Tom Whedon
Tom Whedon | |
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Born | Thomas Avery Whedon[1] August 3, 1932 New York City, U.S. |
Died | March 23, 2016 | (aged 83)
Alma mater | Phillips Exeter Academy (1955) |
Occupation | Screenwriter |
Spouses |
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Children | 5, including Joss, Jed and Zack |
Parents |
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Thomas Avery Whedon (August 3, 1932 – March 23, 2016) was an American screenwriter and producer from New York known for his work on television programs such as The Golden Girls, Benson, Alice, It's a Living, and The Dick Cavett Show. Whedon began his career as one of the original writers on the 1955 television series Captain Kangaroo. He also collaborated with Jon Stone to produce the 1969 TV film Hey, Cinderella! featuring the Muppets.
In 1973, Whedon won the
Early life
Whedon was born in New York City, New York.[2] He was the son of Louise Carroll (Angell) and 1950s TV screenwriter John Whedon.[3][4][5] He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1955. He and his first wife, political activist Ann Lee (née Jeffries) Stearns, are the parents of sons Samuel (b. 1960) and Matthew Thomas (b. 1962), and film and TV screenwriter Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and Marvel's The Avengers).[3] Tom and his second wife, Pam Webber, are the parents of screenwriter and musician Jed Whedon (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) and scriptwriter Zack Whedon (Fringe, Deadwood).
Career
He was an original writer for the children's television show Captain Kangaroo, which aired on weekday mornings on CBS from 1955 to 1984.[3][4]
As early as 1964, he collaborated with
In the 1970s, Tom Whedon (along with Stone) worked for the Children's Television Workshop, becoming head writer for the award-winning show The Electric Company.[3] Additional writing credits include the more adult fare of The Dick Cavett Show, Benson, Alice, and The Golden Girls.[3][4]
Death
Whedon died on March 23, 2016, surrounded by family, according to an Instagram post by his son Jed Whedon.[6]
Awards and nominations
Date | Award | Category | Work | Shared with | Result |
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1973 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming - Entertainment/Fictional | The Electric Company | John Boni, Sara Compton, Tom Dunsmuir, Thad Mumford, Jeremy Stevens, and Jim Thurman | Won |
1974 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming | The Electric Company | John Boni, Sara Compton, Tom Dunsmuir, Thad Mumford, Jerry Stevens, and Jim Thurman | Nominated |
1990 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, Susan Harris, Marc Sotkin, Terry Hughes, Phillip Jayson Lasker, Gail Parent, Martin Weiss, Robert Bruce, Tracy Gamble, and Richard Vaczy | Nominated |
1991 | Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, Susan Harris, Mark Sotkin, Phillip Jayson Lasker, Gail Parent, Richard Vaczy, Tracy Gamble, Don Seigel, Jerry Perzigian, and Nina Feinberg | Nominated |
References
- ^ Barnes, Mike (March 25, 2016). "Tom Whedon, TV Writer-Producer and Father of Joss Whedon, Dies at 83". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "Tom Whedon". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
- ^ ISBN 978-1848850309.
- ^ ISBN 978-1932100006.
- ISBN 9781613741047. Retrieved 2017-06-25 – via Google Books.
- ^ @misterkarate (March 24, 2016). "Thomas Avery Whedon, 1932 - 2016. We said goodbye to our dad yesterday. He passed away in relative peace surrounded by his wife, all five of his boys and their loved ones. He gave us the gift of his warmth and humor. We miss him terribly. Love you dad" – via Instagram.
External links
- Tom Whedon at IMDb