| |
|---|---|
| William Froug | |
| Credits | |
| Position | Producer |
| Biographical Information | |
| Birthdate | May 26, 1922 |
| Birthplace | New York, New York, United States |
| Death Date | August 25, 2013 (age 91) |
| Death Place | Sarasota, Florida, United States[1] |
William Froug was the producer for Season Three of Bewitched. He produced thirty-three episodes for the series (1966-1967).[2]
Biography[]
William Froug was born in New York City on May 26, 1922, and was raised by his adoptive parents in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Little Rock Senior High School in 1939 and the University of Missouri's renowned School of Journalism in 1943.[3]
As a television writer/producer, he was attached to series including “The Twilight Zone,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Playhouse 90” and “Adventures in Paradise.” His involvement in “Bewitched” earned him a shared Emmy nomination for outstanding comedy series in 1967.
Before jumping into television, he served as producer-director for “Columbia Workshop,” a dramatic radio series, and was also writer, director and producer of “Brave New World,” another popular radio series.
His career in Hollywood started after a stint in the Navy, where he was a naval officer during World War II and was given command of his own ship in 1945 where, according to his daughter, he honed his writing skills. He sold his first novella to “True Detective Magazine” after an honorable discharge.
In 1958, he won an Emmy for best produced television series for “Eddie,” for which he also received a Producers Guild Award. Among other accolades, he received the Writers Guild of America, West’s "Valentine Davies Award" for industry/community service in 1987 and was named one of the “Emmy Legends of Television” by the Archive of America Television [in 2012].
While serving as executive in charge of drama at CBS, he pursued teaching and became an adjunct professor at USC’s film school from 1968-1975. Later, he became a tenured professor at UCLA, where he restructured their film department.
Froug wrote several educational best-sellers, including “Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade,” “Zen & the Art of Screenwriting: Insights & Interviews” and “The Screenwriter Looks at the Screenwriter.” He also wrote an autobiography titled “How I Escaped from Gilligan’s Island…And Other Misadventures of a Hollywood Writer-Producer.”
William Froug died of natural causes at the Tidwell House Hospice in Sarasota, Florida, on August 25, 2013. He was 91. He was survived by his wife, Christine Michaels, four children – Suzy Allegra, Nancy Earth, Lisa Froug-Hirano, and Jonathan Froug – four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.[4]
Bewitched Tenure[]
According to William Froug's autobiography, William Asher (who had directed many episodes) wanted to take over as producer when Jerry Davis left [at the end of the second season], but the production company was not yet ready to approve the idea. Froug, a former producer of "Gilligan's Island", was brought in as a compromise. By his own admission, Froug was not very familiar with "Bewitched" and found himself in the uncomfortable position of being the official producer even though Asher was making most of the creative decisions. After a year, Froug left the show, and Asher took over as full-time producer of the series for the rest of its run.
References[]
- ↑ William Froug on the Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on January 22, 2020.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ William Froug obituary, The Humble Observer via Legacy.com, September 12-13, 2013. Retrieved on September 2, 2020.
- ↑ Stedman, Alex. "Writer-Producer William Froug Dies at 91", obituary, Variety, September 5, 2013. Retrieved on September 2, 2020, edited.