Jay Tarses
Encyclopedia
Jay Tarses is an American television comedy writer and producer. He created and produced The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
and The Slap Maxwell Story
, co-created Buffalo Bill
(with Tom Patchett), and was an executive producer for The Bob Newhart Show
. His daughter is Jamie Tarses
, former ABC
Entertainment chief and current Pariah partner.
His most notable acting role was as Coach Bobby Finstock in the 1980s teen comedy Teen Wolf
. He also co-starred with Jim Carrey
on the short-lived sitcom The Duck Factory
in 1984.
He was co-creator and co-writer (with Andy Hamilton
) for BBC Radio 4
's situation comedy
set in colonial-era
Baltimore, Revolting People
, where he also plays the role of sour shopkeeper Samuel Oliphant to Hamilton's cheerfully corrupt British soldier Sergeant McGurk.
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd is an NBC/Lifetime comedy-drama that aired from 1987 to 1991. It was created by Jay Tarses and starred Blair Brown in the title role.-Premise:...
and The Slap Maxwell Story
The Slap Maxwell Story
The Slap Maxwell Story was a situation comedy broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1987-88 lineup....
, co-created Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill (TV series)
Buffalo Bill is an American television situation comedy that featured the misadventures of an egotistical talk show host and his staff at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. It premiered May 31, 1983 on NBC and ran for only part of two seasons...
(with Tom Patchett), and was an executive producer for The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, , to April 1, . Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers...
. His daughter is Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses was head of ABC's entertainment division from 1996 to 1999, the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network...
, former ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Entertainment chief and current Pariah partner.
His most notable acting role was as Coach Bobby Finstock in the 1980s teen comedy Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf is a 1985 American fantasy comedy film released by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf...
. He also co-starred with Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
on the short-lived sitcom The Duck Factory
The Duck Factory
The Duck Factory is a 1984 NBC television series produced by MTM Enterprises that is perhaps most notable for being Jim Carrey's first lead role in a Hollywood production....
in 1984.
He was co-creator and co-writer (with Andy Hamilton
Andy Hamilton
Andrew Neil Hamilton is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter and radio dramatist.-Early life:...
) for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
set in colonial-era
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
Baltimore, Revolting People
Revolting People
Revolting People is a BBC Radio 4 situation comedy set in colonial Baltimore, Maryland, just before the American Revolutionary War. The series is written by the Briton Andy Hamilton and the American Jay Tarses, with Tarses playing a sour shopkeeper named Samuel Oliphant and Hamilton playing a...
, where he also plays the role of sour shopkeeper Samuel Oliphant to Hamilton's cheerfully corrupt British soldier Sergeant McGurk.
Selected Filmography
- The Bob Newhart ShowThe Bob Newhart ShowThe Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, , to April 1, . Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers...
(1972-1976) (TV) - The Carol Burnett ShowThe Carol Burnett ShowThe Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33...
(1972-1978) (TV) - The Tony Randall ShowThe Tony Randall ShowThe Tony Randall Show is an American television sitcom that debuted on September 23, 1976 and aired on ABC during its first season and on CBS for its second and final season.-Synopsis:...
(1976) (TV) (Co-Creator, with Tom Patchett) - The Chopped Liver Brothers (with Tom Patchett and Hugh WilsonHugh WilsonHugh Wilson is an American director, writer and actor. He is best known as the creator and executive producer of the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and Frank's Place....
) (1977) (TV) - We've Got Each Other (1977) (TV)
- Mary (1978) (TV)
- Up the AcademyUp the AcademyMAD Magazine Presents Up the Academy is an American teen comedy film released in 1980, with a plot about the outrageous antics of a group of misfits at a military school.-Production:...
(with Tom Patchett) (1980) - The Great Muppet CaperThe Great Muppet CaperThe Great Muppet Caper is a 1981 mystery comedy film directed by Jim Henson. It is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, starring Jim Henson's Muppets. This film was produced by Henson Associates, ITC Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and premiered on 26 July 1981. The...
(with Tom Patchett, Jerry JuhlJerry JuhlJerome Ravn "Jerry" Juhl was an American television and movie writer, best known for his work with Jim Henson's "Muppets".Juhl was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; his family moved to Menlo Park, California, when he was 14...
and Jack RoseJack RoseJack Rose may refer to:* Jack Rose , a classic cocktail* Jack Rose American gambler and underworld figure in NYC* Jack Rose , American guitarist...
) (1981) - Open All Night (1981) (TV) (Creator)
- Buffalo BillBuffalo Bill (TV series)Buffalo Bill is an American television situation comedy that featured the misadventures of an egotistical talk show host and his staff at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. It premiered May 31, 1983 on NBC and ran for only part of two seasons...
(1983) (TV) (Co-Creator, with Tom Patchett) - The Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets, and also the final film before Henson's death. This film was produced by Henson Associates and TriStar Pictures, and was filmed on location in New York City during the summer of...
(with Tom Patchett and Frank OzFrank OzFrank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
) (1984) - The Slap Maxwell StoryThe Slap Maxwell StoryThe Slap Maxwell Story was a situation comedy broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1987-88 lineup....
(1987) (TV) (Creator) - The Days and Nights of Molly DoddThe Days and Nights of Molly DoddThe Days and Nights of Molly Dodd is an NBC/Lifetime comedy-drama that aired from 1987 to 1991. It was created by Jay Tarses and starred Blair Brown in the title role.-Premise:...
(1987-1991) (TV) (Creator) - Black Tie Affair (1993) (TV)
- Public MoralsPublic Morals (TV series)Public Morals is an American situation comedy that aired on the CBS network in October 1996. Created and executive produced by Steven Bochco, the series was poorly received and was canceled after airing only one episode.-Synopsis:...
(1996) (TV) (Co-Creator, with Steven BochcoSteven BochcoSteven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
)