Edward James (June 5, 1908 – March 6, 1995) was an American

television writer A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. T ...

and

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon ...

during the 1950s and 1960s. Among his credits are contributions to the long-running television sitcoms ''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...

'' (based on the characters created by Ed James) and ''

F Troop ''F Troop'' is a satirical American television sitcom Western about U.S. soldiers and Native Americans in the Wild West during the 1860s that originally aired for two seasons on ABC. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965, and ...

''. He also produced the 1959 film '' No Place Like Home''

Career

James' career as a comedy writer spanned four decades, and encompassed work in both radio and television. After working as a freelance writer, it was in 1949 that he had the idea for the sitcom ''

''. He wrote the pilot episode which aired on U.S. radio. The series later enjoyed a successful television run during the 1950s and early '60s. James went on to write for other shows, including '' Leave It to Beaver'', ''

'' and ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totalin ...

''. He retired in 1972, and died 23 years later in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, California.

Television

* '' Lux Video Theater'' (1956–1957) * '' Leave It to Beaver'' (1958) * ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...

'' (1959) * ''

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis ''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' (also known as simply ''Dobie Gillis'' or ''Max Shulman's Dobie Gillis'' in later seasons and in syndication) is an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5 ...

'' (1959) * '' No Place Like Home'' (1959) writer/producer * ''

'' (1960) * ''

Shirley Temple's Storybook ''Shirley Temple's Storybook'' is a 1958-1961 American children's anthology series hosted and narrated by actress Shirley Temple. The series features adaptations of fairy tales like Mother Goose and other family-oriented stories performed by well ...

'' (1960) * ''

'' (1963) * ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'' (1963–1964) * ''

Grindl ''Grindl'' is an American situation comedy that began in fall 1963 on NBC, originally sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The show, starring Imogene Coca in the title role, lasted for one season. Synopsis Grindl (Coca) worked for Foster's Temporary E ...

'' (1964) * ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

'' (1964) * ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'' (1963–1964) * ''

No Time for Sergeants ''No Time for Sergeants'' is a 1954 best-selling novel by Mac Hyman, which was later adapted into a teleplay on ''The United States Steel Hour'', a popular Broadway play and 1958 motion picture, as well as a 1964 television series. The book chro ...

'' * ''

'' (1965–1966) * '' The Jean Arthur Show'' (1966) * ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempte ...

'' (1967–1968)

Personal life

Ed James married Louise E Neagley (a secretary at NBC) in 1955, a union which produced one daughter (Jacqueline “Lyn”). He adopted a daughter (Jennifer) during his previous marriage and from Louise's previous marriage, adopted her youngest son (Steven). Ed and Louise's extended family also included Richard and Keith Kelley. Ed and Louise were married until his death in 1995, nearly 40 years. Louise died December 31, 2011."Louise E James" Union-Tribune San Diego. Jan. 15, 2012

References

External links

* 1908 births 1995 deaths American television writers American male television writers American television producers 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers {{US-tv-producer-stub