Writing

Jay Tarses

Born July 3, 1939 · Baltimore, Maryland, USA (age 87)

Known For

Teen WolfTeen Wolf · 1985
Teen Wolf
6.21985
MovieComedyFantasy
When a shy teenager's new-found powers help him score at basketball - and with the popular girls - he has some pretty hairy decisions to make.
The Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take Manhattan · 1984
The Muppets Take Manhattan
6.61984
MovieRomanceComedy
When the Muppets graduate from Danhurst College, they take their song-filled senior revue to New York City, only to learn that it isn't easy to find a producer who's willing to back a show starring a frog and a pig. Of course, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy won't take no for an answer, launching a search for someone to take them to Broadway.
The Great Muppet CaperThe Great Muppet Caper · 1981
The Great Muppet Caper
6.91981
MovieComedyCrime
Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
Up the AcademyUp the Academy · 1980
Up the Academy
4.71980
MovieComedy
Four boys are sent, for different reasons, to a Military Academy. The life of discipline asks a lot of the four geeks. Of course these boys know how to make a party out of the hard times. Will they be "real men" after one year.
The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to IndianaThe Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana · 1971
The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana
1971
MovieTV MovieMusic
Jackson 5 TV special featuring comedic skits and live performances
The Chopped Liver BrothersThe Chopped Liver Brothers · 1977
The Chopped Liver Brothers
1977
MovieComedyTV Movie
Tom and Jay are best friends. Tom is married to Sally and Jay is single. Tom and Jay are also stand-up comedians and their mishaps as they seek stardom as headliners are related.
Diana!Diana! · 1971
Diana!
7.01971
MovieComedyMusic
Diana! is American singer Diana Ross' first solo TV special, which aired on ABC on April 18, 1971. The program was choreographed by David Winters of West Side Story fame, who at that time choreographed all of Ross' stage and TV shows. The special also featured appearances by Danny Thomas and Bill Cosby, plus performances by The Jackson 5, and also included Jackson 5 lead singer Michael Jackson's solo debut.
The Mike Douglas ShowThe Mike Douglas Show · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
5.81961
SeriesComedy
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Movies

Teen WolfTeen Wolf · 1985
Teen Wolf
6.21985
MovieComedyFantasy
When a shy teenager's new-found powers help him score at basketball - and with the popular girls - he has some pretty hairy decisions to make.
The Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take Manhattan · 1984
The Muppets Take Manhattan
6.61984
MovieRomanceComedy
When the Muppets graduate from Danhurst College, they take their song-filled senior revue to New York City, only to learn that it isn't easy to find a producer who's willing to back a show starring a frog and a pig. Of course, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy won't take no for an answer, launching a search for someone to take them to Broadway.
The Great Muppet CaperThe Great Muppet Caper · 1981
The Great Muppet Caper
6.91981
MovieComedyCrime
Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
Up the AcademyUp the Academy · 1980
Up the Academy
4.71980
MovieComedy
Four boys are sent, for different reasons, to a Military Academy. The life of discipline asks a lot of the four geeks. Of course these boys know how to make a party out of the hard times. Will they be "real men" after one year.
The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to IndianaThe Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana · 1971
The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana
1971
MovieTV MovieMusic
Jackson 5 TV special featuring comedic skits and live performances
The Chopped Liver BrothersThe Chopped Liver Brothers · 1977
The Chopped Liver Brothers
1977
MovieComedyTV Movie
Tom and Jay are best friends. Tom is married to Sally and Jay is single. Tom and Jay are also stand-up comedians and their mishaps as they seek stardom as headliners are related.
Diana!Diana! · 1971
Diana!
7.01971
MovieComedyMusic
Diana! is American singer Diana Ross' first solo TV special, which aired on ABC on April 18, 1971. The program was choreographed by David Winters of West Side Story fame, who at that time choreographed all of Ross' stage and TV shows. The special also featured appearances by Danny Thomas and Bill Cosby, plus performances by The Jackson 5, and also included Jackson 5 lead singer Michael Jackson's solo debut.

TV Shows

The Mike Douglas ShowThe Mike Douglas Show · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
5.81961
SeriesComedy
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
Family TiesFamily Ties · 1982
Family Ties
7.21982
SeriesComedyDrama
Former 1960s flower children Steven and Elyse Keaton raise their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.
St. ElsewhereSt. Elsewhere · 1982
St. Elsewhere
5.71982
SeriesDrama
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series starred Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels as teaching doctors at a lightly-regarded Boston hospital who gave interns a promising future in making critical medical and life decisions.
Franklin & BashFranklin & Bash · 2011
Franklin & Bash
7.32011
SeriesDramaComedy
When they're not hanging out at their favorite hot dog stand pontificating on what they'd go through to enjoy a night with their favorite female celebrities, Jared Franklin and Peter Bash are chasing down their latest clients...sometimes literally. With business cards in hand, they're ready to nab a client within seconds after a car accident, arrest for solicitation or any other incident where their legal services may be needed. Once in the courtroom, they show their flair for the dramatic and the shocking.
The Bob Newhart ShowThe Bob Newhart Show · 1972
The Bob Newhart Show
7.51972
SeriesComedy
The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers. The show was filmed before a live audience.
The Days and Nights of Molly DoddThe Days and Nights of Molly Dodd · 1987
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
7.01987
SeriesDramaComedy
Molly Dodd, a divorced woman in her mid-thirties living in New York, navigates the ups and downs of a rapidly changing career, the challenges of apartment life, and the complexities of love and its consequences.
My BoysMy Boys · 2006
My Boys
5.82006
SeriesComedy
My Boys follows PJ, a twenty-something professional sportswriter who is looking for love within her world which is dominated by her group of male friends. Her tomboyish, no-nonsense approach to relationships tends to freak out potential suitors which leads her only female friend to advise her to dress and act more feminine.
The Comedy FactoryThe Comedy Factory · 1985
The Comedy Factory
1985
SeriesComedy
The Comedy Factory (no known affiliation with the comedy club of the same name) was a live-action, scripted comedy series that ran during the summers of 1985 and 1986 on ABC in the United States and CTV in Canada (who also oversaw production). The show revolved around comedians and actors acting out scenes from television pilots that had been passed on previously by ABC. Further information on the show is scarce and nearly every episode of the show is presumed lost; only the premiere episode, "Honey, It's the Mayor," is known to survive in its entirety (uploaded to YouTube).
The Tony Randall ShowThe Tony Randall Show · 1976
The Tony Randall Show
6.41976
SeriesComedy
Walter Franklin is a somewhat less-than-magisterial Philadelphia judge put upon by an assortment of family and courtroom recidivists.
Buffalo BillBuffalo Bill · 1983
Buffalo Bill
6.71983
SeriesComedy
Buffalo Bill is an American television situation comedy that featured the misadventures of an egotistical talk show host, played by Dabney Coleman, and his staff at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. It premiered May 31, 1983 on NBC and ran for only part of two seasons. It was also shown on the then-new UK fourth TV channel Channel 4.
The Duck FactoryThe Duck Factory · 1984
The Duck Factory
6.11984
SeriesComedy
The Duck Factory is a 1984 NBC television series produced by MTM Enterprises that is perhaps most notable for being Jim Carrey's first lead role in a Hollywood production. The show was co-created by Allan Burns. The premiere episode introduces Skip Tarkenton, a somewhat naive and optimistic young man who has come to Hollywood looking for a job as a cartoonist. When he arrives at a low-budget animation company called Buddy Winkler Productions, he finds out Buddy Winkler has just died, and the company desperately needs new blood. So Skip gets an animation job at the firm, which is nicknamed "The Duck Factory" as their main cartoon is "The Dippy Duck Show". Other Duck Factory employees seen regularly on the show were man-of-a-thousand-cartoon voices Wally Wooster; comedy writer Marty Fenneman; artists Brooks Carmichael and Roland Culp, editor Andrea Lewin, and business manager Aggie Aylesworth. Buddy Winkler Productions was now owned by his young, ditzy widow, Mrs Sheree Winkler, who had been married to Buddy for all of three weeks before his death. The Duck Factory lasted thirteen episodes; it premiered April 12, 1984. The show initially aired at 9:30 on Thursday nights, directly after Cheers, and replaced Buffalo Bill on NBC's schedule. Jay Tarses, an actor on The Duck Factory, had been the co-creator and executive producer of Buffalo Bill, which had its final network telecast on Thursday, April 5, 1984.
We've Got Each OtherWe've Got Each Other · 1977
We've Got Each Other
7.01977
SeriesComedy
We've Got Each Other is an American sitcom that aired from October 1, 1977 until January 7, 1978.
Black Tie AffairBlack Tie Affair · 1993
Black Tie Affair
10.01993
SeriesComedyCrime
Black Tie Affair is an American crime drama spoof that aired from May 29 until June 19, 1993.
Public MoralsPublic Morals · 1996
Public Morals
7.01996
SeriesComedy
Public Morals is an American situation comedy that aired on the CBS network in October 1996. Created and executive produced by Steven Bochco, the series was poorly received and was canceled after airing only one episode.
The Slap Maxwell StoryThe Slap Maxwell Story · 1987
The Slap Maxwell Story
4.01987
SeriesComedy
The Slap Maxwell Story is a situation comedy broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1987-88 lineup. It stars Dabney Coleman as "Slap" Maxwell, an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The Ledger was a very old-fashioned newspaper -- Slap still composed his column, "Slap Shots," on a typewriter -- and Slap was a very old-fashioned guy. Despite the newly litigious environment of journalism, Slap insisted on filling his column with rumor and innuendo, drawing lawsuits and Slap's frequent termination, to be followed by a groveling apology and his rehiring. He had an on-again, off-again relationship with girlfriend Judy, one of the paper's secretaries, due primarily to his off-putting personality. Annie was Slap's ex-wife, who nonetheless retained a soft spot for him. A recurring event throughout the series' run is that at some point in each episode, someone would hit Slap, with a nun even doing the honors in one episode. The show was created by Jay Tarses, who in 1983 was co-creator of Buffalo Bill, an NBC sitcom in which Coleman starred as a similarly off-putting character, the host of a TV talk show.
Open All NightOpen All Night · 1981
Open All Night
5.71981
SeriesComedy
Open All Night is a situation comedy on ABC. It premiered on November 28, 1981, and ran until March 5, 1982. The show centered on Gordon Feester and his oddball family who lived and worked in a convenience store. It was somewhat based on the British series Open All Hours. Jay Tarses was co-creator, writer, and director of the show. Cassandra Peterson made a guest appearance on one episode. David Letterman also made a guest appearance, and made a sly reference to his daytime talk show, which was canceled a year before.