Jamie Tarses, the first woman to run a network entertainment division, died Monday morning from complications from a heart attack she suffered last fall. She was 56.
The family’s predecessor’s family has confirmed her departure, Deadline reports.
Before blowing through glass ceilings for female executives in the TV industry, Tarses played a key role in the development of modern TV classics, including two tent pole entries in NBC’s iconic ‘must-see TV’ series: Thursday night: ‘Friends’ and ‘Frasier’. ”
Despite being a powerful player, Tarses once humbly said: ‘[I’m] a true fan of the medium. I really like television. ”
Her ascension to said power was unusually fast. She graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts in 1985 with a degree in theater and quickly achieved a low profile as an assistant on ‘Saturday Night Live’, followed by a cast as director for Lorimar Productions.
After successfully overseeing the production of NBC hits “Cheers” and “A Different World”, she developed a series of beloved hits for the network, such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, “Wings”, “NewsRadio,” “Love You” and “Blossom.”
Tarses was promoted to senior vice-president of primetime series in 1994, being her second-in-command as then-NBC president Warren Littlefield, who said her ‘development skills were extraordinary’.
In a statement to Deadline, Littlefield said: ‘In her NBC days, surrounded by superstar drivers, she stood out. She had the ability to make writers feel safe and to make the most of it. She fought for them. The understanding of writers’ needs and needs probably began by growing up in a household with her father who wrote and produced comedies. She perfected the concept when she became a development manager. ‘
Unfortunately, her tenure at NBC would only last 11 months. “When she left NBC, we knew she would be missed, but the opportunity got ABC,” Littlefield said.
Tarses was just 32 when she was named president of ABC Entertainment in June 1996.
“At a time when all the major networks were losing young viewers, Ms. Tarses seemed to be speaking the language of the coveted audience,” the Wall Street Journal wrote at the time. “She has what is known in the TV show as’ taste ‘, or the ability to recognize hot ideas, writers and stars.’
Following the launch of hits such as ‘Dharma & Greg’, ‘Spin City’, ‘Sports Night’ and ‘The Practice’, Tarses resigned in 1999 amid corporate restructuring by ABC’s parent company, Disney.
“Jamie was a pioneer in the true sense of the word,” Karey Burke, current president of Disney’s 20th television and former president of ABC Entertainment, told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “She broke stereotypes and ideas about what a female executive could achieve, paving the way for others, at the expense of herself. She was a mentor and friend, and many of us owe so much to her.
“As CEO and producer, she was a champion of storytelling, and was raised by one of the greatest of all time,” Burke said. “Her talent and contribution to our community will only be missed.”
Tarses held various executive producer roles during the 2000s. Her latest project, “The Mysterious Benedict Society”, is currently listed as a post-production for the Disney + service.
She is survived by her partner Paddy Aubrey; their children, Wyatt and Sloane; her parents, Jay and Rachel Tarses; her siblings, Matt and Mallory Tarses; her sister-in-law, Katie Tarses; three nieces; and a cousin. The Tarses family said donations could be made in honor of the Young Storytellers project.