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Treva Silverman | |
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Born | May 20, 1936 |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | TV writer |
Years active | 1964–1994 |
Known for | The Mary Tyler Moore Show |
Treva Silverman (born May 20, 1936) is an American screenwriter, best known for her work on the 1970s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show .
Raised in Cedarhurst, Long Island, [1] Silverman was one of at least three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Silverman. [2] She attended Bennington College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1959. [3] [4]
In the 1960s and 1970s, Silverman also wrote scripts for That Girl , The Monkees , He & She , Room 222 and The Bill Cosby Show .
In an excerpt from an interview conducted by WGAW, published in March 1997, Silverman cites as seminal influences the "world of fast, witty dialogue" epitomized by the 1930s Hollywood romantic comedy as well as the work of two writers in particular, namely Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker—the former "for his benign, hilarious observations of behavior," and the latter "for her insight into relationships." [5]
After earning a BA at Bennington, Silverman landed a job proofreading for Esquire; weekends she sang and played piano at bars. Things began to perk when she was hired to write some kids' theater and industrial shows. At one point, she teamed up with Joan Rivers as her writing partner. Carol Burnett gave her the big break after catching some sketches she'd written for a cabaret revue.
When I was growing up, there was a movie theater that showed revivals every Wednesday afternoon. I lived for the '30s romantic comedies [...] I loved the way they 'talked,' spoke the writer's lines, and always wanted to be part of that world of fast, witty dialogue. [...] Who influenced me most were, unquestionably, Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker. Benchley for his benign, hilarious observations of behavior and Parker for her insight into relationships.