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Bob Tischler, Writer Who Revitalized ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Dies at 78
Bob Tischler, a former Saturday Night Live producer known for revitalizing the show following its challenging 1980-1981 season, passed away last month. His son confirmed to The New York Times on Sunday that Tischler was 78 years old.
Tischler died on July 13 from pancreatic cancer at his home in Bodega Bay, California.
Tischler’s career began in audio recording, where he produced the National Lampoon Radio Hour and the comedy magazine’s first record, 1972’s Radio Dinner. He continued producing two more records for the magazine throughout the 1970s.
Tischler later collaborated on multiple albums with his friend John Belushi, one of the original SNL cast members and a National Lampoon alum. He produced four albums for the Blues Brothers, Belushi’s musical comedy duo with Dan Aykroyd, which later featured on SNL.
One of these was the Blues Brothers’ first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, which topped the Billboard charts in 1978 and has since achieved double platinum status. Tischler also produced the soundtrack for the Blues Brothers’ 1980 film, which included performances by iconic artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown. The soundtrack reached number 13 on the Billboard chart.
From left to right: Saturday Night Live producer Dick Ebersol, writers Bob Tischler and Michael O’Donoghue, and improvisation expert Del Close.
Mel Finkelstein/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Tischler joined SNL as a producer in 1981 during a critical time for the show. After Lorne Michaels, the show’s founder, departed before the 1980 season, Jean Doumanian took over, leading to what many consider the lowest point in the show’s history. Dick Ebersol replaced Doumanian for the 1981-1982 season and brought Tischler on board.
Tischler was promoted to head writer after Michael O’Donoghue, another veteran writer and National Lampoon alum, was dismissed for a controversial sketch comparing a fired NBC executive to Adolf Hitler.
In his 2022 autobiography, Ebersol described Tischler as “steady, calm, and respected” in his head writer role. Tischler wrote for several rising stars on the show, including Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Joe Piscopo, and Jim Belushi. He also contributed to the famous 1984 season, which featured Martin Short and Billy Crystal.
Tischler left SNL after Michaels returned in 1985 and continued his career as a television producer and writer. He worked on popular sitcoms such as Boy Meets World and Empty Nest.
Source: NBC, The New York Times
