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TV Writer Donzig, Hannah Montana Penman, Dies
5 Mar
Summary
- Writer Steven Dontzig died February 23 after a brief illness.
- He co-wrote 25 episodes of Murphy Brown, winning Emmys.
- Dontzig also helped develop Hannah Montana and Suddenly Susan.
Veteran television writer Steven Dontzig died on February 23 in Los Angeles after a sudden, brief illness. Dontzig, who was born in New York City on March 18, 1946, began his career as an actor before transitioning to writing.
He met his writing partner Steven Peterman and together they became part of the original writing staff for the CBS comedy "Murphy Brown" in 1988. The duo co-wrote 25 episodes of the series, including its pivotal fifth season opener. Their work on "Murphy Brown" earned them Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1990 and 1992, and another for writing in 1991.
Dontzig and Peterman later developed and executive produced the initial three seasons of NBC's "Suddenly Susan" and spent two years on the Fox Family series "State of Grace." They also contributed to the final season of CBS's "Becker."
More recently, the pair rewrote the original script for the Disney Channel hit "Hannah Montana" and co-executive produced its pilot episode. Dontzig was also known for his advocacy for AIDS victims and support of various charities.
