RIP Sam Bobrick — 'Saved By The Bell' Creator And Elvis Songwriter Dead At 87
Rest in peace, Sam Bobrick.
Instagram Though he was best known for his work on "Saved by the Bell," he was also known for writing songs for people like Elvis Presley. Now, however, Sam Bobrick has passed away, and his death is a loss to the world in general, and the pop culture world in particular. But how did Sam Bobrick die?
Saved by the Bell was a sitcom that was popular amongst teenagers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The show catapulted actors like Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Mario Lopez into superstardom, and AOL TV recently rated the show as one of the best school shows of all-time. While not all the press surrounding the show was positive (in no small part thanks to Mario Lopez's rape allegations that seemed to disappear rather quickly, Elizabeth Berkeley's acting career sputtering after Showgirls, and Dustin Diamond being Dustin Diamond), its impact on pop culture is undeniable. (The existence of the 'Zack Morris is Trash' Facebook page is evidence enough of its lasting impact on pop culture.)
Now, however, that its creator Sam Bobrick passed away, let's take a look back at his incredible life and legacy.
1. He wrote for, and helped create, several other television shows besides Saved by the Bell.
NME reports that Sam Bobrick wasn't just responsible for the success of Saved by the Bell. Rather, when he came on board to the popular show, he came as a veteran Hollywood writer and co-creator of several other shows including Captain Kangaroo (where he got his writing career off the ground), The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched, The Flintstones, Get Smart, The Kraft Music Hall, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
2. Sam Bobrick was a prolific playwright, as well.
The Hollywood Reporter reports Sam Bobrick was a prolific playwright throughout his long career in the entertainment industry. Of the 40 or so plays that he wrote in his lifetime — many of them with Smothers Brothers co-writer Ron Clark — four of them made it to Broadway: Norman, Is That You? (which would also become a movie), No Hard Feelings, Wally's Cafe (which starred EGOT winner Rita Moreno), and Murder at the Howard Johnson's.
3. He wrote a song for Elvis Presley.
Sam Bobrick is credited as one of the principal songwriters of the Elvis Presley song, "The Girl of My Best Friend."
4. Sam Bobrick was remembered as a "writer who loved actors."
Many Hollywood writers have a love-hate relationship with the actors that work for the various shows and films they write for. However, Sam Bobrick's friend Adam Carl told Fox News that his friend was the rare breed of Hollywood writer who loved the actors he wrote for. "He was a writer who absolutely adored actors — not always a given — and appreciated the contributions they brought to the table. He was never precious or defensive about suggestions or notes; he wanted the work to be the best it could be and cherished a good idea from no matter where it came," he said to the outlet.
5. Saved by the Bell started out as a completely different show.
Before Saved by the Bell, Sam Bobrick helped create a show called Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which starred child star Hayley Mills and focused more on the teacher, rather than the students. The show did poorly in the ratings. According to Sam Bobrick's obituary on Legacy.com, it was Bobrick who retooled the show to focus more on the students than the teachers, Saved by the Bell was born, and history was made.
6. Sam Bobrick died shortly after having a stroke.
Sam Bobrick's granddaughter confirmed his death following a stroke in the Facebook post above.