Allan Burns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allan Burns
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| Born |
Allan Pennington Burns
May 18, 1935 |
| Died | January 30, 2021 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Oregon |
| Occupation |
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Notable work
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The Munsters The Mary Tyler Moore Show |
| Spouse(s) |
Joan Bailey
(m. 1964) |
| Children | 2 |
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Allan Pennington Burns (born May 18, 1935 – died January 30, 2021) was an American screenwriter and television producer. This means he wrote scripts for TV shows and movies, and also helped manage how those shows were made. He is most famous for helping create and write for two popular TV comedies: The Munsters and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Early Life and School
Allan Burns was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 18, 1935. When he was nine years old, his father passed away. A few years later, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, with his mother. This happened because his older brother was stationed at Naval Station Pearl Harbor.
In Honolulu, Allan went to Punahou School. He was very creative and even drew a cartoon that appeared several times a week in the local newspaper, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. In 1953, he started studying architecture at the University of Oregon with a scholarship. However, he left college after two years. He then moved to Los Angeles, California, and got a job working for the TV network NBC.
His Career in TV and Film
Allan Burns started his career in animation. He worked for a famous animator named Jay Ward. Together, they helped create and animate classic cartoons like The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Dudley Do-Right, and George of the Jungle. Allan also created the well-known character Cap'n Crunch for Quaker Oats cereal.
After working in animation, Allan Burns teamed up with Chris Hayward. They created the TV series The Munsters in 1964. This show was about a family of friendly monsters. They also created My Mother the Car in 1965. Later, they became story editors for the CBS show He & She. For their writing on He & She, they won an Emmy award, which is a big prize for TV shows. Their last project together was working on the comedy show Get Smart.
Allan Burns met James L. Brooks in 1965. Allan helped James get a writing job on My Mother The Car. Allan was very impressed with a TV pilot (a first episode) that James made for a show called Room 222. Because of this, Allan and James started working together. Allan joined the writing team for Room 222 and later became a producer for the series.
After Room 222, a TV executive named Grant Tinker asked James Brooks and Allan Burns to create a new TV show for CBS. This show would star Mary Tyler Moore. In 1970, The Mary Tyler Moore Show first aired. It became a very popular and highly praised series. It even led to other successful spin-off shows like Lou Grant and Rhoda. Allan Burns and James Brooks also created another comedy show called Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers in 1974. Allan also worked as a writer and producer on other TV shows such as FM and The Duck Factory.
Allan Burns also worked on movies. He helped write the film A Little Romance (1979). For this movie, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, which is a very important award in film. He also wrote the screenplays for Butch and Sundance: The Early Days and Just the Way You Are. He even wrote and directed the movie Just Between Friends.
Personal Life
Allan Burns married Joan Bailey in 1964. They had two children together, named Eric and Matthew.
Allan Burns passed away at his home in Los Angeles on January 30, 2021. He was 85 years old. He had been living with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
Awards
Allan Burns won several important awards for his work in television. He won three Primetime Emmy Awards for his excellent writing.
- In 1968, he won an Emmy for He & She.
- In 1971 and 1977, he won Emmys for his writing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
He was also nominated for an Emmy for Rhoda and Lou Grant.
See also
In Spanish: Allan Burns para niños
