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Jamie Tarses, one of the most dynamic television executives of her time who helped create NBC’s go-to television programming and became the first woman to head a Big Three network programming division, died Monday following a cardiac event last fall. according to the Tarses family. She was 56 years old.
Tarses was born into the industry as the daughter of acclaimed comedy writer-producer Jay Tarses. As a network executive, she caused a sensation at NBC in the early 1990s, developing “Friends” and “Mad About You”. She made headlines when she joined ABC Entertainment as president during a turbulent era for the network and then-new parent company, Disney.
At 32, Tarses was the first woman to head a network entertainment division – and one of the youngest executives to lead a Big Three – in her role as president of ABC Entertainment from 1996 to 1999. During During her tenure, she oversaw popular series including “Sports Night” by Aaron Sorkin, “The Practice” by David E. Kelley, “Dharma & Greg” and “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place”.
Born Sara James Tarses in Pittsburgh in 1964, the Williams College graduate began her entertainment career in 1985 as an assistant on “Saturday Night Live,” before becoming a casting director at Lorimar and joining NBC in 1987 after. being hired by NBC then. President of Entertainment Brandon Tartikoff. Tarses has been integral in the development of some of the network’s best-known hits. His star rose as a result.
“Hours after meeting her, I felt like I had known her for years,” said Gabrielle Allan-Greenberg, a longtime friend and collaborator, in a statement shared by Tarses’s family. “Jamie was always there when you needed her and appreciated her friendships more than anyone I know.” She was brilliant, quick, curious and read everything she could. Her mind was racing at an incredible rate and she loved to challenge it. There were no puzzles, mysteries, or puzzles that she couldn’t solve, which made her a brilliant editor, storyteller, and producer. She loved bringing people together and they loved being with her. Incredibly loyal and champion of creativity, she loved to laugh and made everyone feel like the funniest person in the room.
While at ABC, the Wall Street Journal wrote: “In a time when all the major networks were losing young viewers, Ms. Tarses seemed to speak the language of this coveted audience. She had what is called in the parlance of television programming the “taste” or the ability to recognize ideas, writers and stars. But her high profile position and executive pioneering status also meant that she was subjected to a lot of scrutiny and coverage that would surely have a very different tone today than it did in 1996 and 1997.
“Jamie was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word. She shattered stereotypes and ideas about what a leader could accomplish and paved the way for others, at a cost to herself. She was a mentor and a friend, and many of us owe her so much, ”20th Television President Karey Burke said in a statement. “As a director and producer she was a champion storyteller, having been raised by one of the greatest of all time. His talent and contribution to our community will be missed. “
After ABC, Tarses went on to have a prolific producer career, producing “My Boys”, “Happy Endings” and “Marry Me”, most recently she produced “The Wilds” from Amazon and “The Mysterious Benedict Society” from Disney Plus, the latter of which premieres this year.
She is survived by her partner Paddy Aubrey and their two children, Wyatt and Sloane, as well as her parents, Rachel and Jay, brothers Mallory and Matt, sister-in-law Katie Tarses, three nieces and a nephew. Her father Jay Tarses is best known as the creator of “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd” and “Buffalo Bill”.
“For all of her talent and success in entertainment, what Jamie was most proud of and most consumed of were her two children,” said her brother Matt Tarses, a writer with whom she frequently collaborated. “She has never been happier than when she was with Wyatt and Sloane.”
Tarses spent years volunteering at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and was involved in charities such as Step Up, Save the Children, and Young Storytellers. Her family is asking for donations to be made to the young storytellers.
“Jamie had such a love for movies, television, theater, books and ideas that transcended her work and absolutely inspired her,” said Betsy Thomas, a close friend and collaborator. “She was the ultimate fan.”
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