Don Nelson obit

Writer, producer Don Nelson dies at age 86

He was not on the list.

Screenwriter, film producer and musician Don Nelson passed away Tuesday at age 86. Nelson contributed to over 200 episodes of the long-running sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Nelson suffered from Parkinson's disease and died of an aortic aneurysm in his home.

In addition to Ozzie and Harriot, Ozzie Nelson's younger brother (by 21 years) wrote for TV shows The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Dorris Day Show, The Donna Reed Show, Julia, Bridget Loves Bernie and The Mothers-in-Law, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

The comedy writer used his talents to get gigs at Universal Studios, Fox Studios and Hanna-Barbera Productions. Nelson also spent some time co-writing for Disney. He contributed to several films, including popular titles No Deposit, No Return, Gus, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and Hot Lead and Cold Feet.

As a musician, Nelson put out two albums in which he was featured as a jazz singer and soprano saxophonist. He started playing his saxophone in older brother Ozzie's band when he was just 16. He also played in a band while he served in the Navy.

Nelson is survived by his third wife Marilyn and daughters Kathy Nelson and Laurie Nelson Weatherston.

He is best known for his work on the American situation comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, for which he wrote from 1952 to 1966. The series starred his elder brother Ozzie Nelson, his sister-in-law Harriet Nelson and his nephews David Nelson and Ricky Nelson.

Nelson was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, and raised in Tenafly, New Jersey. During the late 1950s, Nelson started a musical career which lasted over four decades. He had worked with Johnny Varro and was also a member of two Jazz bands. Nelson died at his home in Studio City, California due to Parkinson's disease.

 

Writer

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Droopy: Master Detective

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written byWriter

1993

5 episodes

 

Tom & Jerry Kids Show (1990)

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1992

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The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda (1990)

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Writer

1991

1 episode

 

The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)

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6.5

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1987

 

Daws Butler, Don Messick, George O'Hanlon, Penny Singleton, Jean Vander Pyl, and Janet Waldo in The Jetsons (1962)

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7.0

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story editor

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The Flintstone Kids (1986)

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teleplay bystory editor

1986–1987

26 episodes

 

Paw Paws (1985)

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story editor

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The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1984)

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5.0

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Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker in Simon & Simon (1981)

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7.1

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story

1983

1 episode

 

Walt Disney in The Magical World of Disney (1954)

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8.3

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writer

1977–1982

3 episodes

 

Herbie, the Love Bug (1982)

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1982

4 episodes

 

Crash Island (1981)

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1981

 

The Munsters' Revenge (1981)

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5.9

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1981

 

Frankie & Annette: The Second Time Around

6.1

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1978

 

Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978)

Hot Lead and Cold Feet

6.1

screenplay

1978

 

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo

5.7

written by

1977

 

Edward Asner, Tim Conway, Gary Grimes, Don Knotts, Ronnie Schell, Dick Van Patten, and Louise Williams in Gus (1976)

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Writer

1976

 

David Niven, Kim Richards, Herschel Bernardi, Barbara Feldon, Don Knotts, Darren McGavin, and Brad Savage in No Deposit, No Return (1976)

No Deposit, No Return

6.4

screenplay

1976

 

Harriet Nelson, Ozzie Nelson, Susan Sennett, and Brenda Sykes in Ozzie's Girls (1973)

Ozzie's Girls

7.3

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screenplaywritten by

1973

2 episodes

 

The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (1972)

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7.4

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1972–1973

3 episodes

 

Meredith Baxter and David Birney in Bridget Loves Bernie (1972)

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6.7

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1972–1973

3 episodes

 

Nanny and the Professor (1970)

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8 episodes

 

Diahann Carroll and Marc Copage in Julia (1968)

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3 episodes

 

Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare in The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1968)

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7.7

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written by

1969–1970

4 episodes

 

Doris Day in The Doris Day Show (1968)

The Doris Day Show

7.2

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written by

1969–1970

2 episodes

 

Bob Denver and Herb Edelman in The Good Guys (1968)

The Good Guys

6.9

TV Series

Writer

1969

1 episode

 

The Mothers-In-Law (1967)

The Mothers-In-Law

7.2

TV Series

written by

1968

1 episode

 

Harriet Nelson, David Nelson, Ozzie Nelson, and Ricky Nelson in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952)

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

7.4

TV Series

screenplayscreen play bywritten by ...

1952–1966

379 episodes

 

Ernestine

TV Movie

Writer

1962

 

The Comedy Spot (1960)

The Comedy Spot

7.0

TV Series

writer

1962

1 episode

 

The Donna Reed Show (1958)

The Donna Reed Show

7.4

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written by

1958

1 episode

 

Bachelor Father (1957)

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7.3

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written by

1957

1 episode

 

Ann Barnes, Pamela Britton, Arthur Lake, and Stuffy Singer in Blondie (1957)

Blondie

6.9

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written by

1957

1 episode

 

Christmas with the Nelsons, Part Two: The Later Years

Writer

1956

 

The Great Gildersleeve (1954)

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7.0

TV Series

writer

1954–1956

1 episode

 

Jim Backus, Chubby Johnson, and Ozzie Nelson in Here Come the Nelsons (1952)

Here Come the Nelsons

6.5

screenplaystory (as Donald Nelson, as Donald Nelson)

1952

 

Christmas with the Nelsons: The Early Years

Writer

1952

 

Additional Crew

Young Robin Hood (1991)

Young Robin Hood

6.9

TV Series

story consultant

1991–1992

26 episodes

 

The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda (1990)

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6.9

TV Series

story editor

1990–1991

26 episodes

 

Foofur (1986)

Foofur

5.9

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story editor

1987

13 episodes

 

Daws Butler, Don Messick, George O'Hanlon, Penny Singleton, Jean Vander Pyl, and Janet Waldo in The Jetsons (1962)

The Jetsons

7.0

TV Series

story editor

1985–1987

51 episodes

 

The Flintstone Kids (1986)

The Flintstone Kids

5.8

TV Series

story editor

1986–1987

24 episodes

 

Nanny and the Professor (1970)

Nanny and the Professor

7.2

TV Series

story editor

1970–1971

39 episodes

 

Then Came Bronson (1969)

Then Came Bronson

8.0

TV Series

story editor

1969

1 episode

 

Producer

Herbie, the Love Bug (1982)

Herbie, the Love Bug

6.3

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supervising producer

1982

5 episodes

 

Crash Island (1981)

Crash Island

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producer

1981

 

The Munsters' Revenge (1981)

The Munsters' Revenge

5.9

TV Movie

co-producer

1981

 

Meredith Baxter and David Birney in Bridget Loves Bernie (1972)

Bridget Loves Bernie

6.7

TV Series

producer

1972–1973

23 episodes

 

Actor

Harriet Nelson, David Nelson, Ozzie Nelson, and Ricky Nelson in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952)

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

7.4

TV Series

Man at Parade with Two Girls (uncredited)

1956

1 episode

 

Script and Continuity Department

Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare in The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1968)

The Ghost & Mrs. Muir

7.7

TV Series

script consultant

1969–1970

23 episodes

 

Soundtrack

Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978)

Hot Lead and Cold Feet

6.1

writer: "Something Good Is Bound to Happen"

1978

 

Thanks

Biography (1987)

Biography

7.7

TV Series

special thanks

1998

1 episode