Writers are asking me to note the passing of the prolific TV comedy writer David Lloyd. He'll always be remembered for winning the Emmy in 1976 for penning that "Chuckles Bites The Dust" episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show considered one of the genre's best. According to news reports, Lloyd started his career writing jokes for The Jack Paar Show, and also worked on The Bob Newhart Show, Cheers, Taxi, and Frasier. Lloyd also began a true TV sitcom dynasty: his son Christopher is the creator of ABC’s Modern Family, and his son Stephen is a producer for How I Met Your Mother.
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LOVED-LOVED that MTM episode! Brilliance.
a great writer. truly a loss for our industry. i had the pleasure of working with his wonderful son Chris. blessings to the Lloyd family on this sad day.
“Death will have the last laugh.”
I never really paid much attention to writing credits as a kid, but when I first decided that I wanted to become a comedy writer when I grew up I looked up who the writers were on my favorite sitcom episodes. There were a range of talented names, but one name stood apart as a writer who consistently hit it out of the park time and time and time again.
David Lloyd.
I’m actually only familiar with a fraction of his work (on Cheers and Frasier), as most of it was before my time, but even with that fraction it was clear as day that this was the greatest sitcom writer to have ever lived. Want to know who wrote “An Old-fashioned Wedding” (Woody’s wedding two-parter on Cheers — and my favorite sitcom episode of all time)? Look it up. Remember “Ham Radio” on Frasier? Look up who wrote that. The list goes on and on and on.
I never had the good fortune of meeting him, but if you want to know why writers want you to note his passing, that’s why.
Nikki
Chuckles Bites The Dust is number one in a TV Guide countdown of top episodes. It is easy to see why. The episode has Mary Richards taking the death seriously while everyone else has the giggles. Watch for Mary’s actions during the end funeral scene. This is television at its classic best.
Writer Ken Levine has a nice tribute–
http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2009/11/in-memory-of-david-lloyd.html
A little song.
A little dance.
A little seltzer down your pants.
I had the great fortune to work alongside David at Paramount, abet in a not writing position. He was as noted by others a gentlemen and wonderful talent. As I remember he graciously help others sometimes without credit for himself. He indeed will be missed.
I loved David Lloyd. He was a wonderful writer and person. A gem. And a great father.
Thanks for posting this Nicki.
I sat next to David Lloyd for two seasons on Frasier. It was my first TV writing job and David’s last before he retired. He was a delight. I always looked forward to the days he’d be in the room. A truly legendary talent who had so much enthusiasm for the job. I will always be grateful to the comedy gods that allowed my career to overlap David Lloyd’s.
Legendary sitcom writer Ken Levine wrote a great post about the passing of the legendary David Lloyd.
http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2009/11/in-memory-of-david-lloyd.html
Our thoughts are with his family in this difficult time.
Actually Charles, “An Old Fashioned Wedding” was a one-hour season finale on Cheers and was only broken up into two parts for the syndication package. It’s available in the correct one-hour form on the Cheers DVD collection. It works even better as a brilliant hour of sustained comedy than it does when broken up over two nights in syndication.
Watched ‘What Are Friends For’ on the recent DVD season 5 of MTM last night, and sure enough, it was a David Lloyd episode. A true talent.
Talent abounded with this gentleman. He brought everyone else’s game up.
A little song… a little dance… a little seltzer down your pants.
Chuckles Bites the Dust, along with (I don’t think he wrote it…but who knows) WKRP’s Thanksgiving Flying Turkeys – is television at its absolutely best.
And given the terrific writing on his sons shows, both of them, I’d say that is one terrific gene pool.
Thanks for decades of laughs. Decades.
A man sees a duck and goes quack. The ducks starts running. His son says you talking duck now. The man says no, I’m talking Peking.
That might not be funny but every show mentioned above made me laugh my ass off doing the seventies and eighties. I watch the DVD’s as I try to write comedy on that level.
Thanks Mr. Lloyd.