Woody Fraser obit

Woody Fraser Dies: Prolific Producer Behind ‘The Mike Douglas Show’ & ‘Good Morning America’ Was 90

 

He was not on the list.

Woody Fraser, a prolific producer, creator and director behind such successful variety and news shows like The Mike Douglas Show and Good Morning America, died December 21. He was 90.

Fraser was born on November 16, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He was a producer and director, known for The Richard Simmons Show (1980), The Mike Douglas Show (1961) and Life's Most Embarrassing Moments (1983). He was married to Noreen Fraser.

He was nominated for numerous Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on series like The Mike Douglas Show, GMA, The Dick Cavett Show and The Richard Simmons Show; in 1982, he won the award for the lattermost show, shared with his wife Noreen Fraser, also a producer, who died in 2017 from breast cancer. Notably, Fraser is responsible for establishing GMA as the foremost morning news and entertainment program during his tenure as the show’s first executive producer.

The news was confirmed by Fraser’s daughter Stacy.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who worked with Fraser and considered him a friend, also confirmed the death via social media, writing, “Woody Fraser was EP of my @FoxNews TV show & a TV pioneer. He was creator of many TV shows over 7 decades. He gave Roger Ailes his 1st TV job. I loved the guy. He was my mentor in TV. He died this weekend at age of 90. He was a legend.”

Fraser began his career in 1960 as a director for NBC, the same year he first met Mike Douglas and created the co-host concept, launching his eponymous show — one of the longest-running and preeminently successful talk shows in TV history.

From 1966 and 1973, he oversaw an unprecedented 32.5 hours of television programming every week, with simultaneous airings of The Mike Douglas Show, The Dick Cavett Show, The Della Reese Show, The Bill Russell Show and Kid Talk. Additional programs include On Trial, What Would You Do?, The Family Challenge, That’s Incredible!, The Home Show, Home & Family, America Alive, People Do the Craziest Things, Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments and more over the course of his 50 years in Hollywood.

In more recent years, he was behind CNBC’s McEnroe and Fox News’ Huckabee. He also supported his wife’s Stand Up to Cancer telethons, which united networks ABC, NBC and CBS to raise more than $100 million for research and awareness.

In 2018, Fraser was the subject of a wrongful termination and sexual harassment lawsuit on part of two former employees of Home & Family, who alleged they were unfairly kicked out by Hallmark Channel owner Crown Media Family Networks. Fraser was eventually removed by the parent company after a number of female employees and staffers took their long term claims to attorney Lisa Bloom.

Producer

Huckabee (2008)

Huckabee

3.6

TV Series

executive producer (2009-, uncredited)

2008–2017

 

The Who: The Vegas Job (2006)

The Who: The Vegas Job

7.4

Video

executive producer

2006

 

Xtreme Fakeovers

8.3

TV Series

producer

2005

1 episode

 

McEnroe (2004)

McEnroe

4.5

TV Series

executive producer

2004

16 episodes

 

Robert R. Shafer, Ryan Seacrest, and Nick Vallelonga in Ultimate Revenge (2001)

Ultimate Revenge

4.6

TV Series

producer

2002

3 episodes

 

Kiss: Live in Las Vegas (2002)

Kiss: Live in Las Vegas

5.9

Video

executive producer

2002

 

People Do the Craziest Things

TV Series

executive producer (2001)

2001

 

Pixelon's iBash (1999)

Pixelon's iBash

4.4

executive producer

1999

 

Home & Family (1996)

Home & Family

8.8

TV Series

producer

1997

1 episode

 

Wild Animal Games (1995)

Wild Animal Games

TV Series

executive producer

1995–1996

 

Family Challenge (1995)

Family Challenge

7.4

TV Series

executive producer

1995–1997

 

The Home Show (1988)

The Home Show

3.0

TV Series

executive producer

1988–1994

11 episodes

 

The World's Funniest Commercials

7.1

TV Special

executive producer

1994

 

Susan Powter in Shopping with Susan (1993)

Shopping with Susan

Video

executive producer

1993

 

What Would You Do? (1991)

What Would You Do?

7.3

TV Series

executive producer

1991

30 episodes

 

Wild & Crazy Kids (1990)

Wild & Crazy Kids

7.4

TV Series

executive producer

1990

2 episodes

 

Incredible Sunday

7.0

TV Series

executive producer

1988–1989

16 episodes

 

On Trial (1988)

On Trial

TV Series

executive producer

1988

3 episodes

 

That's Incredible! Reunion

TV Special

executive producer

1988

 

Jimmy Breslin's People

TV Series

executive producer

1986

 

Sarah Purcell in America (1985)

America

TV Series

producer

1985

 

Steve Allen, 1965 - Copyright 1968, 2000 MPTV.NET - photo credit: Gabi Rona

That Was the Week That Was

8.2

TV Series

executive producer

1985

1 episode

 

Getting the Last Laugh

TV Movie

executive producer

1985

 

People Do the Craziest Things

TV Series

executive producer

1984

1 episode

 

Everyday with Richard Simmons: Family Fitness

Video

executive producer

1983

 

Cassandra Peterson and Richard Simmons in The Richard Simmons Show (1980)

The Richard Simmons Show

6.7

TV Series

executive producer

1983

1 episode

 

Life's Most Embarrassing Moments

8.7

TV Series

executive producer

1983

1 episode

 

The Krypton Factor

7.0

TV Series

executive producer

1981

1 episode

 

Cathy Lee Crosby, John Davidson, and Fran Tarkenton in That's Incredible! (1980)

That's Incredible!

6.7

TV Series

supervising producer

1981

1 episode

 

Those Amazing Animals (1980)

Those Amazing Animals

6.8

TV Series

executive producer

1980

1 episode

 

Jack Linkletter in America Alive! (1978)

America Alive!

1.3

TV Series

executive producer

1978–1979

 

Mike Douglas in The Mike Douglas Show (1961)

The Mike Douglas Show

7.1

TV Series

producer

1974

1 episode

 

The Allen Show

TV Series

executive producer

1971–1972

 

Della (1969)

Della

8.5

TV Series

executive producer

1969–1970

 

The Dick Cavett Show (1968)

The Dick Cavett Show

8.3

TV Series

producer

1968–1969

13 episodes

 

Director

On Trial (1988)

On Trial

TV Series

Director

1988

3 episodes

 

That's Incredible! Reunion

TV Special

Director

1988

 

A Beverly Hills Christmas

TV Special

Director

1987

 

Life's Most Embarrassing Moments

8.7

TV Series

Director

1983

1 episode

 

Additional Crew

Sarah Purcell in America (1985)

America

TV Series

creative consultant

1985

1 episode