Susan Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan Harris
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Harris in the White House in 1999
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| Born |
Susan Spivak
October 28, 1940 Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
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| Occupation | Producer, writer |
| Years active | 1970–1999 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Sam Harris, Oliver Witt |
| Relatives | Marion Segal Freed (step-sister) |
Susan Harris (born October 28, 1940) is a famous American television writer and producer. She created many popular TV shows, including the Emmy Award-winning comedies Soap and The Golden Girls. From 1975 to 1998, Susan Harris was one of the most active writers in television. She created 13 different comedy series. In 2011, she was honored by being added to the Television Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and Career Beginnings
Susan Harris was born into a Jewish family in Mount Vernon, New York. She started her career by selling a script for a TV show called Then Came Bronson. After that, she wrote for several other well-known shows. These included Love, American Style, All in the Family, and The Partridge Family. She also wrote for the TV version of Neil Simon's play Barefoot in the Park.
Writing for Maude
In the 1970s, Susan Harris wrote an important episode for the TV series Maude. This show starred Bea Arthur. The episode she wrote was about a sensitive topic and received a lot of praise. Years later, she worked with Bea Arthur again on The Golden Girls.
Creating Hit TV Shows
Susan Harris is known for creating many successful television series. Her shows often became very popular with viewers.
List of Created Series
Some of the TV series Susan Harris created include:
- Fay
- Soap
- Loves Me, Loves Me Not
- Benson
- It Takes Two
- The Golden Girls
- Empty Nest
- Nurses
- Good & Evil
- The Golden Palace
- The Secret Lives of Men
Her most successful show financially was The Golden Girls.
Personal Health and Writing
Susan Harris experienced a health condition called chronic fatigue syndrome. This condition made it hard for her to work on The Golden Girls sometimes. She decided to use her own experiences to write an episode for the show. In the 1989 episode "Sick and Tired," Bea Arthur's character, Dorothy Zbornak, was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Susan Harris later found out she had a different health issue, but she wrote the episode to show what it's like to live with such a condition.
Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions
Susan Harris also helped start a production company. It was called Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions. She formed this company with Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas. This company helped produce many of her shows.
Personal Life
Susan Harris has been married twice. She was married to actor Berkeley Harris from 1965 to 1969. They had a son named Sam Harris, who is now a well-known author and scientist.
Later, on September 18, 1983, she married television producer Paul Junger Witt. He worked with her to produce all the shows she created. Paul Junger Witt passed away in 2018. Susan Harris lives in the Los Angeles area. She is also the step-sister of American film producer and writer Marion Segal Freed.
Awards and Recognition
Susan Harris has received important awards for her work in television.
- In 2005, she was given the Paddy Chayefsky Award by the Writers' Guild. This award honors writers who have made great contributions to television.
- In 2011, she was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor for people who have had a big impact on television.
