As written by the Hollywood Reporter, beloved television writer and producer David Davis unfortunately passed away this past Friday in his Los Angeles home, he was 86. Davis was renowned for his Emmy-award winning work as a producer on the hit 70’s/80’s sitcom, Taxi, as well as countless other classic programs, such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and Rhoda.
Davis was also married to famed actress Julie Kavner, best known for her work as the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons. The two initially met on the set of Rhoda, the first spin-off of the widely adored Mary Tyler Moore Show (of which Davis also worked on as a writer) after Davis cast her as the insecure, younger sister of the show’s titular protagonist, Rhoda Morgenstern, a role which also happened to be Kavner’s first paying job as an actress.
Davis is also known for his work as co-creator of The Bob Newhart Show alongside longtime friend and colleague, Lorenzo Music (the Garfield series, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour). The two were responsible for a majority share of the writing on Bob Newhart and also had a hand as line producers for the critically acclaimed sitcom’s first two seasons. Davis and Music first rose to prominence after writing for various CBS variety shows and the ABC romantic comedy series, Love, American Style.
To a lesser degree, Davis is also recognized for his incredible cinematography skills, in particular, he is best known for his work shooting the title sequences for The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi, as well as a critical shot for an episode of Rhoda which features the title character running through the streets of New York in her lavish wedding gown.
Davis is survived by wife Julie Kavner, daughters Abigail and Samantha Davis-Friedman, and grandsons Joshua, Jacob, Aden, Asher, and Elijah.