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Ernest Chambers, a prolific TV writer-producer whose 60-year profession moving connected The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, My Three Sons, The Dyke Van Dyke Show and dozens connected specials and assortment shows landed him 11 Emmy nominations, has died. He was 97.
A family typical told Deadline that Chambers died May 30 successful Los Angeles aft a little illness.
Born connected December 28, 1928, successful Philadelphia, Chambers served successful nan Army earlier attending Dartmouth University, wherever he was editor-in-chief of its joke magazine. Chambers sewage his starting penning connected and earned his first Emmy nom for The Bob Newhart Show, the one-season NBC comedy-variety show hosted by the man whose deadpan Button-Down Mind LPs had sold millions. He went connected to pen episodes of nan celebrated sitcoms My Three Sons and The Dick Van Dyke Show and Danny Kaye’s assortment show — for which Chambers sewage 2 much Emmy nominations — earlier partnering pinch writer-producer Saul Ilson.
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Together they penned and produced dozens of episodes of nan Smothers Brothers show during its first 2 seasons connected CBS from 1967-68. Happily controversial, courting nan counterculture and reveling successful taunting web censors, it shook up nan airwaves and was a Top 20 show successful nan three-network universe. Chambers earned 3 Emmy noms for nan show, including 2 for Outstanding Variety aliases Musical Program. He and Ilson besides worked connected nan Smothers’ summertime bid successful 1968.
Chambers went connected to constitute for a number of comedy-variety shows during nan genre’s heyday, including those hosted by Leslie Uggams, Jim Nabors, Bobby Darin, Tony Olando and Dawn, Susan Anton and nan Mandrell Sisters. He besides spent a decade penning for The Merv Griffin Show from 1973-82 and worked connected specials fronted by nan likes of Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow — earning 2 Emmy noms for nan 1978 programme — Donna Summer, The Captain & Tennille, Chambers went connected to constitute for a number of comedy-variety shows during nan genre’s heyday, including those hosted by Leslie Uggams, Jim Nabors, Bobby Darin, Tony Olando and Dawn, Susan Anton and nan Mandrell Sisters. He besides spent a decade penning for The Merv Griffin Show from 1973-82 and worked connected specials fronted by nan likes of Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Donna Summer, The Captain & Tennille, Carol Channing and Neil Sedaka.
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Along nan way, Chambers besides had a successful producing career.
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