Jerry Katzman, Former William Morris President, Dies at 89
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- Jerry Katzman died on Aug. 9 at age 89, with funeral services scheduled for Aug. 13 at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
- Katzman rose from business affairs to president and vice chairman at William Morris, where he packaged hit series including 'Roseanne,' 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' 'The Cosby Show,' and 'Murphy Brown.'
- He served as president of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society and later taught at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television.
- In the early 1970s, Katzman worked with his father in film production on Elvis Presley's 'Kissin' Cousins' and 'Harum Scarum,' Roy Orbison's 'The Fastest Guitar Alive,' and Peter Noone's 'Hold On!'
- Born April 21, 1937, in Los Angeles, Katzman was married to Carol Sinn for 66 years and is survived by children Jeff, Jon, and Kari, seven grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.
- He battled Parkinson's for several years; memorial donations are directed to UCLA Parkinson's Center, Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors, and the Jewish Federation in Los Angeles.
Why it matters: Katzman's decades-long rise at William Morris — from business affairs to president — helped establish the TV packaging playbook that turned individual show concepts into network-defining franchises like 'The Cosby Show' and 'Murphy Brown.' His later UCLA teaching role extended that influence into the classroom, making his death the loss of a figure who shaped both the deals and the people behind modern network television.
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