Emmy-Winning Television Writer-Producer Stan Daniels Dies at 72

LOS ANGELES – Stan Daniels, an Emmy-winning TV writer and producer who worked on two of the most acclaimed comedies of the 1970s, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "Taxi," has died. He was 72.

Daniels died of heart failure April 6, according to Mount Sinai Memorial Park.

Daniels won eight Emmys during his long television career, including three as co-creator and executive producer of "Taxi" and three as a writer on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

He wrote for "The Dean Martin Show" and "The Bill Cosby Show," and early Cosby situation comedy, before joining "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which ran from 1970 to 1977. He also wrote for the Cloris Leachman spinoff series, "Phyllis."

He and three MTM Productions colleagues, James L. Brooks, David Davis and Ed Weinberger, left in 1977 to set up a production unit at Paramount Pictures, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time. Their show "Taxi," starring Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner and Danny DeVito, debuted the following year and ran through 1983.

Daniels also co-created the Brenda Vaccaro series "Lily," and co-wrote, with Brooks, the 1978 TV movie "Cindy," a retelling of the Cinderella story with a black cast.

Among Daniels' other TV credits were "The Kid," "For Richer, For Poorer," "Glory! Glory!" and "The Substitute Wife."

On Broadway, he composed music and lyrics for "So Long 174th Street," a 1976 musical version of the play "Enter Laughing."

Born in Toronto, Daniels attended the University of Toronto and before receiving a fellowship to study at Oxford.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Alene, and four children.