Iconic Saturday Night Live writer Bob Tischler dies at age 78 after cancer battle

Bob Tischler, known for being a writer on the hit sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live , died at the age of 78.

He passed away after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer . His son Zeke confirmed the news to the New York Times this Sunday that Bob died on July 13 in his home in Bodega Bay, California.

The former head writer worked on the show from 1981 to 1985, helping revive the show after what many refer to as its worst season ever. Saturday Night Live first premiered in October 1975 and did well for its first five seasons until it was taken over by producer Jean Doumanian in the early 1980s.

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After Dick Ebersol took creative control in 1981, he hired Bob as a supervisory producer and he later became head writer the next season after the former head writer Michael O'Donoghue was fired.

Bob didn't consider himself a writer, telling the author of the 2002 book Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live: "I produced a lot of comedy and I did writing, but I wasn't a member of the union or anything."

About Bob, Dick wrote in his memoir From Saturday Night to Sunday Night: My Forty Years of Laughter, Tears, and Touchdowns in TV: "[Bob] was exactly the leader the writers' room needed - steady, calm and respected."

Bob was also known for championing Eddie Murphy while he was on the show, helping raise the comedian to stardom during his time on the show from 1980 to 1984.

After leaving Saturday Night Live, Bob had producer credits on shows like David Brenner's late-night show Nightlife, Empty Nest, Something So Right, The People Next Door, and Boy Meets World. He's also known for helping produce albums for the Blues Brothers, made up of SNL greats Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, and The National Lampoon Radio Hour.

This upcoming season of Saturday Night Live will be the show's iconic 50th season. In February 2025, the show will have a three-hour special celebrating the achievement.

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