Joyce Burditt (September 12, 1938 – June 2, 2022), also known as Joyce Rebeta-Burditt, was an American writer and network executive. She was known for creating the TV series '' Diagnosis: Murder''. She was also a longtime writer and producer on such TV series as ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', '' Matlock'', and the '' Father Dowling Mysteries''. She wrote a best selling novel, ''

The Cracker Factory ''The Cracker Factory'' is an American television film directed by Burt Brinckerhoff. The teleplay by Richard Shapiro is based on the best-selling 1977 novel by Joyce Rebeta-Burditt. The film was broadcast by ABC on March 16, 1979. Synopsis Alc ...

'', in 1977, about an alcoholic housewife, partly drawn from her own experiences.

Early life and education

Joyce Ellen Rebeta was born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, the daughter of Paul John Rebeta and Coletta Ellen Rebeta (later Supp). Both of her parents were also born in Cleveland. After moving to Southern California in 1969, she took classes at Los Angeles Valley Junior College.

Career

Burditt was known for creating the TV series ''Diagnosis: Murder'', which ran for almost 200 episodes and TV movies. She was also a longtime writer and producer on such TV series as ''Perry Mason'', ''Matlock'', and the ''Father Dowling Mysteries''. Burditt was a programming executive for comedy at ABC, serving as a liaison between the network and sitcom productions including ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...

'' and ''

Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...

''. Her last television writing credit was on seven episodes of ''

Mystery Woman ''Mystery Woman'' is the name of a series of 11 made-for-television mystery films released by the Hallmark Channel between 2003 and 2007, and now appearing regularly on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. While on the Hallmark Channel, it was broadca ...

'' (2005–2006), a series of films for the

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...

, starring

Kellie Martin Kellie Martin (born October 16, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rebecca "Becca" Thatcher in '' Life Goes On'' (1989–1993), Lucy Knight on '' ER'' (1998–2000), Samantha Kinsey in the '' Mystery Woman'' TV film seri ...

. She wrote a best selling novel, ''The Cracker Factory'', in 1977, about an alcoholic housewife, which is partly drawn from her own experiences with alcoholism and institutionalization. It was made into an American TV movie of the same name. This was followed by the sequel, ''The Cracker Factory 2: Welcome to Women's Group'', in 2010. She wrote the humorous novel ''Triplets'', in 1981, and the mystery novel ''Buck Naked'', about a Los Angeles detective heroine, in 1996.

Publications

* ''The Cracker Factory'' (1977) * ''Triplets'' (1981) * ''Buck Naked'' (1996) * ''The Cracker Factory 2: Welcome to the Women's Group'' (2010)

Personal life

Rebeta married the writer George Burditt in 1957 and had three children. They later divorced. Her son

Jack Burditt Jack Burditt is an American producer and screenwriter who has worked on television shows like ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'', ''Frasier'', '' 30 Rock'', '' Last Man Standing'', ''Modern Family'', and ''The Mindy Project''. He won two Emmy award ...

became a screenwriter. On June 2, 2022, she died in Los Angeles. Her grave is in the

San Fernando Mission Cemetery The San Fernando Mission Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery located in the Mission Hills community of the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. The property adjoins the San Fernando Mission and Bishop Alemany Catholic High School. ThSan Fernando Mi ...

in Mission Hills.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burditt, Joyce 1938 births 2022 deaths American women screenwriters American women television producers American women novelists 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American television executives Women television executives Screenwriters from California 21st-century American women writers 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters 21st-century American screenwriters Writers from Cleveland Novelists from Ohio Screenwriters from Ohio Novelists from California Television producers from Ohio Television producers from California