Bob Weiskopf (March 13, 1914 – February 20, 2001) was an American screenwriter and producer for television.[1] He has credits for I Love Lucy which he and his writing partner Bob Schiller joined in the fifth season. They also wrote for The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Maude, All in the Family (for which he won a 1978 Emmy for co-writing the episode "Cousin Liz"), Archie Bunker's Place, The Red Skelton Show, the short-lived Pete and Gladys, and Sanford (the spin-off of Sanford and Son).
Life and career
Weiskopf, born in Chicago, Illinois, began writing for television in 1950, when he wrote an episode for The Colgate Comedy Hour.
Weiskopf first tried comedy writing at the suggestion of friends Norman Panama and Melvin Frank. Panama and Frank lured him to Hollywood in 1940, where he managed to sell some jokes to Bob Hope for his radio program. From there, he later wrote for radio, for Eddie Cantor'sThe Eddie Cantor Show, and Rudy Vallée for his Rudy Vallee's Sealtest Program,[2] he would in later years, write comedy material for Fred Allen, Danny Thomas, Red Skelton, Phyllis Diller and Carol Burnett.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he sent his new bride, the former Eileen Ito, east to avoid the internment camps, and moved in with fellow Rudy Vallee writer Jess Oppenheimer (who 13 years later would hire his former roommate to write for I Love Lucy). Weiskopf and his wife Eileen were reunited a few months later when he moved to New York City, where he was hired to write radio comedy for the comedian-actor Fred Allen. When Weiskopf received a draft notice ordering him to report on June 1, 1942, he requested a two-week delay so that he could finish writing the last two Fred Allen shows of the season. The Draft Board summarily rejected his request, explaining, "Everybody knows Fred Allen writes his own material."[3][4]
Creative partnership with Bob Schiller
The creative partnership and friendship with Bob Schiller began in 1953, when Weiskopf — who was also a comedy writer — had just relocated to Los Angeles from New York City, and his wife began searching for a school for their youngest son Kim, to attend; Schiller's first wife had recommended a school for Kim to Weiskopf's wife, and also told her that Schiller was looking for a partner. The two collaborated for the first time in writing a single radio script for the Our Miss Brooks show, before delving into the new media of network television together, writing for such popular 1950s shows such as Make Room for Daddy, which starred Danny Thomas, The Bob Cummings Show, I Love Lucy, the TV adaptation of the popular radio series My Favorite Husband, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, and The Ann Sothern Show, which they co-created.
Further success continued into the 1960s and 1970s with such series as New Comedy Showcase, Pete and Gladys, The Lucy Show, The Red Skelton Show, The Good Guys (for which they were also co-producers), The Phyllis Diller Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Flip Wilson Show, Maude (which they also co-produced), and All in the Family and its spinoff series Archie Bunker's Place. During their long collaboration, the writing team of Schiller and Weiskopf were honored with two Emmy Awards, a pair of Peabody Awards, a Golden Globe, and the Writers’ Guild of America's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Achievement.[3][4]
Weiskopf′s son Kim Weiskopf was also a television writer. His other son, Walt, was not.[citation needed]
Death
Weiskopf died in Los Angeles on February 20, 2001; he was survived by his wife, sons Kim and Walt and their grandchildren. His son Kim Weiskopf, who followed his father into the world of television comedy writing, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 62 at his home in Encino, California.[5][2]
Bob Weiskopf at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
Awards for Bob Weiskopf
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Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
1950s
James Allardice & Jack Douglas & Hal Kanter & Harry Winkler for The George Gobel Show (1955)
Arnold M. Auerbach & Barry Blitzer & Vincent Bogert & Nat Hiken & Coleman Jacoby & Harvey Orkin & Arnold Rosen & Terry Ryan & Tony Webster for The Phil Silvers Show (1956)
No Award (1957)
Billy Friedberg & Nat Hiken & Coleman Jacoby & Arnold Rosen & A.J. Russell & Terry Ryan & Phil Sharp & Tony Webster & Sydney Zelinka for The Phil Silvers Show (1958)
George Balzer & Hal Goldman & Al Gordon & Sam Perrin for The Jack Benny Show (1959)
1960s
George Balzer & Hal Goldman & Al Gordon & Sam Perrin for The Jack Benny Show (1960)
Dave O'Brien & Martin Ragaway & Sherwood Schwartz & Al Schwartz & Red Skelton for The Red Skelton Show (1961)
Carl Reiner for The Dick Van Dyke Show (1962)
Carl Reiner for The Dick Van Dyke Show (1963)
No Award (1964)
No Award (1965)
Sam Denoff & Bill Persky for "Coast to Coast Big Mouth" (1966)
Buck Henry & Leonard B. Stern for "Ship of Spies: Parts 1 and 2" (1967)
Allan Burns & Chris Hayward for "The Coming Out Party" (1968)
No Award (1969)
1970s
No Award (1970)
James L. Brooks & Allan Burns for "Support Your Local Mother" (1971)
Burt Styler for "Edith's Problem" (1972)
Lee Kalcheim & Michael Ross & Bernie West for "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (1973)
Treva Silverman for "The Lou and Edie Story" (1974)
Stan Daniels & Ed. Weinberger for "Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?" (1975)
David Lloyd for "Chuckles Bites the Dust" (1976)
James L. Brooks & Allan Burns & Stan Daniels & Bob Ellison & David Lloyd & Ed. Weinberger for "The Last Show" (1977)
Harve Brosten & Barry Harman & Bob Schiller & Bob Weiskopf for "Cousin Liz" (1978)
No Award (1979)
1980s
R.J. Colleary for "The Photographer" (1980)
Michael J. Leeson for "Tony's Sister and Jim" (1981)
Ken Estin for "Elegant Iggy" (1982)
Glen Charles and Les Charles for "Give Me a Ring Sometime" (1983)
David Angell for "Old Flames" (1984)
Ed. Weinberger & Michael J. Leeson for "Pilot" (The Cosby Show) (1985)
Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan for "A Little Romance" (1986)
Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger for "A, My Name is Alex" (1987)
Hugh Wilson for "The Bridge" (1988)
Diane English for "Pilot" (Murphy Brown) (1989)
1990s
Bob Brush for "Good-bye" (1990)
Gary Dontzig & Steven Peterman for "Jingle Hell, Jingle Hell, Jingle All the Way" (1991)
Elaine Pope & Larry Charles for "The Fix-Up" (1992)
Larry David for "The Contest" (1993)
David Angell & Peter Casey & David Lee for "The Good Son" (1994)
Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano for "An Affair to Forget" (1995)
Joe Keenan & Christopher Lloyd & Rob Greenberg & Jack Burditt & Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano & Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo for "Moon Dance" (1996)
Ellen DeGeneres & Mark Driscoll & Dava Savel & Tracy Newman & Jonathan Stark for "The Puppy Episode" (1997)
Peter Tolan & Garry Shandling for "Flip" (1998)
Jay Kogen for "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" (1999)
2000s
Linwood Boomer for "Pilot" (Malcolm in the Middle) (2000)
Alex Reid for "Bowling" (2001)
Larry Wilmore for "Pilot" (The Bernie Mac Show) (2002)
Tucker Cawley for "Baggage" (2003)
Mitchell Hurwitz for "Pilot" (Arrested Development) (2004)
Mitchell Hurwitz & Jim Vallely for "Righteous Brothers" (2005)
Greg Garcia for "Pilot" (My Name Is Earl) (2006)
Greg Daniels for "Gay Witch Hunt" (2007)
Tina Fey for "Cooter" (2008)
Matt Hubbard for "Reunion" (2009)
2010s
Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd for "Pilot" (Modern Family) (2010)
Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman for "Caught in the Act" (2011)
Louis C.K. for "Pregnant" (2012)
Tina Fey & Tracey Wigfield for "Last Lunch" (2013)
Louis C.K. for "So Did the Fat Lady" (2014)
Simon Blackwell & Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche for "Election Night" (2015)
Aziz Ansari & Alan Yang for "Parents" (2016)
Aziz Ansari & Lena Waithe for "Thanksgiving" (2017)
Amy Sherman-Palladino for "Pilot" (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) (2018)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge for "Episode 1" (2019)
2020s
Dan Levy for "Happy Ending" (2020)
Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky for "There Is No Line" (2021)
Quinta Brunson for "Pilot" (Abbott Elementary) (2022)
Christopher Storer for "System" (2023)
Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for "Bulletproof" (2024)
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez for "The Promotion" (2025)
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Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series (1970–1979)
Gary Belkin, Peter Bellwood, Thomas Meehan, Herb Sargent and Judith Viorst (1970)
Herbert Baker, Hal Goodman, Larry Klein, Bob Schiller, Norman Steinberg, Bob Weiskopf and Flip Wilson (1971)
Art Baer, Roger Beatty, Stan Burns, Stan Hart, Don Hinkley, Ben Joelson, Woody Kling, Mike Marmer, Arnie Rosen and Larry Siegel (1972)
Bill Angelos, Roger Beatty, Stan Hart, Robert Hilliard, Woody Kling, Arnie Kogen, Buz Kohan, Gail Parent, Tom Patchett, Larry Siegel and Jay Tarses (1973)
Rosalyn Drexler, Ann Elder, Karyl Geld Miller, Robert Illes, Lorne Michaels, Richard Pryor, Jim Rusk, Herb Sargent, James R. Stein, Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, Rod Warren and George Yanok (1974)
Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Harman, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond and Ed Simmons (1974)
Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond and Ed Simmons (1975)
Anne Beatts, Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster and Alan Zweibel (1976)
Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Tom Davis, James Downey, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Bill Murray, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster and Alan Zweibel (1977)
Roger Beatty, Dick Clair, Tim Conway, Rick Hawkins, Robert Illes, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond, Liz Sage, Larry Siegel, Franelle Silver, Ed Simmons and James R. Stein (1978)
Madelyn Davis, Bob Carroll, Jr. & Jess Oppenheimer (1991)
Norman Lear (1992)
Steven Bochco (1993)
Carl Reiner (1994)
Paul Henning (1995)
David W. Rintels (1996)
James L. Brooks & Allan Burns (1997)
David Milch (1998)
Paul Monash (1999)
2000s
David Lloyd (2000)
Glen Charles & Les Charles (2001)
David E. Kelley (2002)
Loring Mandel (2003)
Susan Harris (2004)
Stephen J. Cannell (2005)
John Wells (2006)
David Chase (2007)
William Blinn (2008)
Larry David (2009)
2010s
Diane English (2010)
Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick (2011)
Joshua Brand & John Falsey (2012)
Garry Marshall (2013)
Shonda Rhimes (2014)
Marta Kauffman & David Crane (2015)
Aaron Sorkin (2016)
Alison Cross (2017)
Jenji Kohan (2018)
Merrill Markoe (2019)
2020s
No Award (2020)
No Award (2021)
No Award (2022)
Yvette Lee Bowser (2023)
Vince Gilligan (2024)
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Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy
1960s
Dorothy Cooper for "Margaret's Old Flame" (1960)
Sam Bobrick & Bill Idelson for "The Shoplifters" / Martin Ragaway for "My Husband Is the Best One" (1964)
Carl Kleinschmitt & Dale McRaven for " Br-room, Br-room"(1965)
Jack Winter for "You Ought To Be In Pictures" (1966)
Marvin Marx & Gordon Rod Parker & Walter Stone for "Movies Are Better Than Ever" (1967)
Sam Bobrick & Bill Idelson for "Viva Smart" (1968)
Allan Burns for "Funny Boy" (1969)
1970s
Richard DeRoy for "The Valediction" (1970)
Martin Cohan for "Thoroughly Unmilitant Mary" (1971)
Larry Gelbart for "Chief Surgeon Who?" (1972)
Robert Schiller & Robert Weiskopf for "Walter's Problem" (1973)
Larry Gelbart & Laurence Marks for "O.R." (1974)
James Fritzell & Larry Gelbart & Everett Greenbaum for "Welcome to Korea" (1975)
Alan Alda for "Dear Sigmund" (1976)
Larry Rhine & Mel Tolkin for "Archie Gets the Business" (1977)
Gary David Goldberg for "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (1978)
Thad Mumford & Dan Wilcox for "Are You Now, Margaret?" / Ken Estin for "The Reluctant Fighter" (1979)
1980s
Dennis Koenig & Gene Reynolds for "Heal Thyself" (1980)
Nat Mauldin for "Stormy Weather" (1981)
Stephen Neigher & Tony Sheehan for "Hunger Strike" (1982)
David Isaacs & Ken Levine for "The Boys in the Bar" / Glen Charles and Les Charles for "Give Me a Ring Sometime" (1983)
Michael J. Weithorn for "Sumner's Return" (1984)
Glenn Gordon Caron for "Pilot" (Moonlighting) / Elias Davis & David Pollock for "Madison Avenue Madness" (1985)
Bob Randall for "Allie's Affair" (1986)
Jay Tarses for "Here's Why Cosmetics Should Come in Unbreakable Bottles" / Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger for "A, My Name is Alex" / Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan for "'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas" (1987)
Carol Black & Neal Marlens for "My Father's Office" (1988)
Todd W. Langen for "Coda" (1989)
1990s
Diane English for "Brown Like Me" (1990)
David Isaacs & Ken Levine for "Rat Girl" (1991)
Diane English & Korby Siamis for "Uh-Oh: Part II" (1992)
Larry David for "The Contest" (1993)
Larry David & Lawrence H. Levy for "The Mango" (1994)
Joe Keenan for "The Matchmaker" (1995)
David Mandel for "The Pool Guy" (1996)
Gregg Kavet & Andy Robin for "The Fatigues" (1997)
Rob Greenberg for "Frasier's Imaginary Friend" (1998)
Jay Kogen for "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" (1999)
2000s
Joe Keenan & Christopher Lloyd for "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue" (2000)
Philip Rosenthal for "Italy" (2001)
Bob Daily & Lori Kirkland & Dan O'Shannon for "Rooms with a View" (2002)
Bob Daily for "No Sex, Please, We're Skittish" (2003)
Mitchell Hurwitz & Jim Vallely for "Pier Pressure" / Neil Thompson for "Ida's Boyfriend" (2004)
Jenji Kohan for "You Can't Miss the Bear" (2005)
Steve Carell for "Casino Night" (2006)
Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur for "The Job" (2007)
Andrew Guest & John Riggi for "Succession" (2008)
Robert Carlock for "Apollo, Apollo" / Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd for "Pilot" (2009)
2010s
Robert Carlock for "When It Rains, It Pours" (2010)
Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman for "Caught in the Act" (2011)
Elaine Ko for "Virgin Territory" (2012)
Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock for "Hogcock!" (2013)
Louis C.K. for "So Did the Fat Lady" (2014)
Clay Tarver for "Sand Hill Shuffle" (2015)
Robert Carlock for "Kimmy Goes on a Playdate!" (2016)
Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally for "Rosario's Quinceañera" (2017)
Alec Berg & Bill Hader for "Chapter One: Make Your Mark" (2018)
Liz Feldman for "Pilot" (Dead to Me) (2019)
2020s
Tony McNamara for "The Great" (2020)
Tony McNamara for "Alone at Last" (2021)
Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for "The One, The Only" (2022)
Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman for "Escape from Shit Mountain" (2023)
Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for "Bulletproof" (2024)