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Treva Silverman

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Treva Silverman
Born (1936-05-20) May 20, 1936 (age 88)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationTV writer
Years active1964–1994
Known forThe Mary Tyler Moore Show

Treva Silverman (born May 20, 1936) is an American screenwriter, best known for her work on the 1970s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Early life and career

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Raised in Cedarhurst, Long Island,[1] Silverman was one of at least three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Silverman.[2] She attended Bennington College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1959.[3][4]

In the 1960s and 1970s, Silverman also wrote scripts for That Girl, The Monkees, He & She, Room 222 and The Bill Cosby Show.

In an excerpt from an interview conducted by WGAW, published in March 1997, Silverman cites as seminal influences the "world of fast, witty dialogue" epitomized by the 1930s Hollywood romantic comedy as well as the work of two writers in particular, namely Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker—the former "for his benign, hilarious observations of behavior," and the latter "for her insight into relationships."[5]

Awards

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Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Levy, Shawn (2022). In On the Joke: The Original Queens of Standup Comedy. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 9780385545792. "Joan Molinsky's larval comic act may have been cribbed from the old school, but her instincts as a person—and, in truth, her situation as a woman trying to break into the business—made her feel more at home among the upstarts. [...] She formed a special bond with Treva Silverman, a Bennington College grad from suburban Cedarhurst, Long Island, who worked as a proofreader at Esquire..."
  2. ^ "Lila M. Silverman Married Yesterday". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 26, 1951. p. 16. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Wollman, Jane (October 14, 1990). "NEW YORKER TO WATCH A Shy and Gentle Comedy-Writing Force: [CITY Edition]". Newsday. ProQuest 278244391. After earning a BA at Bennington, Silverman landed a job proofreading for Esquire; weekends she sang and played piano at bars. Things began to perk when she was hired to write some kids' theater and industrial shows. At one point, she teamed up with Joan Rivers as her writing partner. Carol Burnett gave her the big break after catching some sketches she'd written for a cabaret revue.
  4. ^ "Bennington College Confers Degrees Upon 62 Graduates". Rutland Daily Herald. June 29, 1959. p. 2. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  5. ^ Elisberg, Robert J. (March 1997). "One Question". Written By. p. 20. ProQuest 2298055787. When I was growing up, there was a movie theater that showed revivals every Wednesday afternoon. I lived for the '30s romantic comedies [...] I loved the way they 'talked,' spoke the writer's lines, and always wanted to be part of that world of fast, witty dialogue. [...] Who influenced me most were, unquestionably, Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker. Benchley for his benign, hilarious observations of behavior and Parker for her insight into relationships.
  6. ^ a b "Treva Silverman". Television Academy. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
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