# Bob Brunner

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{{short description|American screenwriter and film producer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Bob Brunner
|birth_name=Robert Brunner
|birth_date={{birth date|1934|08|03}}
|birth_place=[New York City](/source/New_York_City), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2012|10|28|1934|08|03}}
|death_place=[Northridge, California](/source/Northridge%2C_California), U.S.
|occupation=Screenwriter, film producer, television producer
}}

'''Robert Brunner''' (August 3, 1934 – October 28, 2012) was an American screenwriter, film producer, and television producer. He frequently collaborated in film and television with [Garry Marshall](/source/Garry_Marshall), the creator of ''[Happy Days](/source/Happy_Days)''.<ref name=variety>{{cite news|title=Bob Brunner, 'Happy Days' writer, dies |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118061908?refCatId=14 |work=[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine)) |date=November 8, 2012 |accessdate=November 27, 2012}}</ref><ref name=dspy>{{cite news|title=Bob Brunner, 'Happy Days' writer and producer, dies aged 78 |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/celebrity/news/a436565/bob-brunner-happy-days-writer-and-producer-dies-aged-78.html |work=[Digital Spy](/source/Digital_Spy) |date=November 7, 2012 |accessdate=November 27, 2012}}</ref><ref name=thr>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Barnes|title='Happy Days' Writer-Producer Bob Brunner Dies at 78 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bob-brunner-happy-days-jump-the-shark-387593 |work=[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter) |date=November 7, 2012 |accessdate=November 27, 2012}}</ref> Brunner is credited with creating the "[Fonzie](/source/Fonzie)" nickname for [Henry Winkler](/source/Henry_Winkler)'s character, [Arthur Fonzarelli](/source/Arthur_Fonzarelli), on ''[Happy Days](/source/Happy_Days)''.<ref name=variety/> He also created one of Fonzie's key catchphrases, "Sit on it."<ref name=variety/>

==Life and career==

===Early life===
Brunner was born on August 3, 1934, in New York City.<ref name=thr/> In 1959, Brunner met [Garry Marshall](/source/Garry_Marshall) while both were working at the ''[New York Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)'' as copyboys.<ref name=variety/> He entered the [entertainment industry](/source/entertainment_industry) during the early 1960s as a [publicist](/source/publicist) for [Louis Armstrong](/source/Louis_Armstrong) and [Tony Bennett](/source/Tony_Bennett).<ref name="variety" /><ref name="thr" />

===Film and television career===
During the 1970s, Brunner began a career in television, teaming with longtime friend Garry Marshall as a scriptwriter and television producer.<ref name=variety/><ref name=thr/> Brunner wrote for ''[The Odd Couple](/source/The_Odd_Couple_(1970_TV_series))'', which Marshall was executive producing at the time.<ref name=thr/> Brunner also worked on Marshall's ''[Laverne & Shirley](/source/Laverne_%26_Shirley)'' and ''[Blansky's Beauties](/source/Blansky's_Beauties)'', which premiered in 1977 and was soon cancelled.<ref name=thr/>

Brunner joined the production staff of ''Happy Days''. He produced thirty-seven episodes of ''Happy Days'' and wrote or co-wrote fifteen episodes.<ref name=thr/> He became an integral member of the production staff, including stints as its [showrunner](/source/showrunner).<ref name=thr/>

Notably, Brunner contributed to American popular culture by creating the nickname "[Fonzie](/source/Fonzie)" for Henry Winkler's iconic character, Arthur Fonzarelli, who was originally just a minor player on the show.<ref name=variety/> Brunner also created Fonzie's iconic phrase, "Sit on it," used by Fonzie as a comeback on the show.<ref name=thr/> Fonzie, and his catchphrase, made Happy Days the number one show in the United States at the time.<ref name=thr/>

More infamously, Brunner also wrote the 1977 ''Happy Days'' [season premiere](/source/season_premiere) script which led to the phrase "Jump the shark," now used by [television critic](/source/television_critic)s to criticize a television series deemed to have been on the air for too long.<ref name=variety/> In the episode, first aired on September 20, 1977, Fonzie travels to Los Angeles to take a [screen test](/source/screen_test) and break into acting. When he ties with a local Californian in a [water skiing](/source/water_skiing) competition, Fonzie has to jump over a shark in the water as a tiebreaker.<ref name=thr/> The episode apparently led radio personality [Jon Hein](/source/Jon_Hein) and his former college roommate to coin the term "[jump the shark](/source/Jumping_the_shark)" to describe a television show in creative decline.<ref name=thr/> Still, the episode was watched by 30 million viewers, proving to be a hit in the ratings.<ref name=thr/> "Amazingly, I can't remember – which is frustrating, as I can usually watch a Happy Days episode from any season, hear a joke and recall who wrote it," in an account written by Fred Fox Jr.<ref name=thr/>

''Happy Days'' writer [Fred Fox Jr.](/source/Fred_Fox_Jr.) later wrote about the origin of "jump the shark" and the episode in an article published in the ''[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)'' in September 2010: "My friend Brian Levant, then a talented new member of the writing staff, believes that Garry Marshall, the show's co-creator and executive producer, and Bob Brunner, the showrunner at the time, made the suggestion. But what I definitely remember is that no one protested vehemently; not one of us said, 'Fonzie, jump a shark? Are you out of your mind?"<ref name=thr/>

In 1979, Brunner co-created (with [Arthur Silver](/source/Arthur_Silver)) and executive produced the short-lived [NBC](/source/NBC) sitcom, ''[Brothers and Sisters](/source/Brothers_and_Sisters_(1979_TV_series))''.<ref name=variety/> That same year (1979), Brunner also created another quickly cancelled [CBS](/source/CBS) show, ''[Working Stiffs](/source/Working_Stiffs_(TV_series))'', starring [James Belushi](/source/James_Belushi) and [Michael Keaton](/source/Michael_Keaton).<ref name=variety/> He and Arthur Silver also developed the television adaptation of ''[The Bad News Bears](/source/The_Bad_News_Bears_(TV_series))'', which aired on [CBS](/source/CBS) from 1979 to 1980.<ref name=variety/> Brunner went on to executive produce a string of television shows, including ''[Love, Sidney](/source/Love%2C_Sidney)'', ''[Private Benjamin](/source/Private_Benjamin_(TV_series))'', ''[Webster](/source/Webster_(TV_series))'', and ''[Diff'rent Strokes](/source/Diff'rent_Strokes)''.<ref name=variety/> Brunner was co-nominated for an Emmy for outstanding comedy series in 1982 for his work as the producer of ''[Love, Sidney](/source/Love%2C_Sidney)''.<ref name=thr/>

Brunner continued to collaborate with friend, Garry Marshall, on several of Marshall's films. He co-wrote the script for Marshall's 1999 [romantic comedy](/source/romantic_comedy), ''[The Other Sister](/source/The_Other_Sister)'', starring [Juliette Lewis](/source/Juliette_Lewis) and [Giovanni Ribisi](/source/Giovanni_Ribisi).<ref name=variety/> He also contributed to Marshall's ''[Frankie and Johnny](/source/Frankie_and_Johnny_(1991_film))'' in 1991 (In which Brunner also appeared on screen in a small role),<ref name=thr/> ''[Exit to Eden](/source/Exit_to_Eden_(film))'' in 1994, and ''[The Princess Diaries](/source/The_Princess_Diaries_(film))'' in 2001.<ref name=variety/>

===Death===
Bob Brunner died of a heart attack near his residence in [Northridge, California](/source/Northridge%2C_California), on October 28, 2012, at the age of 78. He was survived by three children Robert Jr, Jennifer and Elizabeth – and six grandchildren.<ref name=dspy/> Brunner was buried at [Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery](/source/Forest_Lawn_Memorial_Park_(Hollywood_Hills)) next to his wife, Ann, who died in 1987.<ref name=thr/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0116358|name=Bob Brunner}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunner, Bob}}
Category:1934 births
Category:2012 deaths
Category:Television producers from California
Category:Film producers from California
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:Screenwriters from New York City
Category:People from Northridge, Los Angeles
Category:Television producers from New York City
Category:Film producers from New York (state)
Category:Screenwriters from California

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bob Brunner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Brunner) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Brunner?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.