Bob Tischler, the writer and producer renowned for his contributions to Saturday Night Live, has passed away at the age of 78. The former head writer of SNL, known for revitalizing the show after its criticized 1980-81 season, died on July 13 in Bodega Bay, California.
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His son Zeke told The New York Times his father passed following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born on June 12, 1946, in Englewood, New Jersey, Tischler pursued his studies at Ithaca and Franconia Colleges during the 1960s. He then embarked on a career as a sound engineer in radio and television.
Following their collaboration on a radio advertisement, Christopher Guest recommended him to National Lampoon. While working at National Lampoon, he collaborated with emerging SNL talents. These included John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray.
He went on to produce the albums Radio Dinner (1972), Gold Turkey (1975), and That’s Not Funny, That’s Sick (1977), in addition to The National Lampoon Radio Hour in 1973.
John Belushi enlisted Tischler to produce his and Dan Aykroyd’s debut Blues Brothers album, Briefcase Full of Blues, released in 1978. It reached the top of the Billboard album chart. Tischler returned to produce their follow-up album, Made in America (1980). He also produced the soundtrack for the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.
The Blues Brothers soundtrack also featured performances by legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, and other luminaries of soul, blues, and jazz. It reached an impressive peak of 13 on the Billboard chart.
Bob Tischler is Credited with Making ‘SNL’ a Comedy Institution
After SNL creator Lorne Michaels passed the leadership to Jean Doumanian for Season 6, the show faced challenges until Dick Ebersol took over and appointed Tischler as a supervising producer. The following year, Tischler became the head writer.
SNL successfully regained strong ratings and critical acclaim by spotlighting the emerging talent of Eddie Murphy. Eddie was a performer whom Tischler ardently championed.
During its 1984-1985 season, the show found stability thanks to the contributions of performers like Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Martin Short. Tischler served as producer and Ebersol as executive producer during this era
Tischler left SNL in 1985 to work on various projects, including shows like Empty Nest and Boy Meets World. He also contributed to Crystal’s 1985 record Mahvelous and reissued works by musical icons such as Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.
Tischler is survived by his son Zeke, his wife Judith, and his brother Jim.