# Tony Thomas (producer)

Charles Anthony Thomas (né Jacobs; born December 7, 1948) is an American television and film producer. He was a producer for the feature film Dead Poets Society for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1989, and Insomnia, among other films.
He is the producer of many successful television series from the 1970s into the 1990s such as The Golden Girls for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice and won three consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Thomas was the producer of Blossom and many other TV series. He is the co-founder of Witt/Thomas Productions.

## Early life and family

Born Charles Anthony Jacobs in Hollywood, California, Thomas is the son of actor and philanthropist Danny Thomas and his wife, Rose Marie (Cassaniti) Thomas. His father was of Lebanese descent and his mother was of Italian descent. He is the younger brother of actresses Terre Thomas and Marlo Thomas.

## Career

Thomas began working in Hollywood film/TV production at Screen Gems as an associate producer on the acclaimed television movie Brian's Song. In 1974, he teamed with producer Paul Junger Witt and wife Susan Harris to form a TV production company, Witt/Thomas Productions (alternately Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions), which produced numerous successful television series from the 1970s into the 1990s.
He has produced many TV series, including The Practice (1976–1977), Nurses, Herman's Head, Soap, Blossom, Empty Nest, Benson, Beauty and the Beast, The Golden Girls, Brotherly Love, The John Larroquette Show and It's a Living. He was a producer for the feature film Dead Poets Society.
Thomas serves as a member of the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards of Directors and Governors, directing the operation of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital that his father had founded.

## Personal life

Thomas married Ann Souder on Christmas Eve 2005 in Montecito, California.

## Filmography

He was a producer of all films unless otherwise noted.

### Film

| Year | Film | Credit |
| 1984 | Firstborn | |
| 1989 | Dead Poets Society | |
| 1992 | Final Analysis | |
| 1994 | Mixed Nuts | |
| 2002 | Insomnia | Executive producer |
| 2011 | A Better Life | Executive producer |

### Television

| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
| 1971 | The Sheriff | Associate producer | Television pilot |
| 1971 | Brian's Song | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1972 | No Place to Run | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1972 | Home for the Holidays | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1973 | A Cold Night's Death | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1973 | Snatched | | Television film |
| 1973 | The Letters | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1973 | Blood Sport | | Television film |
| 1974 | Remember When | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1974 | The Gun and the Pulpit | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1975 | Satan's Triangle | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1975 | Fay | | |
| 1976 | Griffin and Phoenix | | Television film |
| 1976 | High Risk | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1976 | The Practice | | |
| 1977 | Loves Me, Loves Me Not | | |
| 1978 | That's Hollywood | Co-producer | Documentary |
| 1980 | The Yeagers | Executive producer | |
| 1980 | Trouble in High Timber Country | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1977−81 | Soap | Executive producer | |
| 1980−81 | I'm a Big Girl Now | Executive producer | |
| 1982−83 | It Takes Two | Executive producer | |
| 1983 | Condo | Executive producer | |
| 1985 | Just Married! | | Television special |
| 1985 | Hail to the Chief | Executive producer | |
| 1979−86 | Benson | Executive producer | |
| 1986 | Tough Cookies | Executive producer | |
| 1986 | Comedy Factory | Executive producer | |
| 1986−87 | One Big Family | Executive producer | |
| 1987 | The Line | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1987 | Mama's Boy | | |
| 1980−89 | It's a Living | Executive producer | |
| 1989 | Heartland | Executive producer | |
| 1990 | We'll Take Manhattan | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1987−90 | Beauty and the Beast | Executive producer | |
| 1991 | Good & Evil | Executive producer | |
| 1990−91 | Lenny | Executive producer | |
| 1992 | Walter & Emily | Executive producer | |
| 1985−92 | The Golden Girls | Executive producer | |
| 1992 | Woops! | Executive producer | |
| 1992−93 | The Golden Palace | Executive producer | |
| 1993 | Country Estates | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1991−94 | Herman's Head | Executive producer | |
| 1991−94 | Nurses | Executive producer | |
| 1994 | Daddy's Girls | Executive producer | |
| 1994 | Close to Home | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1990−95 | Blossom | Executive producer | |
| 1995 | Muscle | Executive producer | |
| 1988−95 | Empty Nest | Executive producer | |
| 1995 | The Office | Executive producer | |
| 1996 | Local Heroes | Executive producer | |
| 1996 | Radiant City | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1996 | Common Law | | |
| 1995−96 | Minor Adjustments | Executive producer | |
| 1993−96 | The John Larroquette Show | Executive producer | |
| 1995−97 | Brotherly Love | Executive producer | |
| 1996−97 | Pearl | Executive producer | |
| 1998 | The Secret Lives of Men | Executive producer | |
| 1999 | Everything's Relative | Executive producer | |
| 2014 | Feed Me | Executive producer | |
| 2012−16 | Beauty & the Beast | Executive producer | |

#### Miscellaneous crew

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1970−71 | The Young Rebels | Assistant to the producer |

#### As writer

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1969 | Hogan's Heroes | |
| 1978 | That's Hollywood | Documentary |
| 1985 | Hail to the Chief | |
| 1987 | The West That Never Was | Television special |

#### As an actor

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1956−58 | The Danny Thomas Show | Rusty's Friend / Child Singer |
| 1969 | That Girl | Tony Cassanetti |

#### As director

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1987 | The West That Never Was | Television special |

#### Production manager

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | Remember When | Production executive | Television film |

#### Soundtrack

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1956 | The Danny Thomas Show | Performer: "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" | Uncredited |