Harris Katleman, whose executive positions in television had him overseeing the development of such classic series as The Simpsons, NYPD Blue, CHiPS, Medical Center, In Living Color, Doogie Howser, M.D. and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, died July 8 of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 97.
His death was announced by family.
Born in Omaha on August 19, 1928, Katleman moved with his family to Beverly Hills at the age of 8 and left UCLA at 19 to join MCA Artists as an “office boy.” Four years later, Katleman, a protége of Lew Wasserman, was selected to head the Television Department in New York, where he reorganized the operation and is credited with quadrupling the business.
Over the course of his tenure at MCA, Katleman represented talent such as Jackie Gleason and was involved in signing Clark Gable and Howard Keel.
Katleman left MCA to join Goodson-Todman Productions, initiating four network series: The Web, The Rebel, Branded and The Richard Boone Repertory Theatre. During this time, Harris also packaged and executive produced two theatrical releases — Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966) and Broken Sabres (1965) — under a joint venture between Goodson-Todman and Columbia Pictures.
Katleman moved on to become President of MGM Television and Senior Vice President of MGM Inc. He was instrumental in developing How the West Was Won, Babe, CHiPS, Medical Center, and The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father. He resigned in 1977 to launch Bennett Katleman Productions at Columbia Pictures and helped launch the NBC miniseries From Here to Eternity and the ABC series Salvage 1.
In 1980, Katleman was named President/CEO of Twentieth Century Fox Television. In addition to overseeing production on the final four years of M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D., Katleman developed and sold L.A. Law, The Simpsons, Anything but Love, In Living Color, Doogie Howser, M.D., Civil Wars, NYPD Blue, Hooperman, The Tracey Ullman Show and Mr. Belvedere.
Katleman was a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and served a two-year term as President of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society. He also sat on the Board of Governors for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and served on the Board of Directors of Brentwood Country Club and The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert.
Katleman’s memoir You Can’t Fall Off the Floor was published in 2018 by RosettaBooks.
Preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Katleman is survived by children Steve, an entertainment lawyer; Michael, a TV director and producer; and Lisa Sherman as well as seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
