TVXOHOF: SEPTEMBER, 2021 - ALLAN BURNS, CO-CREATOR OF THE MTM EMPIRE

This year has been hard on the legacy of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, with the loss of three cast members – Cloris Leachman in January, Gavin MacLeod in May, and Ed Asner in August.  Basically, it was one for every season so far – Winter, Spring, and Summer - and we still have Autumn to go. (NOT naming names!)

Ms. Leachman made it into the Hall this year for playing Phyllis, and MacLeod joined for playing Captain Stuebing from ‘The Love Boat’.  (Just as Murray Slaughter never won a Teddy Award, MacLeod’s portrayal of Murray falls short of qualifying for TVXOHOF membership.)  And for playing Lou Grant, Ed Asner has been in the Hall since March of 2007.  (Also in the Hall already are Rhoda Morgenstern Girard, Ted Baxter, Georgette Franklin Baxter, and of course, Mary Richards.)

But they weren’t the only people connected to the series who passed away this year.  One of the two men who created the series, Allan Burns, also died in January.

In September, the TVXOHOF always inducts somebody from behind the scenes who has been responsible for expanding the TV Universe.  Mr. Burns was always in the running and came close last year as the Hall completed its inductions of ‘The Munsters’ cast because his role as one of the co-creators he helped to foment the show’s spread into other dimensions with new concept variants.  And with Burns having created that show as well….  But we went with Lorne Michaels for his contributions to Skitlandia.  So this year is more meaningful….

ALLAN BURNS

From Wikipedia:
Allan Pennington Burns (May 18, 1935 – January 30, 2021) was an American screenwriter and television producer. He was best known for creating and writing for the television sitcom ‘The Munsters’ as well as ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and ‘Rhoda’, both of which he created and wrote for alongside James L. Brooks.

Burns began a partnership with James L. Brooks in 1969 after being impressed with the television pilot for Brooks's show ‘Room 22’. Burns joined the ‘Room 222’ writing staff and later produced the series.

After ‘Room 222’, television executive Grant Tinker hired Brooks and Burns to develop a television series for CBS starring Mary Tyler Moore. In 1970, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ premiered and became a critically acclaimed series, spawning spin-off series such as ‘Lou Grant’ and ‘Rhoda’. Brooks and Burns also created the 1974 situation comedy ‘Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers’. Burns also worked as a writer and producer on the shows ‘FM’, ‘The Duck Factory’, ‘Eisenhower and Lutz’, and ‘Cutters’.

These are the TV series connected to ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’  which made Allan Burns eligible for the award.

WRITER/CREATOR

Lou Grant
(created by - 114 episodes, 1977 - 1982)
(written by - 1 episode, 1980)
114 episodes

Rhoda
(created by - 109 episodes, 1974 - 1978)
(written by - 1 episode, 1974)
109 episodes

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
(created by - 168 episodes, 1970 - 1977)
(written by - 8 episodes, 1970 - 1977)
168 episodes

1975-1977
Phyllis  
(based on a character created by - 48 episodes)
48 episodes

PRODUCER

Lou Grant
(executive producer - 22 episodes)
22 episodes

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
(executive producer - 162 episodes, 1970 - 1977)
(producer - 6 episodes, 1970)
168 episodes

Rhoda
(executive producer - 72 episodes)
72 episodes

And he also expanded the MTM empire into the Tooniverse:

1980
Carlton Your Doorman
(1980 TV Movie)
(created the character)

If it weren’t for him and Brooks, Skitlandia wouldn’t have had their own versions of WJM-TV in that dimension.

Here’s a salute to you, Allan Burns, as you enter the Television Crossover Hall of Fame....