Norman Abbott obit

Norman Abbott, Veteran Sitcom Director, Dies at 93

 

He was not on the list.

Norman Abbott, the nephew of comedian Bud Abbott who directed numerous 1960s and ’70s sitcoms such as “Get Smart” and “The Brady Bunch,” died July 9 in Valencia, Calif. at the age of 93.

Born in New York, Norman Abbott was raised by his mother and his uncle, Bud Abbott, the straight man of the legendary comedy team of Abbott and Costello, as well as his aunt Florence Abbott and uncle Harry Abbott of Barnum & Bailey.

Norman Abbott served in World War II in the original Navy Seals unit, and was encouraged by his uncle to join the family business. He started his five decade career in show business as a radio announcer on “The Colgate Family Hour” and as stage manager on the “I Love Lucy Show.”

He went on to direct some of television’s most loved sitcoms, including “The Jack Benny Show,” for which he won an Emmy Award in 1965. He directed numerous episodes of “Leave It To Beaver,” “Father Knows Best,” “Get Smart,” “Bachelor Father,” “McHale’s Navy,” “Adam 12,” “The Munsters,” “Sanford & Sons,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Love American Style,” “Stars of Jazz” and “The Bob Hope Show.”

In later years, Abbott directed episodes of “Welcome Back Kotter” and “Alice.” He made his movie directing debut in 1966 with the quirky comedy “The Last of the Secret Agents” starring Marty Allen and Steve Rossi.

He also occasionally worked as an actor and comedian, with roles in the Abbott and Costello comedies “Who Done It?” and “Rio Rita.”

Abbott, the brainchild behind the Broadway sensation Sugar Babies, the comeback vehicle for Mickey Rooney in the late 1970s, died Saturday in Valencia, Calif., according to Richard Lertzman, co-author of the 2015 book The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney.

He is survived by his wife Dominique; children Christine, William, Jennifer and Norman Jr.; his sister, veteran script supervisor Betty Abbott Griffin; three step-sons and four grandchildren.

Director

Newport Jazz '89

TV Special

Director

1989

 

The Munsters Today (1987)

The Munsters Today

5.1

TV Series

Director

1988–1989

2 episodes

 

Scott Baio, Willie Aames, Julie Cobb, April Lerman, Michael Pearlman, Jonathan Ward, and James Widdoes in Charles in Charge (1984)

Charles in Charge

6.1

TV Series

Director

1989

1 episode

 

Barbara Billingsley, Tony Dow, and Jerry Mathers in The New Leave It to Beaver (1983)

The New Leave It to Beaver

5.8

TV Series

Director

1984–1986

3 episodes

 

Rocky Road (1985)

Rocky Road

7.5

TV Series

Director

1986

2 episodes

 

The Disney Disc of Mystery and Magic

Video

Director

1984

 

Stars Over Texas

7.4

TV Movie

Director

1982

 

Bob Hope's Spring Fling

7.4

TV Special

Director

1981

 

A Love Letter to Jack Benny (1981)

A Love Letter to Jack Benny

8.0

TV Movie

Director

1981

 

Ron Moody in Nobody's Perfect (1980)

Nobody's Perfect

7.0

TV Series

Director

1980

3 episodes

 

Polly Holliday, Beth Howland, and Linda Lavin in Alice (1976)

Alice

6.8

TV Series

Director

1976–1980

6 episodes

 

Doris Roberts, Donna Pescow, and Debralee Scott in Angie (1979)

Angie

7.0

TV Series

Director

1979

1 episode

 

Lorenzo Lamas, Marc McClure, Jimmy McNichol, and Michele Tobin in California Fever (1979)

California Fever

7.5

TV Mini Series

Director

1979

1 episode

 

Michael Keaton and Jim Belushi in Working Stiffs (1979)

Working Stiffs

6.6

TV Series

Director

1979

2 episodes

 

Welcome Back, Kotter (1975)

Welcome Back, Kotter

7.1

TV Series

director:

1978–1979

23 episodes

 

Corey Feldman, Shane Butterworth, Tricia Cast, Billy Jayne, Sparky Marcus, Meeno Peluce, and Kristoff St. John in The Bad News Bears (1979)

The Bad News Bears

6.8

TV Series

Director

1979

2 episodes

 

Danny and the Mermaid

8.8

TV Movie

Director

1978

 

Robert Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (1977)

Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas

7.6

TV Movie

Director

1977

 

Abe Vigoda, Todd Bridges, Len Bari, John Cassisi, Barry Gordon, Denise Miller, Sarah Natoli, and Florence Stanley in Fish (1977)

Fish

6.4

TV Series

Director

1977

1 episode

 

Jamie Lee Curtis, John Astin, Bond Gideon, Richard Gilliland, Melinda Naud, and Dorrie Thomson in Operation Petticoat (1977)

Operation Petticoat

6.5

TV Series

Director

1977

4 episodes

 

Rose on Broadway (1977)

Rose on Broadway

TV Special

Director

1977

 

Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson in Sanford and Son (1972)

Sanford and Son

7.9

TV Series

Director

1974–1976

11 episodes

 

The Ghost Busters (1975)

The Ghost Busters

7.0

TV Series

Director

1975

8 episodes

 

When Things Were Rotten (1975)

When Things Were Rotten

7.2

TV Series

Director

1975

1 episode

 

Clifton Davis, Ted Lange, Theresa Merritt, Lynne Moody, and Teddy Wilson in That's My Mama (1974)

That's My Mama

7.0

TV Series

Director

1975

2 episodes

 

Kent McCord and Martin Milner in Adam-12 (1968)

Adam-12

7.7

TV Series

Director

1974

2 episodes

 

Jack Benny and George Burns in Jack Benny's Second Farewell Special (1974)

Jack Benny's Second Farewell Special

8.4

TV Special

Director

1974

 

Love, American Style (1969)

Love, American Style

6.8

TV Series

Director

1972–1973

5 episodes

 

Jack Benny's First Farewell Special (1973)

Jack Benny's First Farewell Special

8.8

TV Special

Director

1973

 

Nanny and the Professor (1970)

Nanny and the Professor

7.1

TV Series

Director

1970–1971

3 episodes

 

Once Upon a Tour (1971)

Once Upon a Tour

TV Movie

Director

1971

 

Don Knotts in The Don Knotts Show (1970)

The Don Knotts Show

7.5

TV Series

Director

1970–1971

13 episodes

 

Jack Benny and George Burns in Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Jack Benny But Were Afraid to Ask (1971)

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Jack Benny But Were Afraid to Ask

8.7

TV Special

Director

1971

 

Eve Plumb, Florence Henderson, Susan Olsen, Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, Maureen McCormick, and Barry Williams in The Brady Bunch (1969)

The Brady Bunch

6.8

TV Series

Director

1970

1 episode

 

Michael Constantine, Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, and Karen Valentine in Room 222 (1969)

Room 222

7.7

TV Series

Director

1970

1 episode

 

Jack Benny in Jack Benny's New Look (1969)

Jack Benny's New Look

7.5

TV Special

Director

1969

 

Jim Backus, Henny Backus, Pamelyn Ferdin, Patricia Harty, Will Hutchins, and Peter Robbins in Blondie (1968)

Blondie

6.4

TV Series

Director

1968

7 episodes

 

Jack Benny's Bag

8.1

TV Special

Director

1968

 

Don Adams and Barbara Feldon in Get Smart (1965)

Get Smart

8.2

TV Series

Director

1967

4 episodes

 

The Last of the Secret Agents? (1966)

The Last of the Secret Agents?

4.6

Director

1966

 

Where the Action Is (1965)

Where the Action Is

8.3

TV Series

Director

1965

1 episode

 

Yvonne De Carlo, Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, and Pat Priest in The Munsters (1964)

The Munsters

7.8

TV Series

Director

1964–1965

12 episodes

 

Karen (1964)

Karen

8.1

TV Series

Director

1964–1965

2 episodes

 

Jack Benny in The Jack Benny Program (1950)

The Jack Benny Program

8.6

TV Series

Director

1961–1965

38 episodes

 

McHale's Navy (1962)

McHale's Navy

7.4

TV Series

Director

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962)

I'm Dickens, He's Fenster

7.6

TV Series

Director

1962–1963

16 episodes

 

McKeever and the Colonel (1962)

McKeever and the Colonel

7.5

TV Series

Director

1962–1963

4 episodes

 

Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers in Leave It to Beaver (1957)

Leave It to Beaver

7.6

TV Series

Director

1960–1962

43 episodes

 

Ichabod and Me (1961)

Ichabod and Me

7.3

TV Series

Director

1961–1962

6 episodes

 

Jay North in Dennis the Menace (1959)

Dennis the Menace

7.0

TV Series

Director

1960

1 episode

 

Bachelor Father (1957)

Bachelor Father

7.2

TV Series

Director

1959–1960

3 episodes

 

Ernie Kovacs in Take a Good Look (1959)

Take a Good Look

7.2

TV Series

Director

1959

1 episode

 

Jeanne Bal and William Demarest in Love and Marriage (1959)

Love and Marriage

4.8

TV Series

Director

1959

1 episode

 

The Dennis O'Keefe Show (1959)

The Dennis O'Keefe Show

7.4

TV Series

Director

1959

1 episode

 

Phyllis Kirk, Peter Lawford, and Asta in The Thin Man (1957)

The Thin Man

7.1

TV Series

Director

1959

3 episodes

 

The All-Star Christmas Show (1958)

The All-Star Christmas Show

6.4

TV Special

Director (as Norm Abbott)

1958

 

The George Gobel Show (1954)

The George Gobel Show

7.5

TV Series

Director

1958

6 episodes

 

Studio One (1948)

Studio One

7.6

TV Series

Director

1958

1 episode

 

Stars of Jazz (1956)

Stars of Jazz

TV Series

Director

1956

3 episodes

 

Producer

Jack Benny and George Burns in Jack Benny's Second Farewell Special (1974)

Jack Benny's Second Farewell Special

8.4

TV Special

producer

1974

 

Jack Benny's First Farewell Special (1973)

Jack Benny's First Farewell Special

8.8

TV Special

producer

1973

 

Jack Benny and George Burns in Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Jack Benny But Were Afraid to Ask (1971)

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Jack Benny But Were Afraid to Ask

8.7

TV Special

producer

1971

 

Jack Benny in Jack Benny's New Look (1969)

Jack Benny's New Look

7.5

TV Special

producer

1969

 

Jack Benny's Bag

8.1

TV Special

producer

1968

 

The Last of the Secret Agents? (1966)

The Last of the Secret Agents?

4.6

producer (produced by)

1966

 

Jack Benny in The Jack Benny Program (1950)

The Jack Benny Program

8.6

TV Series

producer

1961–1965

23 episodes

 

Actor

The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950)

The Colgate Comedy Hour

7.7

TV Series

Radio Announcer

1954

2 episodes

 

Janet Leigh and Donald O'Connor in Walking My Baby Back Home (1953)

Walking My Baby Back Home

6.2

Doc

1953

 

Ann Blyth, Cecil Kellaway, Mark Stevens, and Jesse White in Katie Did It (1950)

Katie Did It

6.2

Chick (uncredited)

1950

 

Frank Albertson, Norman Abbott, Evelyn Ankers, Gabriel Dell, Huntz Hall, Shemp Howard, Bobby Jordan, Elyse Knox, and Don Porter in Keep 'Em Slugging (1943)

Keep 'Em Slugging

6.2

Ape

1943

 

Ann Rutherford and Red Skelton in Whistling in Dixie (1942)

Whistling in Dixie

6.5

Attendant (uncredited)

1942

 

William Bendix, Bud Abbott, Louise Allbritton, Lou Costello, William Gargan, and Patric Knowles in Who Done It? (1942)

Who Done It?

7.3

Organist (uncredited)

1942

 

The Affairs of Martha (1942)

The Affairs of Martha

6.5

Newsboy (uncredited)

1942

 

Van Heflin, Patricia Dane, Virginia Grey, Sam Levene, and Cecilia Parker in Grand Central Murder (1942)

Grand Central Murder

6.5

Whistling Messenger (uncredited)

1942

 

Bud Abbott, John Carroll, Lou Costello, and Kathryn Grayson in Rio Rita (1942)

Rio Rita

6.0

Hotel Laundry Boy (uncredited)

1942