Jenna McMahon obit

Jenna McMahon, Co-Creator of ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Mama’s Family,’ Dies at 89

The longtime writing partner of the late Dick Clair won three Emmy Awards for writing on 'The Carol Burnett Show.' 

She was not on the list.

Jenna McMahon, a three-time Emmy Award winner and the co-creator of the long-running comedies The Facts of Life and Mama’s Family, has died. She was 89.

McMahon, whose real name was Mary Virginia Skinner, died on March 2 of heart failure at a hospital in Monterey, Calif., her daughter, Kerry Holden-Dixon, told The Hollywood Reporter.

McMahon partnered with the late Dick Clair to form one of the top comedy writing teams of the 1970s and ’80s.

Newly arrived from New York, McMahon (her mother’s maiden name) had opened a playhouse in West Hollywood and was teaching acting when she met Clair in 1961. They came up with a comedy act along the lines of the one done by Mike Nichols and Elaine May, her daughter said.

Clair & McMahon played nightclubs, graduated to appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show, and were regulars on the short-lived comedy variety shows What’s It All About, World? and The Funny Side.

 

Writer

The Wonderful World of Disney (1997)

The Wonderful World of Disney

7.4

TV Series

creator

2001

1 episode

 

Sylvia Millecam in De Sylvia Millecam Show (1994)

De Sylvia Millecam Show

6.2

TV Series

original script (uncredited)

1994

1 episode

 

Vicki Lawrence in Mama's Family (1983)

Mama's Family

7.3

TV Series

created by

teleplay

written by (creator)

1983–1990

130 episodes

 

It's a Living (1980)

It's a Living

7.0

TV Series

created by

story (creator)

1980–1989

120 episodes

 

Nancy McKeon, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, Charlotte Rae, and Lisa Whelchel in The Facts of Life (1979)

The Facts of Life

6.8

TV Series

created by (creator)

1979–1988

201 episodes

 

Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Carol Burnett, and Carl Reiner in Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin (1987)

Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin

8.1

TV Special

Writer

1987

 

The Facts of Life Goes to Paris (1982)

The Facts of Life Goes to Paris

6.4

TV Movie

created by (creator, uncredited)

1982

 

Eunice (1982)

Eunice

8.0

TV Movie

Writer

1982

 

Billy Crystal, Katherine Helmond, Roscoe Lee Browne, Cathryn Damon, Jay Johnson, Robert Mandan, Richard Mulligan, and Arthur Peterson in Soap (1977)

Soap

8.2

TV Series

story

teleplay

written by

1980–1981

13 episodes

 

Jim Baker, Joyce Bulifant, Leo Burmester, Polly Holliday, Stephen Keep Mills, and Geoffrey Lewis in Flo (1980)

Flo

5.6

TV Series

written by

1980

1 episode

 

Carol Burnett & Company (1979)

Carol Burnett & Company

8.2

TV Series

Writer

1979

1 episode

 

Diff'rent Strokes (1978)

Diff'rent Strokes

6.6

TV Series

story by

1979

1 episode

 

Carol Burnett and Charles Grodin in The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank (1978)

The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank

6.5

TV Movie

teleplay by

1978

 

Carol Burnett in The Carol Burnett Show (1967)

The Carol Burnett Show

8.7

TV Series

writer

1973–1978

121 episodes

 

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1977)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

7.0

TV Special

written by

1977

 

Bea Arthur in Maude (1972)

Maude

7.3

TV Series

teleplay by

1974

1 episode

 

The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971)

The New Dick Van Dyke Show

6.6

TV Series

written by

1974

1 episode

 

Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

TV Movie

Writer

1973

 

The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

8.3

TV Series

written by

1972–1973

4 episodes

 

How to Handle a Woman

TV Movie

Writer

1972

 

The Bob Newhart Show (1972)

The Bob Newhart Show

8.1

TV Series

written by

1972

1 episode

 

The Rehearsal (1969)

The Rehearsal

6.1

Short

Writer

1969

 

Harper Valley, U.S.A.

8.1

TV Special

Writer

1969

 

Producer

Rider Strong in Julie (1992)

Julie

7.8

TV Series

producer

1992

2 episodes

 

Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Carol Burnett, and Carl Reiner in Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin (1987)

Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin

8.1

TV Special

producer

1987

 

Vicki Lawrence in Mama's Family (1983)

Mama's Family

7.3

TV Series

co-producer

producer

1983

13 episodes

 

Billy Crystal, Katherine Helmond, Roscoe Lee Browne, Cathryn Damon, Jay Johnson, Robert Mandan, Richard Mulligan, and Arthur Peterson in Soap (1977)

Soap

8.2

TV Series

producer

1980–1981

16 episodes

 

Rob Lowe, Eileen Brennan, Gwynne Gilford, Connie Ann Hearn, Lauri Hendler, and David Hollander in A New Kind of Family (1979)

A New Kind of Family

6.6

TV Series

producer

1979

1 episode

 

Actress

Joanna Cassidy, Mark Harmon, and John Bennett Perry in 240-Robert (1979)

240-Robert

7.3

TV Series

Mrs. Edmonds

1979

1 episode

 

Rob Lowe, Eileen Brennan, Gwynne Gilford, Connie Ann Hearn, Lauri Hendler, and David Hollander in A New Kind of Family (1979)

A New Kind of Family

6.6

TV Series

Lynette Zimmerman (voice)

1979

2 episodes

 

Welcome Back, Kotter (1975)

Welcome Back, Kotter

7.1

TV Series

Mrs. Zugler

1978

1 episode

 

The Bob Newhart Show (1972)

The Bob Newhart Show

8.1

TV Series

Shirley Wolfson

1973

1 episode

 

Love, American Style (1969)

Love, American Style

6.8

TV Series

Nancy Ellis (segment "Love and the Little Black Book")

1972

1 episode

 

The Funny Side

6.6

TV Series

Wealthy Wife

1971

6 episodes

 

The Rehearsal (1969)

The Rehearsal

6.1

Short

Janice

1969

 

What's It All About, World?

5.8

TV Series

1969

1 episode

 

Hollywood Talent Scouts (1965)

Hollywood Talent Scouts

6.6

TV Series

1966

1 episode

 

Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone (1959)

The Twilight Zone

9.1

TV Series

Nurse

1960

1 episode

 

Jay North in Dennis the Menace (1959)

Dennis the Menace

7.0

TV Series

Mrs. Melton

1959

1 episode

 

This Man Dawson (1959)

This Man Dawson

7.7

TV Series

1959

1 episode