2011 in American television
Deaths -- July
Table:
Date
Name
Age
Notability
Ref.

July 1

Bud Grant

79

Programming executive with NBC and CBS, independent producer

[631]

July 8

Sam Denoff

83

Comedy screenwriter, creator and producer (co-writer for The Dick Van Dyke Show, co-creator of That Girl)

[632]

July 12

Sherwood Schwartz

94

Producer and writer (creator of Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch)

[633]

July 21

Bruce Sundlun

91

Politician (Governor of Rhode Island) and former CEO of The Outlet Company, which later became Outlet Communications

[634]

July 22

Tom Aldredge

83

Actor (Ryan's Hope, The Sopranos)

[635]

July 23

Amy Winehouse

27

English singer and songwriter

July 24

G. D. Spradlin

90

Actor (Gomer Pyle, USMC, I Spy, Dragnet, War and Remembrance)

[636]

July 26

Elmer Lower

98

Journalist and news executive (president of ABC News, 1963–74)

[587]

Based on the following table and the supporting evidence listed.

Give the answer to the question: What college did the man who died when he was 79 attend ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

B. Donald Bud Grant ( February 7 , 1932 - July 1 , 2011 ) was an American television executive . He served as the President of CBS Entertainment from 1980 until 1987 . He was credited with spearheading some of CBS ' best known shows of the 1980s , including Newhart and Murder , She Wrote . Grant was born in Baltimore , Maryland , and earned a Bachelor of Science in business from Johns Hopkins University . He served from 1953 to 1955 in the U.S. Coast Guard . Grant left CBS in 1987 and founded his own production company , Bud Grant Productions . He would later form Grant/Tribune Prods. , which produced for Tribune Broadcasting and Walt Disney Studios . Grant died in Newport Beach , California , on July 1 , 2011 .
The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC ) is an American English-language commercial terrestrial radio and television network that is a flagship property of NBCUniversal , a subsidiary of Comcast . The network is headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City , with additional major offices near Los Angeles ( at 10 Universal City Plaza ) , Chicago ( at the NBC Tower ) and Philadelphia ( at the Comcast Technology Center ) . The network is one of the Big Three television networks . NBC is sometimes referred to as the Peacock Network , in reference to its stylized peacock logo , introduced in 1956 to promote the company 's innovations in early color broadcasting . It became the network 's official emblem in 1979 . Founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America ( RCA ) , NBC is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States . At that time the parent company of RCA was General Electric ( GE ) . In 1932 , GE was forced to sell RCA and NBC as a result of antitrust charges . In 1986 , control of NBC passed back to General Electric ( GE ) through its $ 6.4 billion purchase of RCA . GE immediately began to liquidate RCA 's various divisions , but retained NBC . Following the acquisition by GE , Bob Wright served as chief executive officer of NBC , remaining in that position until his retirement in 2007 , when he was succeeded by Jeff Zucker . In 2003 , French media company Vivendi merged its entertainment assets with GE , forming NBC Universal .
CBS ( an initialism of the network 's former name , the Columbia Broadcasting System ) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network that is the flagship property of the CBS Entertainment Group division of ViacomCBS . The company is headquartered at the CBS Building in New York City with major production facilities and operations in New York City ( at the CBS Broadcast Center ) and Los Angeles ( at CBS Television City and the CBS Studio Center ) . CBS is sometimes referred to as the Eye Network , in reference to the company 's trademark symbol , in use since 1951 . It has also been called the Tiffany Network , alluding to the perceived high quality of CBS programming during the tenure of William S. Paley . It can also refer to some of CBS 's first demonstrations of color television , which were held in a former Tiffany & Co. building in New York City in 1950 . The network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc. , a collection of 16 radio stations purchased by Paley in 1928 and renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System . Under Paley 's guidance , CBS would first become one of the largest radio networks in the United States , and eventually one of the Big Three American broadcast television networks . In 1974 CBS dropped its former full name and became known simply as CBS , Inc . The Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the network in 1995 , renamed its corporate entity to the current CBS Broadcasting , Inc. in 1997 , and eventually adopted the name of the company it had acquired to become CBS Corporation . In 2000 CBS came under the control of the first Viacom , which was formed as a spin-off of CBS in 1971 . In late 2005 , Viacom split itself into two separate companies and re-established CBS Corporation through the spin-off of its broadcast television , radio , and select cable television and non-broadcasting assets , with the CBS television network at its core . CBS Corporation was controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements , which also controlled the second Viacom until December 4 , 2019 , when the two separated companies agreed to re-merge to become the new single entity known as ViacomCBS .
Samuel Denoff ( July 1 , 1928 - July 8 , 2011 ) was an American screenwriter and television producer .
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on CBS from October 3 , 1961 , to June 1 , 1966 , with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons . It was produced by Calvada Productions [ notes 1 ] in association with the CBS Television Network and Desilu Studios . The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke , Rose Marie , Morey Amsterdam , Larry Mathews , and Mary Tyler Moore . It centered on the work and home life of television comedy writer Rob Petrie ( Van Dyke ) . The show was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff . The music for the show 's theme song was written by Earle Hagen . The series won 15 Emmy Awards . In 1997 , the episodes Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth and It May Look Like a Walnut were ranked at 8 and 15 respectively on TV Guide 's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time . In 2002 , the series was ranked at 13 on TV Guide 's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time and in 2013 , it was ranked at 20 on their list of the 60 Best Series .
That Girl is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971 . It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie , an aspiring ( but only sporadically employed ) actress , who moves from her hometown of Brewster , New York , to try to make it big in New York City . Ann has to take a number of offbeat temp jobs to support herself in between her various auditions and bit parts . Ted Bessell played her boyfriend Donald Hollinger , a writer for Newsview Magazine ; Lew Parker and Rosemary DeCamp played Lew Marie and Helen Marie , her concerned parents . Bernie Kopell , Ruth Buzzi and Reva Rose played Ann and Donald 's friends . That Girl was developed by writers Bill Persky and Sam Denoff , who had served as head writers on The Dick Van Dyke Show ( with which Thomas 's father , Danny Thomas , was closely associated ) earlier in the 1960s .
Sherwood Charles Schwartz ( /ʃwɔːrts/ ; November 14 , 1916 - July 12 , 2011 ) was an American television producer . He worked on radio shows in the 1940s , but he now is best known for creating the 1960s television series Gilligan 's Island on CBS and The Brady Bunch on ABC . On March 7 , 2008 , Schwartz , at the time still active in his 90s , was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . That same year , Schwartz was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame .
Gilligan 's Island is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz . The show had an ensemble cast that featured Bob Denver , Alan Hale Jr. , Jim Backus , Natalie Schafer , Russell Johnson , Tina Louise , and Dawn Wells . It aired for three seasons on the CBS network from September 26 , 1964 , to April 17 , 1967 . The series followed the comic adventures of seven castaways as they attempted to survive on an island on which they had been shipwrecked . Most episodes revolve around the dissimilar castaways ' conflicts and their unsuccessful attempts , for whose failure Gilligan was frequently responsible , to escape their plight . Gilligan 's Island ran for a total of 98 episodes . The first season , consisting of 36 episodes , was filmed in black and white . These episodes were later colorized for syndication . The show 's second and third seasons ( 62 episodes ) and the three television movie sequels ( aired between 1978 and 1982 ) were filmed in color . The show received solid ratings during its original run , then grew in popularity during decades of syndication , especially in the 1970s and 1980s when many markets ran the show in the late afternoon . Today , the title character of Gilligan is widely recognized as an American cultural icon .
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26 , 1969 , to March 8 , 1974 , on ABC . The series revolves around a large blended family with six children . Considered one of the last of the old-style family sitcoms , the series aired for five seasons and , after its cancellation in 1974 , went into syndication in September 1975 . While the series was never a critical success or hit series during its original run , it has since become a popular staple in syndication , especially among children and teenaged viewers . The Brady Bunch 's success in syndication led to several television reunion films and spin-off series : The Brady Bunch Hour ( 1976-77 ) , The Brady Girls Get Married ( 1981 ) , The Brady Brides ( 1981 ) , A Very Brady Christmas ( 1988 ) , and The Bradys ( 1990 ) . In 1995 , the series was adapted into a satirical comedy theatrical film titled The Brady Bunch Movie , followed by A Very Brady Sequel in 1996 . A second sequel , The Brady Bunch in the White House , aired on Fox in November 2002 as a made-for-television film . In 1997 , Getting Davy Jones ( season three , episode 12 ) was ranked number 37 on TV Guide 's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time . The enduring popularity of the show has resulted in it becoming widely recognized as an American cultural icon .
Bruce Sundlun ( born Bruce George Sundlun ; January 19 , 1920 - July 21 , 2011 ) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as 71st Governor of Rhode Island between 1991 and 1995 . He was Rhode Island 's second Jewish governor , and the only Jewish governor in the United States during his two terms . In addition to politics , Sundlun had a varied career as a military pilot , federal attorney , practicing lawyer , corporate executive and university lecturer .
The Governor of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the head of the executive branch of the Government of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the State 's Army National Guard and Air National Guard . The current governor is Democrat Gina Raimondo .
The Outlet Company was a corporation based in Providence , Rhode Island , which owned holdings in both retail and broadcasting . The centerpieces of the group was its flagship Providence store ( The Outlet ) and WJAR radio and television , also in Providence .
The Outlet Company was a corporation based in Providence , Rhode Island , which owned holdings in both retail and broadcasting . The centerpieces of the group was its flagship Providence store ( The Outlet ) and WJAR radio and television , also in Providence .
Thomas Ernest Aldredge ( February 28 , 1928 - July 22 , 2011 ) was an American television , film and stage actor , best known for various appearances in movies , theatre and television , with a notable role as Hugh De Angelis on The Sopranos . He also appeared in the television shows Damages as Uncle Pete and Ryan 's Hope . He won a Daytime Emmy Award for playing the role of Shakespeare in Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare ( 1978 ) . His last role was on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire , playing the father of Nucky Thompson ( Steve Buscemi ) .
Ryan 's Hope is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer , originally airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7 , 1975 to January 13 , 1989 . It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan , New York City .
The Sopranos is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase . The story revolves around Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ) , a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster , portraying the difficulties that he faces as he tries to balance his family life with his role as the leader of a criminal organization . These are explored during his therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi ( Lorraine Bracco ) . The series features Tony 's family members , mafia colleagues , and rivals in prominent roles - most notably his wife Carmela ( Edie Falco ) and his protégé/distant cousin Christopher Moltisanti ( Michael Imperioli ) . The pilot was ordered in 1997 , and the show premiered on HBO on January 10 , 1999 . It ran for six seasons totaling 86 episodes until June 10 , 2007 . Broadcast syndication followed in the U.S. and internationally . The Sopranos was produced by HBO , Chase Films , and Brad Grey Television . It was primarily filmed at Silvercup Studios in New York City and on location in New Jersey . The executive producers throughout the show 's run were David Chase , Brad Grey , Robin Green , Mitchell Burgess , Ilene S. Landress , Terence Winter , and Matthew Weiner . The Sopranos is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time . The series won a multitude of awards , including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons , 21 Primetime Emmy Awards , and five Golden Globe Awards .
Amy Jade Winehouse ( 14 September 1983 - 23 July 2011 ) was an English singer and songwriter . She was known for her deep , expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres , including soul ( sometimes labelled as blue-eyed soul and neo soul ) , rhythm and blues , and jazz . Winehouse 's debut album , Frank ( 2003 ) , was a critical success in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize . Her follow-up album , Back to Black ( 2006 ) , led to five 2008 Grammy Awards , tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night , and made her the first British woman to win five Grammys , including three of the General Field Big Four Grammy Awards : Best New Artist , Record of the Year and Song of the Year . Winehouse won three Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters , Composers , and Authors : in 2004 , Best Contemporary Song for Stronger Than Me ; in 2007 , Best Contemporary Song again , this time for Rehab ; and in 2008 , Best Song Musically and Lyrically for Love Is a Losing Game . She also won the 2007 Brit Award for Best British Female Artist , having been nominated for Best British Album , with Back to Black . Winehouse was plagued by drug and alcohol addiction . She died of alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011 at the age of 27 . After her death , her album Back to Black became , for a time , the UK 's best-selling album of the 21st century . It is also listed as one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history .
Gervase Duan Spradlin ( August 31 , 1920 - July 24 , 2011 ) was an American actor . Known for his distinctive accent and voice , he often played devious authority figures . He is credited in over 70 television and film productions , and performed with actors such as Marlon Brando , Al Pacino , James Garner , Charlton Heston , George C. Scott , and Johnny Depp .
Gomer Pyle , U.S.M.C . [ fn 1 ] is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25 , 1964 , to May 2 , 1969 . The series was a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show , and the pilot episode was aired as the season finale of the fourth season of its parent series on May 18 , 1964 . The show ran for a total of 150 half-hour episodes spanning over five seasons , in black-and-white for the first season , and then in color for the remaining four seasons . In 2006 , CBS Home Entertainment ( distributed by Paramount ) began releasing the series on DVD . The final season was released in November 2008 . Gomer Pyle , U.S.M.C . was a hit , never placing lower than tenth in the Nielsen ratings , and ended its run as the second-highest-rated series in the United States . It has enjoyed continued popularity through reruns and DVD releases . The series was created by Aaron Ruben , who also produced the show with Sheldon Leonard and Ronald Jacobs . Filmed and set in California , it stars Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle , a naive but good-natured gas station attendant from the town of Mayberry , North Carolina , who enlists in the United States Marine Corps . Frank Sutton plays Gomer 's high-octane , short-fused Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter , and Ronnie Schell plays Gomer 's friend Duke Slater .
I Spy is an American secret-agent adventure television series that ran for three seasons on NBC from September 15 , 1965 to April 15 , 1968 and teamed US intelligence agents Kelly Robinson ( Robert Culp ) and Alexander Scotty Scott ( Bill Cosby ) , traveling undercover as international tennis bums . Robinson poses as an amateur with Scott as his trainer , playing against wealthy opponents in return for food and lodging . Their work involved chasing villains , spies , and beautiful women . The creative forces behind the show were writers David Friedkin and Morton Fine and cinematographer Fouad Said . Together they formed Triple F Productions under the aegis of Desilu Productions where the show was produced . Fine and Friedkin ( who previously wrote scripts for radio 's Broadway Is My Beat and Crime Classics under producer-director Elliott Lewis ) were co-producers and head writers , and wrote the scripts for 16 episodes , one of which Friedkin directed . Friedkin also dabbled in acting and appeared in two episodes in the first season . Actor-producer Sheldon Leonard , known for playing gangster roles in the 1940s and 1950s , was the executive producer ( receiving top billing before the title in the series ' opening title sequence ) . He also played a gangster-villain role in two episodes and appeared in a third show as himself in a humorous cameo . In addition , he directed one episode and served as occasional second-unit director throughout the series .
Dragnet is an American television series . It ran for three and 1/2 seasons , from January 12 , 1967 to April 16 , 1970 . To differentiate it from the earlier Dragnet series , the year in which each season ended was made part of the on-screen title ; i.e. , the series started as Dragnet 1967 and ended as Dragnet 1970 . The entire series aired Thursdays at 9:30-10:00 pm ( EST ) and was directed by Jack Webb . All four seasons of this series have been released on DVD ; Season 1 ( Dragnet 1967 ) by Universal Studios Home Entertainment , and seasons 2 ( 1968 ) , 3 ( 1969 ) and 4 ( 1970 ) by Shout ! Factory .
War and Remembrance is an American miniseries based on the novel of the same name written by Herman Wouk , which aired from November 13 , 1988 , to May 14 , 1989 . It is the sequel to The Winds of War , which was also based on one of Wouk 's novels .
Elmer Wilson Lower ( March 7 , 1913 - July 26 , 2011 ) was an American journalist and president of ABC News from 1963 to 1974 . Lower received his bachelor 's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in 1933 . Afterwards , he worked for 20 years for a variety of newspapers in Kentucky , Michigan , Ohio and Missouri , specializing in political beats . Lower was named president of ABC News in 1963 . During his tenure , he was responsible for hiring Peter Jennings , Ted Koppel , Frank Reynolds , and Sam Donaldson . In that time , the news division grew from 250 to 750 employees , and the evening news expanded from 15 minutes to 30 minutes . He joined the faculty of his alma mater in 1978 , and was appointed dean of the School of Journalism for the 1982-1983 academic year . Lower was honored with a lifetime achievement Emmy award in 1975 . Lower died on July 26 , 2011 at the age of 98 in Vero Beach , Florida .
ABC News is the news division of the American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) . Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ABC World News Tonight with David Muir ; other programs include morning news-talk show Good Morning America , Nightline , Primetime , and 20/20 , and Sunday morning political affairs program This Week with George Stephanopoulos .