Howard Leeds, a renowned television producer, writer, and developer of iconic sitcoms, is best known for his work on The Facts of Life, The Brady Bunch, Diff'rent Strokes, and Silver Spoons.
In the late 1970s, Leeds was a producer on the hit show Diff'rent Strokes, starring Conrad Bain and child star Gary Coleman, when he was approached by NBC head Fred Silverman and producer Norman Lear to create a spin-off.
The Facts of Life, which premiered in August 1979, ran for over 200 episodes across nine seasons, from 1979 to 1988. The show, which tackled serious issues alongside its comedic elements, revolved around a group of teenage girls attending a private New York boarding school. Their guidance came from their no-nonsense, compassionate housemother, Edna Garrett, played by Charlotte Rae.
Leeds went on to create two other popular sitcoms in the 1980s, Silver Spoons, starring Ricky Schroder as the central figure in a wealthy family, and Small Wonder, about a family with a cute robot daughter, Tiffany Brissette.
Earlier in his career, Leeds produced 92 episodes of The Brady Bunch from 1970 to 1974 and oversaw shows such as My Living Doll, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, and Hello, Larry.
Born on June 27, 1919, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Leeds and his parents relocated to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Fairfax High School in 1937.
After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Leeds returned to L.A. and worked at MGM. His first credit came in 1952 as a writer on CBS' Meet Millie, the radio hit turned TV program starring Elena Verdugo.
He wrote for The Red Skelton Hour starting in 1953 and was nominated for an Emmy Award for best comedy writing for his work on The George Gobel Show in 1956. Leeds later wrote for various shows, including The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Bachelor Father, The Bob Cummings Show, Make Room for Daddy, My Three Sons, Bewitched, and Barney Miller, as well as variety specials featuring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Benny Hill.
From 1976 to 1978, Leeds served as executive producer of drama and comedy for television and motion pictures for Reg Grundy Productions of Australia.
