Mary-Ellis Bunim
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| Mary-Ellis Bunim | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 9, 1946 Northampton, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | January 29, 2004 (aged 57) Burbank, California, United States |
Mary-Ellis Bunim (July 9, 1946 - January 29, 2004) was an American television producer and co-creator of MTV's The Real World and Road Rules.
[edit] Biography
A native of Massachusetts, Bunim began her career in daytime dramas. She oversaw more than 2,500 hours of programming as executive producer of Search for Tomorrow (1974-1981), As the World Turns (1981-1984), Santa Barbara (1984-1987) and Loving (1989-1990). She subsequently developed numerous shows in her job as VP of tape programs for New World Entertainment.
Bunim founded Bunim-Murray with business partner Jonathan Murray. Agent Mark Itkin of the William Morris Agency put the two together to develop a scripted soap opera for MTV. When that was too expensive, they decided to try an unscripted soap and the Real World was born. "We knew within 20 minutes of shooting that we had a show," Bunim said.
Her company, Bunim/Murray Productions, spearheaded the reality television genre. Among the numerous other reality programs that Bunim co-created over the years were Road Rules, Love Cruise, Making the Band, The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, the reality feature film The Real Cancun, the real-life daily syndicated Starting Over, as well as Fox's smash hit, The Simple Life. She died in Los Angeles at 57, after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. She is survived by her daughter, Juliana Bunim.[1]
On November 29, 2011, it was announced that Bunim and Murray would be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in March 2012.
[edit] References
- ^ "'Real World' co-creator dies". CNN.com. 2004-01-31. http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/30/obit.bunim/index.html. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
[edit] External links
- Mary-Ellis Bunim at the Internet Movie Database
- Official Website of The Real World
- Official Website of Road Rules
- Official Website of The Simple Life
- Official Website of Bunim/Murray Productions
- Official Website of MTV
- Official Website of MTV Networks
- Official Website of Viacom
- Official Website of CBS Corporation
- Official Website of National Amusements
- Brent Redstone
| Preceded by Bridget and Jerome Dobson, Charles Pratt, Sr. |
Executive producer of Santa Barbara (with Bridget and Jerome Dobson) October 1984 - November 1987 |
Succeeded by Bridget and Jerome Dobson, Jill Farren Phelps |
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