George Yanok, Emmy-Winning Writer on Lily Tomlin Specials, Dies at 83

George Yanok, who earned two Emmy Awards for co-writing Lily Tomlin TV specials in the 1970s, died Friday in Nashville after an 18-month battle with lung cancer, his stepdaughter, Katie Hill, announced. He was 83.

One of the original writers on CBS’ Hee Haw, Yanok also wrote and/or produced for such other shows as Welcome Back, Kotter, Sanford & Son, The Bob Newhart Show, Too Close for Comfort, The Stockard Channing Show and the Bewitched spinoff, Tabitha.

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Yanok was nominated for Emmys for his work on The Lily Tomlin Show and Lily, both of which aired on CBS in 1973, and for 1975’s The Lily Tomlin Special, for ABC. He won for the last two, sharing the honor with, among others, Tomlin’s longtime creative partner (and future wife), Jane Wagner.

Yanok landed another Emmy writing nom in 1976 for Welcome Back, Kotter. During this career, he shared credits with the likes of Richard Pryor, Lorne Michaels, Herb Sargent and Christopher Guest.

George Richard Yanok was born on Nov. 29, 1938, in Bristol, Connecticut. In 1951, he and his family settled in Pomona, California, and he attended Pomona Catholic High School, the University of Santa Clara and San Jose State College.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Yanok did stand-up at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco and acted in the theater. In 1969, he landed writing gigs on Hee Haw, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and The Jimmie Rodgers Show.

In the 1990s, Yanok moved from Los Angeles to Nashville to write, direct and produce Prime Time Country for The Nashville Network.

He also did research for Judge Judy; taught TV writing at Watkins College of Art in Nashville; developed a private consulting and teaching practice; and had a novel, Romeo in Shubert Alley, published in 2017.

As a teenager, he was inspired by Gene Krupa to be a drummer, and he devoted much time and energy to the Nashville Jazz Workshop in its early years.

In addition to his stepdaughter, survivors include his wife of 20 years, Laura, and stepson John.

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