Ellen Idelson
Encyclopedia
Ellen Idelson was an American television producer
, writer and actress
.
, California
. She is the daughter of actor and television writer Bill Idelson
and actress Seemah Wilder.
She attended San Francisco State University
and the Harvard University
American Repertory Theatre Advanced Training Institute, following the career paths of both her parents.
As a television producer and writer she worked on the series The Nanny
, Caroline in the City
, Ellen
, Boy Meets World
, Will & Grace
, Suddenly Susan
, Grosse Pointe
and Working
(only as a producer). All of the aforementioned work was with fellow writer and producer Rob Lotterstein
.
As an actress she did a number theatre work performing in local Los Angeles theaters, including the Mark Taper Forum and productions of Theatre West and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival. She also appeared on television in sketches of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
and having small roles in Will & Grace
. In 2001, she had the lead role in the independent film Moose Mating. Idelson also helped found Los Angeles Theatresports, serving as artistic director.
due complications from Crohn's disease
, a disease she suffered from for much of her life. She was 42 years old.
The pilot episode of Fox
sitcom The War at Home
was dedicated in her memory. The series was created and executive produced by Idelson's former producing and writing partner, Rob Lotterstein
.
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, writer and actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Life and career
Idelson was born Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She is the daughter of actor and television writer Bill Idelson
Bill Idelson
Bill Idelson was an actor and scriptwriter best known for his teenage role as Rush Gook on the radio comedy Vic and Sade and his later, recurring television role on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s, before making a distinguished third career as a television writer, director and producer....
and actress Seemah Wilder.
She attended San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
and the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
American Repertory Theatre Advanced Training Institute, following the career paths of both her parents.
As a television producer and writer she worked on the series The Nanny
The Nanny
Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
, Caroline in the City
Caroline in the City
Caroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran from September 21, 1995 to April 26, 1999 on the NBC television network. It starred Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy. The series premiered in the two-hour Thursday night block led by Friends.-Premise:Caroline Duffy is a...
, Ellen
Ellen (TV series)
Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas...
, Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the...
, Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
, Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe (TV series)
Grosse Pointe is an American television parody series which aired on the WB Network during the 2000-2001 television season. Created by Darren Star, it was a satire depicting the behind-the-scenes drama on the set of a television show, and was inspired in large part by Star's experiences as the...
and Working
Working (TV series)
Working was an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1997 to 1999. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Davidoff and Bill Rosenthal.-Synopsis:...
(only as a producer). All of the aforementioned work was with fellow writer and producer Rob Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein is an American television writer, producer and creator. He has produced and written for numerous television sitcoms including Boy Meets World, Suddenly Susan, Ellen, and Will & Grace, as well as serving as creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed FOX sitcom The War...
.
As an actress she did a number theatre work performing in local Los Angeles theaters, including the Mark Taper Forum and productions of Theatre West and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival. She also appeared on television in sketches of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
and having small roles in Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
. In 2001, she had the lead role in the independent film Moose Mating. Idelson also helped found Los Angeles Theatresports, serving as artistic director.
Death
Idelson died on September 19, 2003 at the Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
due complications from Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
, a disease she suffered from for much of her life. She was 42 years old.
The pilot episode of Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
sitcom The War at Home
The War at Home (TV series)
The War at Home is an American sitcom that ran from September 11, 2005 to April 22, 2007 on Fox. It follows the antics of a largely dysfunctional Long Island family...
was dedicated in her memory. The series was created and executive produced by Idelson's former producing and writing partner, Rob Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein is an American television writer, producer and creator. He has produced and written for numerous television sitcoms including Boy Meets World, Suddenly Susan, Ellen, and Will & Grace, as well as serving as creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed FOX sitcom The War...
.