Saul Turtelaub obit

Saul Turteltaub, N.J. writer and producer from ‘The Carol Burnett Show,’ ‘Sanford and Son,’ dead at 87

He was not on the list.

Saul Turteltaub, a writer and producer known for his work on “Sanford and Son," The Carol Burnett Show," “That Girl” and more, died Thursday.

He was 87.

Turteltaub, a Teaneck native, died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, according to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

“To say this was a talented, funny, loving and beloved man is truly an understatement,” his son, director Jon Turteltaub, said in a statement.

In addition to his Emmy-nominated work for TV — he worked on 23 sitcoms — Turteltaub, who grew up in Englewood, was known for being a mentor to many emerging talents, helping comedians and actors like Richard Pryor, Garry Shandling, Dana Carvey, Nathan Lane, George Clooney and Meg Ryan get their start.

Turteltaub worked with writing partner Bernie Orenstein on shows including “Sanford and Son,” “What’s Happening!!” “Kate & Allie,” “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show,” “13 Queens Boulevard" and “Carter Country,” among others.

In a 2016 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Turteltaub talked about being inspired by comedians.

“I used to admire those guys more than the singers and more than the actors because they would say something and 200 people in the audience would laugh,” he said. “So it was my job when I was doing ‘Sanford and Son’ to make 20 million people all over the country laugh at the same time and never hear it. But it was enough to hear the audience in the studio.”

He got his start in comedy in the Castskills after being hired with a friend for a routine that required him to strip off his clothes and reveal a Superman costume.

Turteltaub was nominated for an Emmy for his work on “The Carol Burnett Show" and two Emmys for “That Was the Week That Was.”

“Saul Turteltaub along with his partner Bernie Orenstein created some of the funniest sitcoms ever to grace television,” director Howard Murray, who worked with Turteltaub, said in a Facebook post Friday. “But that’s only a small part of his legacy. Saul was by any measure, a mensch among mensches. He had a wonderful effect on my career and my life. He gave me my first chance to direct a show, and nurtured me for many years. But it was the man that impressed me the most. He has a beautiful family, which always came first. He embraced everyone with his charm and humor. He showed me that a comedy set could be both fun and creative, which I always aspired to. But mainly he was a man that possessed great kindness.”

Turteltaub’s other credits include “Candid Camera," “Cosby" and “Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine.” He also wrote the 1997 movie “Roseanna’s Grave,” starring Mercedes Ruehl and Jean Reno.

In 1947, Turteltaub dated the future Lamb Chop creator Shari Lewis (then known as Phyllis Hurwitz) at summer camp. Later, he created some sketches for Lewis as a thank you for arranging a job inquiry after he got out of the Army. The sketches got him hired.

“I would like to be remembered every Tuesday at 3 o’clock,” Turteltaub mused when he was asked the question in the Television Academy Foundation interview. “I would like to be remembered as a good father and a good husband, that’s it.”

Turteltaub is survived by his wife of 59 years, Shirley; his sons, Adam and Jon; his sister, Helena; and five grandchildren.