Ernest Chambers, an 11-time Emmy Award nominee who worked with his frequent writing producing partner Saul Elson as the original showrunner. The Smothers Brothers Comedy HourHe died. He was 97 years old.
A family spokesman announced that Chambers died on Thursday after a brief illness at his home in Los Angeles.
During his half-century career in show business, Chambers produced, wrote or executive produced more than 1,000 hours of television programming, and his productions garnered 51 Emmy Award nominations.
Chambers and Elson began working together in 1963 on the first season of the series danny kay show, Then it landed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Houralso for CBS, in 1967. They spent two seasons on the historic variety show through April 1968, often battling with network censors to ensure that the countercultural comedy of Dick and Tom Smothers reached viewers across America.
“We were part of something groundbreaking,” Chambers said in an interview. THR An oral history of the show was published in 2017. “It proved that you could make topical satire, which led to great shows today like The Simpsons and South Park“.
The husband also worked on The suffocating summer fraternity show in 1968 and in popular TV specials and series featuring the likes of Frank Sinatra, Leslie Uggams, Doris Day, Bobby Darin, Carol Channing, Tony Orlando and Don.
On his own, Chambers has also written and/or produced shows for Neil Sedaka, Donna Summer, Barry Manilow, Captain and Tennille, Barbara Mandrell, and Gilda Radner, and produced Merv Griffin’s long-running talk show and competition show. Dance fever.
Chambers was born in Philadelphia on December 28, 1928, served in the U.S. Army and studied at Columbia University, where he was editor of the college humor magazine. The clown.
In New York, he worked as a copywriter by day while writing comedy sketches and songs for the vibrant club scene by night, arriving on Broadway in 1961, where he wrote for a Channing play. Show girl.
Chambers then headed to Hollywood and wrote in 1960s series such as… The Bob Newhart Show (various program), My three sons, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Danny Kaye Show.
He wrote the musical Dennis the Menaceexecutive produced a 1993 film adaptation starring Walter Matthau and Mason Gamble and served as Vice President of Television and Film at Merv Griffin Entertainment.
In 1997, he was executive producer of the game show Griffin Entertainment Clickwhich gave Ryan Seacrest one of his first hosting gigs.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Veronica; His daughters, Alison and Catherine. His son Christopher. And five grandchildren. Another son, Brian Chambers, film editor (NYPD blue, Judging Amy) and television director, died in 2011 at the age of 56.
A memorial will be held in Beverly Hills in the coming weeks. For details, email ECMemorial2026@gmail.com.
