Richard Eustis Lifeless: Author and Creator of ‘Head of the Class,’ was 86

Richard Eustis, an Emmy-award profitable screenwriter and co-creator of 1986 ABC sitcom “Head of the Class,” died Oct. 30 on the age of 86 in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Eustis served as one-half of the writing crew Eustis and Elias, together with author and director Michael Elias, who collectively created the highschool sitcom, which ran for 5 seasons from 1986 to 1991. The present adopted a bunch of gifted highschool college students within the Individualized Honors Program at a fictional Manhattan highschool referred to as Millard Fillmore, together with their historical past trainer Charlie Moore, who was portrayed by Howard Hesseman. The actor left the present earlier than its fifth season and was changed by Billy Connolly, who performed a trainer named Billy MacGregor. Connolly’s efforts netted him a spin-off present in 1992 for the community referred to as “Billy,” which Eustis and Elias co-created and which ran for 13 episodes.

The unique present obtained the revival therapy in 2021 by way of HBO Max, developed by Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen. The reboot sequence ran for one ten-episode season on the streamer, releasing the whole season on Nov. 4, earlier than HBO introduced in December final yr that it might not be transferring ahead with a second season.

Elsewhere, Eustis wrote episodes of exhibits comparable to “Scrubs,” “Tall Hopes,” “Eye to Eye” and others. He received his begin in tv writing on selection exhibits for musicians Dean Martin and John Denver earlier than finally pairing up with inventive associate Elias. Eustis received a Primetime Emmy Award for Excellent Selection, Music or Comedy Particular for “An Night with John Denver” in 1975.

Eustis was born on November 21, 1935 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rising up, he was touted as a soccer star and beforehand labored as a journalist earlier than transferring to Los Angeles to begin his profession in tv.

Eustis is survived by his spouse, Tiana, sons John and Ronald, daughter Madeleine, son-in-law Marcel Samek, grandson Julian Eustis Samek and granddaughters Colette Eustis Samek and Linh Eustis. His daughter-in-law, Oanh Ly, can also be a tv author and producer. He’s preceded in dying by his eldest daughter Sandy Eustis, who was a script supervisor.