Bud Yorkin

Bud Yorkin born February 22 1926 is an American film and television producer director writer and actor He directed and produced the 1958 TV special An Evening With Fred Astaire which won nine Emmy Awards Yorkin was born Alan David Yorkin in Washington Pennsylvania He earned a degree in engineering from Carnegie Tech now Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh In 1956 he became the producer and director of Tennessee Ernie Fords NBC comedyvariety program The Ford Show In 1963 Yorkin joined Norman Lear to form Tandem Productions which at first produced several films in the 1960s to 1971 with such major studios like United Artists and Warner Bros and later produced many of the decades hit sitcoms such as All in the Family Maude Good Times and Sanford and Son In 1999 he and Lear were awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in recognition of excellence and innovation in creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television After his split with Lear Yorkin went on to form Bud Yorkin Productions His first sitcom after the split was the unsuccessful Sanford and Son spinoff sitcom Grady In 1976 he formed TOY Productions with Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein who produced Sanford and Son from 19741977 but their two hits were Whats Happening and Carter Country Yorkins film directing credits include The Thief Who Came to Dinner Divorce American Style and Inspector Clouseau film of the Pink Panther series Yorkin is the father of television writer and producer Nicole Yorkin He is married to actress Cynthia Sikes