David Lloyd was one of those TV writers whose work spread across the history of television. He worked on shows ranging from The Tonight Show in the 60s to Frasier in the 90s and early 2000s. Lloyd died last night after a long illness.
Lloyd had a part in many memorable TV shows over the years, as a writer and/or a producer, including Cheers, Wings, Taxi, Lou Grant, Rhoda, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Phyllis, The Tony Randall Show, Dear John, The Dick Cavett Show, The Associates, The Best of the West, and many other shows.
Ken Levine has a great tribute to Lloyd on his site, including a discussion of how Lloyd was as a writer. It includes an example of Lloyd's script for the classic Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Chuckles Bites The Dust."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-11-2009 @ 6:42PM
Red Sox fan said...
How sad. A bunch of his sitcoms are favorites of mine, especially Taxi, Cheers, Mary Tyler Moore, The Bob NewHart Show, and Wings. May he rest in peace and be remembered for the many years of laughs he provided.
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11-11-2009 @ 6:48PM
HD said...
That's one hell of a resume. Some of the greatest TV of all time listed there. Unfortunately his death will go largely unnoticed by the general public because he wasn't a household name.
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11-11-2009 @ 6:59PM
Red Sox fan said...
I hate to admit, but I had to look at the list of TV shows to figure out who he was myself. Sitcom writers from the past 5-10 years or so should have learned a few things from him.
11-12-2009 @ 3:58PM
nytheatreguy said...
Sad but true, HD. The talking heads can't be bothered to talk about a true talent like David Lloyd because it would mean taking two minutes away from talking about Lindsay, Justin and Britney.
11-11-2009 @ 6:58PM
MJL said...
Very sad...Bob, I hate to use this news to nitpick, but maybe you could have mentioned that David's son Christopher is also an acclaimed sitcom writer, and co-creator of Modern Family?
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11-12-2009 @ 1:09AM
Anon said...
And another son (Stephen Lloyd) is a writer and co-producer on How I Met Your Mother.
11-12-2009 @ 3:57PM
DJL said...
Thanks for your kind words about my father. However, please correct. He died on the evening of the 10th, surrounded by family. Not the 11th. We appreciate the tribute.
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11-12-2009 @ 3:58PM
Bob Sassone said...
DJL: thank you for leaving a note. I've corrected the date. Sorry about your loss.
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11-19-2009 @ 9:11PM
kevin conway said...
Good thing Mr. Lloyd managed to continue on late in life.
Gary Goldberg, producer of Family ties, Spin City and his pal Marta Kauffman, producer of "Friends" would have thrown his scripts away because he was over 29.
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11-21-2009 @ 8:55PM
Lynda Stufflebean said...
So sorry to see him go. What a great legacy of laughs.
Thank you, Mr. Lloyd.
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11-24-2009 @ 2:28AM
Ellie said...
To the family of David Lloyd: He brought us laughs and poignant thoughts, comfort during tough times and thousands of major memories of enjoying all of these brilliant shows with our families and friends over all those years. He set a precedent of writing excellence. He will truly live on forever through all that he brought us, and all that he will continue to bring us in our re-watchings. I am so sorry for your loss and hope that you are all coping ok... Please remember- he will always be alive through all of what he gave us! It is absolutely without a doubt, that he bettered and most likely extended countless of other lives with all of that laughter! What a gift to the world...
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