Tom Whedon, the writer-producer whose whose career in television included both children’s and adult programming, passed away on Wednesday, March 23 surrounded by family and friends.
With a career spanning seven decades, Whedon’s writing career began with Captain Kangaroo in the mid-1950s. He continued writing for children with The Electric Company, for which he won a Primetime Emmy in 1973, and Between the Lions in 2000.
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Tom Whedon wrote and/or produced episodes of The Dick Cavett Show, Alice, Benson, and It’s a Living. Beginning in 1989, he was the co-executive or supervising producer on seventy-five episodes of The Golden Girls, the storylines of which contained topics such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, assisted suicide, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, and AIDS. Whedon wrote nine episodes of the groundbreaking comedy and earned two Primetime Emmy nominations in 1990 and 1991 for Outstanding Comedy Series. He went on to write and produce episodes of The Sinbad Show in 1993-94.
Writing is in the blood of the Whedon family. Tom’s father, John Whedon, wrote for such popular programs as The Donna Reed Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1950s and 60s. Of his five sons – Joss, Jed, Zack, Samuel, and Matthew – three became a part of the entertainment industry. Joss Whedon created Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co-created Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He also co-wrote the screenplays for Toy Story and The Cabin in the Woods, and wrote and directed the two Avengers films. Jed Whedon wrote episodes of another Joss creation, Dollhouse, and also co-created Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with his brother. Zach Whedon has written for Deadwood, Southland, and Halt and Catch Fire.
Jed made the announcement of his father’s passing on his Instagram account, stating “He gave us the gift of his warmth and humor. We miss him terribly. Love you dad.”
We at PopWrapped extend our thoughts to family and friends of Tom Whedon at this time.