Los Angeles, CA – Emmy award-winning comedy writer Gary Belkin, known for his work on such stalwarts as The Carol Burnett Show and Sesame Street, died this past Thursday. The 78-year-old reportedly succumbed to emphysema.
The Bronx, New York, native first broke into comedy by pitching cartoon ideas to The New Yorker magazine and writing radio copy. He later landed his first television job in 1954, working with Sid Caesar’s Caesar’s Hour.
Belkin, who went on to write for a plethora of variety shows, sitcoms and other programs, received an Emmy award in 1985 for his PBS sex-education program VD Blues. He earned Emmy nominations for Sesame Street in 1985, and for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1987. In addition to eight years at Carol Burnett, Belkin's credits include such prominent primetime series as Three’s Company, Newhart, and Get Smart.
In 1996, the Writers Guild West coordinated a special reunion with Belkin and his other writing team colleagues from Caesar’s Hour and Caesar's Your Show of Show's for a special PBS pledge-drive broadcast called Caesar’s Writers. The pledge drive special featured Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, as well as Belkin and others. Sid Ceasar recounted in his 2003 book of memoirs, Caesar's Hours, that the energy in the room during that PBS special simulated what really went on in his writers’ room years ago. He said the "chemistry, respect and affection were still there" between Belkin and his colleagues.
Belkin is survived by friends.