Gene Perret

Writing

Born: April 3, 1937

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

During his 50-year career as a comedy writer, Gene Perret wrote for some of the greatest comedians and television shows in history. Perret started writing stand-up material in the early 1960s, working for greats like Phyllis Diller and Slappy Writer. Perret joined Bob Hope’s writing staff in 1969 and was Hope’s head writer for the last 12 years of Hope’s career. Perret started working in television in 1968 on “The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show.” He was head writer and producer for “Welcome Back, Kotter” and “Three’s Company”; he was a staff writer for “The Jim Nabors Show,” “Laugh-In,” “The New Bill Cosby Show,” “The Helen Reddy Show,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” and “Mama’s Family”; and he has written episodes of many classic TV hits, including “All in the Family,” “What’s Happening!!,” “Gimme a Break” and “Love, American Style.” Perret received seven Emmy nominations, including one for original music, and two Writer’s Guild Award nominations. He captured three Emmy awards and one Writer’s Guild Award. Perret also helped start the careers of many television comedy writers through his books, conferences, and classes. He was the author of over 40 books, including the classic guide to comedy writing, “The New Comedy Writing Step-by-Step” and “The Ten Commandments of Comedy.”