Biography
While lacking the name recognition of fellow sitcom auteurs like Norman Lear, Garry Marshall and James L Brooks, Jay Tarses must be counted among the major voices to emerge in the genre over the last two decades. As a writer-producer, he has worked on some of the most acclaimed sitcoms in recent memory. As few of them lasted more than a season or two, however, a typical Tarses comedy was more likely to be a critical darling or cult favorite …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
1996 | With Stephen Bochco, produced and served as writer for CBS sitcom "Public Morals" | |
1993 | Created and executive produced as well as wrote and directed episodes of "Black Tie Affair", a short-lived sitcom spoof of film noir | |
1992 | Debut as a playwright, "Man in His Underwear", produced off-Broadway in NYC | |
| Created, produced and sometimes wrote and directed "The 'Slap' Maxwell Story", an ABC sitcom staring Dabney Coleman | ||
| Created, produced and sometimes wrote, directed and acted on the acclaimed sitcom "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd"; on NBC from 1987-89 and Lifetime from 1989-91 | ||
1986 | Directed the busted sitcom pilot "The Faculty" (also executive produced and wrote) | |
1985 | Feature acting debut, played Coach Finstock in "Teen Wolf" | |
1984 | Debut as a TV series regular, "The Duck Factory", an NBC sitcom set at an animation studio | |
1984 | Scripted (with Patchett and Frank Oz) and provided story (with Patchett) for "The Muppets Take Manhattan" | |
| With Patchett, executive produced and wrote for the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom "Buffalo Bill" starring Dabney Coleman | ||
1983 | Co-wrote (with Patchett) and produced the Patchett-directed "Sitcom", a busted HBO sitcom pilot spoofing network sitcoms | |
| Created, produced and wrote theme music (all with Patchett) "Open All Night", an ABC sitcom about a 24-hour grocery; also portrayed Police Officer Steve | ||
1981 | Wrote (with Patchett, Jerry Juhl and Jack Rose) the screenplay for Jim Henson's "The Great Muppet Caper", a British production (and the second Muppet feature) | |
1980 | Feature writing debut (with Patchett), "Up the Academy" | |
1978 | Produced (with Patchett) "Mary", a short-lived variety vehicle for Mary Tyler Moore | |
| Created and executive produced (with Patchett), the CBS romantic sitcom "We've Got Each Other" | ||
1977 | Executive produced, wrote and co-starred in (all with Patchett) "The Chopped Liver Brothers", an unsold ABC sitcom pilot about a pair of unknown stand-up comics struggling to become headliners | |
| Created and executive produced (with Patchett) "The Tony Randall Show" on ABC (1976-77) and then CBS (1977-78) | ||
1972 | Served as executive producer (with Patchett) and writer on "The Bob Newhart Show" on CBS | |
1972 | Segued into TV comedy writing (with Patchett) as a writer on "The Carol Burnett Show"; shared an Emmy award for the 1972/73 season | |
1971 | Appeared as an ensemble member (with Patchett) on "Make Your Own Kind of Music", a summer replacement comedy-variety series on CBS | |
| First writing credit (with Patchett and others) on a TV special, "Diana", a variety outing for Diana Ross | ||
| Performed as a partner in the stand-up comedy team Patchett & Tarses | ||
1956 | Formed partnership with co-worker Tom Patchett | |
| Worked as advertising and promotion for Armstrong Cork Company in Lancaster, PA | ||
| Wrote and acted in theater in Pittsburgh, PA | ||
Awards
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing In a Comedy Series in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd |
1988 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd |
1987 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing In a Comedy Series in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd |
1984 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Buffalo Bill |
1984 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing In a Comedy Series in Buffalo Bill |
1983 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Buffalo Bill |
1983 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing In a Comedy Series in Buffalo Bill |
1977 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in The Bob Newhart Show |
1974 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Writing In Variety or Music in The Carol Burnett Show |
1973 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement In Variety or Music in The Carol Burnett Show |