonny Bono.[9] He served as executive producer of—but did not write for—Silver Spoons and227.[1]
Burditt and his writing partnerPaul Wayne wrote an episode ofAll in the Family titled "Archie Eats and Runs" (1974)[10][11] and, alongsideAaron Ruben, a 1974 episode ofSanford and Son titled "The Way to Lamont's Heart".[10][12] They also mostly co-wrote the first three seasons (1977–79) of the television seriesThree's Company.[4] Burditt served as an executive producer of the series from 1981 to 1984.[1]
The writing crew, including Burditt and Paul Wayne,[4][10] receivedEmmy Award nominations forOutstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Series in 1972[13] and 1974[14] forThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. The different writing crew, also including Burditt and Wayne, received an Emmy nomination for the same category in 1977 forVan Dyke and Company,[15] a short-lived variety show starringDick Van Dyke. In 1976, one year prior, Burditt and other writers were Emmy-nominated for an Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Variety or Music Special for the preceding television special of the same name.[16] (Wayne was not listed among the writers of the special.[16])
Main source:Deadline[1]
Executive producer (only)
Source:Deadline[1]
Burditt earned four Emmy Award nominations alongside writing crew of the television variety series that he wrote for:
Burditt and his wife Joyce had three children: sons Paul andJack, and a daughter named Ellen.[2][17] Joyce later became a network executive and a mystery writer;[18] Jack is a television writer and producer.[1]
Burditt lived for 46 years inBurbank, California, and had nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, one of whom predeceased him. He died at age 89 on June 25, 2013, and was buried atSan Fernando Mission Cemetery inMission Hills, Los Angeles.[2]