The Movie Specials . See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by . 1 . Earl Hamner Jr. Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family He was also the Creator and Executive Producer for the show "FALCON CREST'' 1981 thru 1988. His daughter announced his death in . September 14 marked the 25th anniversary of the first telecast. Hamner's younger brother, the real-life Jim-Bob, has been booted off the board of a community center and museum that pays tribute to the series. is robert hamner related to earl hamnerinternational service dog laws. And yes, his memorabilia gave it a stamp of authenticity it would otherwise lack. Earl Hamner Jr. was the model for John Boy. He was born in Schuyler, Virginia, where his father, Earl Sr, was a soapstone miner, having abandoned tobacco farming in the James river valley. Born July 10th, 1923 Earl Hamner Jr. was the first child of Earl Sr. and Doris Hamner. The museum includes replicas of the kitchen, living room, John Boy's bedroom and Ike Godsey's store. He wrote further scripts for television movies, an adaptation of Forrest Carters The Education of Little Tree (1997), A Mothers Gift (1995) and The Night Before Christmas: A Mouse Tale (2002), plus episodes of Snowy River and the animated series The Wild Thornberrys. Marion Hamner Hawkes inspired the character of Mary Ellen. She was born November 29, 1957, in Buckhannon, WV, a daughter of the late Robert Harrison and Delena Lucille Smith. In 1951 Hamner headed for New York, where he wrote for an NBC radio programme called Biography in Sound. "They tore that man to shreds," Mulkey said. His walk on a snowy Christmas Eve in 1933 was the inspiration for Hamner's 1970 novel, The Homecoming, which became a Christmas special and the inspiration for The Waltons in 1971. He has devoted much of his time to motion pictures for television. 6.0 Writer 2003 S.W.A.T. After five seasons, Richard Thomas left the Waltons to pursue other interests. Cliff died in 1990 and is survived by his three children, Diane, Cliff Jr. and Donna. Next, employers started repeating that famous line "you lack experience" -- this time in regard to film. His mother's people, the Gianninis, came to America from the village of Lucca, Italy. Marion's first and only husband, Glenn, is a fellow volunteer at Colonial Williamsburg's visitor center. Doris Hamner continued to live in the family home after her husband Earl Sr. passed away. "With the exception of the loss of friends and family, I've had . When the mines in Schuyler closed down, Earl Sr found factory work 33 miles away, commuting weekly on buses, the nearest of which required a six-mile walk from the familys home in the hills. Hamner narrated the first two Waltons specials, but was not involved in the ones that followed in the 1990s. Earl Hamner Jr. Net Worth is $9 Million Mini Biography He was also the Inventor and Executive Maker for the display "FALCON CREST" 1981 thru 1988. ", In the meantime, Mulkey was fired for insubordination. Earl Hamner Jr., the creator and narrator of CBS' beloved, long-running family drama "The Waltons," died Thursday in Los Angeles. Anthony Giannini was a gardener for Philip Mazzei but he also helped Thomas Jefferson set up vineyards at Monticello. Then there are those who come here from some other place, and seem to feel the need to teach the natives how to do things.". TIMES STAFF WRITER. Earl Hamner lived through some of the hardest times this country has known. related to Leta Hamner, 81 Lorri Hamner, 57 Melenda Hamner Randy Hamner, 54 Collin Hamner, 25 Marion Lee Hamner (19302004) . 725. Earl Hamner Jr. has 22 books on Goodreads with 8493 ratings. "The board decided to terminate my leadership while I was on vacation," she said. But she recently turned down a request for a Waltons-related gig aboard a Caribbean cruise. (1975) and Star Trek (1966). The children had plenty of freedom but were wise to follow rules and complete their chores beforehand. "We'd use the house as a way of celebrating not just the TV program and Earl Hamner's life, but as a way of paying tribute to Nelson County's history. He then moved into television, writing an episode of the NBC drama Justice, which was called Hit and Run and starred EG Marshall. Earl Hamner was born and raised in Schuyler, Virginia. "The family members have taken on the persona of being the Waltons. (10) Earl Henry Hamner, Sr., was born on May 18, 1899, in Schuyler, Virginia, and his parents were Walter Clifton Hamner and Susan Henry (Spencer) Hamner. He was writing for the Today Show when, in 1954, he met and married Jane Martin, an editor at Harpers Bazaar magazine. He served in France after the invasion of Normandy. ------------------ Search Site The town, and even families, are divided. He worked from the sixties until shortly before his death. james mcbride spouse 6 juin 2022. Robert is related to Shannon T Hamner and John E Hamner as well as 3 additional people. During Earl's childhood years, the family (all except Earl Sr.) attended a small whiteboard church known as Schuyler Baptist Church. They settled in Buckingham by the early 1830s. Earl Jr. left home, served in World War II, and later, in New York, wrote "Spencer's Mountain," a novel modeled on his boyhood. Earl Hamner Jr. (John-Boy) Earl Hamner. Was The Waltons based on Earl Hamners life? 4.40 avg rating 5 ratings published 1975 Want to Read . [1] His father's family came to Virginia from Wales. "What I once considered a benefit to the people of Schuyler has become the target of petty quarrels, back biting and mean spirited bickering," he wrote. .l(-`i6DX;7z"rOrNq15IlF7a pQj;@?vv~/a*. The house is billed as "The Original Walton's House" because "The Walton's" creator Earl Hamner . She has five children and six grandchildren. - Season Seven The Waltons struck a sentimental chord with US audiences after the turbulent 1960s and was also a success with viewers worldwide. Unfortunately, the voyage to Hollywood was nearly fatal in many ways to Earl Hamner and his wife. It was an unpleasant affair. Hamner adapted the television series from the 1963 Henry Fonda movie "Spencer's Mountain." Where can I watch the entire Dragon Ball series for free. Earl Hamner Jr began his career in radio, but soon moved into television, writing for many shows, including The Twilight Zone. white rabbit restaurant menu; israel journey from egypt to canaan map is robert hamner related to earl hamner. Alas, the seeds of discord were sown then, too. He continues to write. She was the model for Mary Ellen Walton. Earl describes Cliff as a "loving outdoor man. Published by at 14 Marta, 2021. Are any of the Hamner family still alive? He was 92 and had been diagnosed with cancer in June 2014, according to a Facebook post by his daughter. Nancy Hamner (the baby of the family) was not allowed much independance. Mary Ellen ended up staying with her second husband. And they are not the Waltons.". If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Proceeds from the store go to community projects, Hawkes says. What clothing brands were popular in the 50s? Like Mary Ellen, Hawkes itched to leave the mountains as a youngster. She described herself as the "tomboy" of the family. by Earl Hamner and Ralph E. Giffin | Oct 1, 2002. He also created Apple's Way (19741975) and Boone (19831984). Before she and her husband came to Williamsburg in 1996, Hawkes guided bus tours of her hometown. Hamner wrote some episodes of The Waltons, but as its producer acted as what is now called the showrunner, maintaining creative control. His son Scott announced on Facebook that Hamner had been suffering from cancer, and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Thursday. Earl Hamner has responded by yanking his belongings out of the museum, and helping to plan another 20 miles away in Lovingston, the Nelson County seat. cousin Janet, sisters Nancy (Elizabeth), She was angry. 92 years old." I was working on the final chapters of my first novel at the time and stopped, stunned. Robert is related to Shannon T Hamner and John E Hamner as well as 3 additional people. Why was John-Boy replaced on The Waltons? He even became baptized and began to attend church. Born July 6, 1928 Died April 25, 1996 (67) Add or change photo on IMDbPro Add to list Known for S.W.A.T. Earl M Hamner; Hamner M Earl; Earl Hamner; Name Variants: Mikael Hamner; Mychael Hamner; Mikey Hamner; . Unfortunately, Jim Hamner signed the letter as the museum's treasurer and printed it on museum letterhead. ------------------ Earl Hamner wrote another letter, announcing that he would pull his belongings from the museum. It was in this profession that he finally found the love of his life in the form of Janet, and they eventually married. Date of death: Although it ran until 1990, Hamner left the show after five seasons; he had less control and did not like the direction in which it was going. CBS called us 'The Janet is robert hamner related to earl hamner. Writer Robert Edward Hamner ( 7 July 1928 - 25 April 1996; age 67) either wrote for or produced (or sometimes both) about thirty five different television series. Grandma Walton is actually a composite of both real grandmothers: Ora Lee Mann Everyone agrees that 30,000-plus tourists would not venture to Schuyler each year were it not for Earl Hamner. He liked to curse, hunt and drink. He also wrote or co-wrote eight episodes of the CBS animal series Gentle Ben (19671969) and four episodes of the sitcom Nanny and the Professor (1970). Dad died peacefully in his sleep at Cedar Sinai Hospital. The model for Ben Walton came from two brothers. Thank you for visiting earl hamner jr family tree page. "I was very outspoken, free-talking. In the early 1960s, Hamner contributed eight episodes to the science fiction series The Twilight Zone. Little Tree is an 8-year-old Cherokee boy, who, during the time of the depression, loses his parents and starts to live with his Indian grandma and grandpa and learn the wisdom of the Cherokee way of life. Hamner based the grandparents in his popular television series The Waltons (1972) on his own maternal Italian-American grandparents Ora Lee and A. Gianniny, an Anglicized version of the Italian name Giannini. Earl "Coach" HamnerGraveside services for Coach Hamner will be held at time 1:00 p.m. on Monday, January 11, 2016 in the Gardens of Memory Cemetery, Minden, LA. ------------------ Earl Henry Hamner, Sr., passed away on May 1, 1969, in Schuyler . Finally, in late May, the center's membership was asked to vote on whether to keep Whitehurst as president. He eventually dropped some of his more colorful activities in favor of his wife's approval. He eventually dropped some of his more colorful activities in favor of his wife's approval. Witnessed The Boy the morning of the Old Number 7 fire. "We don't have cable in the house because of the violence it would bring in," she says. [citation needed], Hamner died in Los Angeles, California, of bladder cancer on March 24, 2016, aged 92. Known for being sex- and violence-free, the show became a hit, eventually knocking its main competition, NBC's "The Flip Wilson Show," off the air. With a click of a mouse, visitors can listen to an electronic-sounding version of the show's musical theme. Six years older than the next sibling, Earl was certainly looked up to by the younger children. 3rd row: Doris, Audrey, John Walton, Sr. Ellen Corby . Bill Davidson mentioned that Ann Hamner Cobbs married Baker W. Davidson in Bedford Co., VA in 1827. He was an American television writer and producer (sometimes credited as Earl Hamner), best known for his work in the 1970s and 1980s on the long-running CBS series The Waltons and Falcon Crest. See his full interview at http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/earl-hamner-jr Lawrence Dobkin Writing Credits Earl Hamner Jr. Earl Hamner Jr. executive story consultant (as Earl Hamner) Doris Hamner technical consultant Carol Marie production coordinator , The father of Earl Hamner, Jr. and the inspiration for the character John Walton in the hit television program The Waltons. (2003), S.W.A.T. His son Scott announced on Facebook that Hamner had been suffering from cancer, and died at. The New Waltons - Season Five be(/uqs^` R-HO/k As fans of "The Waltons" will know, Hamner penned the book on which the popular family television show was based. The town, and even families, are divided over how it all started, and whether Schuyler can survive without the family that put it on the map. reconstituted family advantages and disadvantages; . The Waltons ended its run in 1981 and Hamner moved seamlessly to a very different family saga, Falcon Crest, a Dallas-like tale of vicious infighting within a California wine-growing family inspired by his wifes ancestors. 25 April 1996 He served in France after the invasion of Normandy. Not least of the sore points was Jim Hamner, the last of the family in Schuyler. She was doted on by the older children especially James. 150 3rd Avenue South, Suite 1700 Nashville, TN 37201 615.244.4994 composite of the two real grandfathers: Colonael Anderson Giannini (1880-1964), and Walter Earl Henry Hamner Jr. (July 10, 1923 - March 24, 2016) was an American television writer and producer (sometimes credited as Earl Hamner), best known for his work in the 1970s and 1980s on the long-running series The Waltons and Falcon Crest . He reprised the theme in the 1964 "You Drive" episode of The Twilight Zone. It was recast as a made-for-TV movie in 1971,and struck such a chord with viewers that CBS tapped Hamner for a series. Earl remained in Hollywood after the series went off the air in 1981, though he visits Virginia from time to time. They kept coming even after Doris Hamner died, and after the show went off the air in 1981. A faithful friend as well as a brother." The beloved Waltons characters return in this heartwarming movie about love and loyalty. Place of birth: The pilgrims started arriving before the first season ended. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Doris Giannini Hamner. Along the way, Clay-boy is menaced by a deer, must defend his familys honor from a clueless outsider, crashes in on a . Audrey Hamner, on whom the character of Erin is based, lives in Vinton, Virginia, and has retired as a Donor Resources Consultant with the American Red Cross. Visit the Earl Hamner - Memorial Page or continue on to the next page The Hamner Family - The REAL Waltons or skip to His first script acceptance for the series was his big writing break in Hollywood. Hawkes, a Williamsburg resident, ought to know. He even became baptized and began to attend church. Descriere: Nietzsche claimed that the "Twilight of the Idols" was a general introduction to his philosophy. Scott Hamner (born 1956[1]), is an American television writer. Earl Hamner Jr. (John-Boy), Marian (Mary Ellen), Paul (Ben), Bill is missing from this photo, Doris Hamner, Earl, his son Scott, Jane his wife and Caroline, Earl's daughter, A Visit with Doris Hamner in Schuyler, VA - 1973, Read a 1972 Los Angeles Times article about Earl Hamner and his family, Read a 1974 article about The Real Waltons, Main Menu sister Audrey (Erin). Audrey was born in Schuyler,. Hamner, as part of the writing teams that he has worked with, has been nominated six times (As the World Turns: 1996, The Young and the Restless: 200708 and 201012) for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category Drama Series Writing Team, winning the Emmy in 2011. The eldest of eight red-haired children in a poor, Baptist family, Earl Henry Hamner Jr. was born July 10, 1923, in Schuyler, Va., a mining and milling village in the foothills of the Blue Ridge . In Earl Hamner: From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow, readers will discover the integrated nature of his career, finding that there is no real conflict between the warm folksiness of The Waltons,. Fans of the show flocked to her little home in Vigirnia and she welcomed them with a pot of tea. Two years later the novel he had begun in the Ozarks, Fifty Roads to Town, was published. He based the grandparents in The Waltons on his maternal grandparents, Colonel Anderson and Ora Lee Gianniny, and devised the show's title by slightly adjusting the name of his paternal grandfather, Walter Clifton Hamner. All the cast but Richard Thomas turned out. Fans of the show flocked to her little home in Vigirnia and she welcomed them with a pot of tea. But still. ". Earl H. Hamner > Schuyler Earl Henry Hamner died today at his home here. He died surrounded by family playing his favourite John Denver music, according to the Facebook . He recalls the controversy surrounding the television movie Heidi . Hamner's father worked in the mines from the time his eldest son was born until the company's closing. Schuyler, Virginia - The REAL Walton's Mountain. 7 July 1928 In 1951 Hamner headed for New York, where he wrote for an NBC radio programme called Biography in Sound. Jane MartinEarl Hamner Jr. / Spouse (m. 19542016). The Waltons derives from his paternal grandfather Walter Clifton Hamner and great-grandfather Walter Leland Hamner. )S@ /J^xZ-+ wd kjvN1P-Zf>0tax~x 'VO:A_pJ Some townspeople felt that Earl Hamner hadn't done as much as he might have. www.opendialoguemediations.com. (clockwise from upper right) Doris, Marian, Audrey, The Hamner's in 1973 - From Left: Cliff (Jason), Nancy (Elizabeth), Audrey (Erin) James (Jim Bob), Doris "Mother" Hamner (Olivia), He did not judge his characters and presented them in the only way he knew how. Hamner is survived by Jane, by their two children, Scott and Caroline, by a brother, Paul, and by two sisters, Audrey and Nancy. My father, Earl Hamner, passed away today at 12:20 PM Pacific time. of "A Decade of the Waltons" Earl Hamner Jr, who has died aged 92, created The Waltons, the hugely popular television series that ran for nine seasons from 1972. The Homecoming (1970) is a Christmas novella by Earl Hamner Jr. - Season Eight He died on 25 April 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA. By the time it was made into a 1963 Henry Fonda movie, Hamner had written "The Homecoming," a prequel to the earlier book. is robert hamner related to earl hamner. Sixteen years after the final episode of "The Waltons" aired on CBS, Marion Hamner Hawkes - sister of Waltons creator Earl Hamner Jr. - says she is amazed at how many people follow the show in syndication and track her down with questions about the "real" Mary Ellen. One of his scripts, You Drive, was an adaptation of Hit and Run. Doris Hamner, Earl, his son Scott, Jane his wife and Caroline, Earl's daughter. Earl Hamner Jr. (Television Writer) Earl Hamner Jr. was an American television writer, novelist, and producer best known for his work in the 1970s long-running television series 'The Waltons'. Robert Edward Hamner Built in 1915, as a company house, by the local soapstone company. A few doors down, the model for Ike Godsey ran a real-life country store. Doris Hamner was a proud, honest Baptist mother and wife who ruled the activities inside the Hamner home. "The Waltons" based more than loosely on Hamner's life and family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression debuted on September 14, 1972. Audrey Jane Hamner, 90, of Vinton, Virginia, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. He grew up in Nelson County, Virginia. (written by) Cast (in credits order) Ralph Waite . "I learned recently that while representing me a member of my family was caused pain, humiliation and mental anguish at one of your meetings," he wrote the board. As a novelist, he is best known for Spencer's Mountain, which was inspired by his own childhood and formed the basis for both the film of the same name and the television series The Waltons, for which he provided voice-over narration. ------------------ Earl worked in the summer painting dorms and was a dispatcher for The Brooks Transportation Company during the school year to help pay his expenses. Hamners writing career began with a poem, My Dog, published in a newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, when he was six. [5], "Earl Hamner Jr., Who Created 'The Waltons,' Dies at 92", Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Earl_Hamner_Jr.&oldid=1130865702, This page was last edited on 1 January 2023, at 10:41. F$-FzD^4VjUZ$ SdO.J!3kn [rT TLh How can I update my Microsoft Office 2007 to free version? Earl Hamner, creator of the long-running CBS dramas The Waltons and Falcon Crest, died today of cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Schuyler - Earl Henry Hamner died today at his home here. 15 Dec 1897 d. 13 Mar 1965 Nora Spencer Hamner Mary Elizabeth Hamner He worked from the sixties until shortly before his death. Is Robert Hamner related to Earl Hamner Jr? Earl Hamner Jr. Earl Hamner Jr. passed away. [1] Until the 1900s, the Hamners were tobacco farmers near James River, Virginia, when they moved to Schuyler, located on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.[1]. Bottom row: Earl, Upper Row: Cliff, Nancy, Bill, James Hamner died in Los Angeles and had recently been battling pneumonia, said Ray Castro Jr., a friend of Hamner's who produced a documentary, "Earl Hamner Storyteller," about the writer . When both were winners in a script-writing contest, he met Rod Serling and when Hamner left WLW in 1949 to take a cabin in the Ozark mountains and work on a novel, he recommended Serling for his job. Earl Henry Hamner Jr. (July 10, 1923 - March 24, 2016) was an American television writer and producer (sometimes credited as Earl Hamner ), best known for his work in the 1970s and 1980s as the creator of two long-running series, The Waltons and Falcon Crest. He won a scholarship to the University of Richmond, but was drafted in 1943, and his typing skills eventually saw him assigned to the quartermasters corps, based in Paris after the D-day invasion. Audrey Jane . When a descendant of Anthony, Doris Marion Giannini, at the tender age of 16 . Related lists from IMDb users. He passed away in 1969 before The Waltons was created. Other than "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Sesame Street" and other public-television programs, she can't name many shows she likes. Tall, lean, fine-boned, red-headed Here, author Earl Hamner Jr. -- the real-life John-Boy -- grew up in an unassuming, tin-roofed house crowded with siblings. He wrote for two series, Gentle Ben and Nanny and the Professor, before The Homecoming was broadcast as a Christmas special in 1971 and became a huge hit, leading to the debut of The Waltons as a series the next year. What does Lo Debar represent in the Bible? Father of Scott Hamner. The Homecoming His mother, Doris (nee Giannini), was descended from an Italian immigrant who planted the vineyards in Thomas Jeffersons Monticello estate. The television business was moving from live programmes in New York to film produced in Los Angeles, so in 1961, after publication of his novel Spencers Mountain, another Waltons precursor, Hamner moved his family to California; his memoir, The Avocado Drive Zoo (1999) recalls the move. Positions held [ edit] The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (Actor, television movie: 1971) Berrenger's (Writer, 2 episodes: 1985) Boone (Writer, 2 episodes: 1983-84) As a novelist, he is best known for Spencers Mountain, which was inspired by his own childhood and formed the basis for both the film of the same name and the television series The Waltons, for which he provided voice-over narration. She described herself as the "tomboy" of the family. Schuyler was a company town where the economy was based in soapstone mining by New Alberene Stone, and the town was hit hard by the Great Depression when the company and its mines closed. Doris Hamner continued to live in the family home after her husband Earl Sr. passed away. ", It wasn't long before Earl Hamner was in touch. He liked to curse, hunt and drink. "The idea would be to recreate the Waltons' homestead," Greenberg said. My father, Earl Hamner, passed away today at 12:20 PM Pacific time. - Season Nine He is best known as the creator of the police procedural show S.W.A.T. Robert Hamner was born on 6 July 1928 in New York, USA. about earl hamner jr family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. Mrs. Hamner was a homemaker. In his four-hour Archive interview, Earl Hamner, Jr. (1923-2016) talks briefly about his earliest writing credits, for shows such as Today, Wide, Wide World and The United States Steel Hour. The show was created by Earl Hamner, Jr., who had previously created The Waltons, which had just finished its final season in 1981. That book was "Spencer's Mountain" and it had its inspiration on Hamner's personal experiences growing up. Earl Henry Hamner, writer, born 10 July 1923; died 24 March 2016, Creator of the US television show The Waltons, which was based on his childhood in Depression-era Virginia, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. John-Boy then turned his attention to reporting news instead and gained a steady means of living once more, but would one day have to break the news of the John F. Kennedy assassination. A replica of John Walton's truck sits outside. Robert Edward Hamner (7 July 1928 25 April 1996; age 67) either wrote for or produced (or sometimes both) about thirty five different television series. Grandpa Walton is also a He married Doris Giannini on December 31, 1921 In Nelson county, Virginia, USA. James is the only sibling who stayed in the country, Hawkes says. Earl Hamner's Grandparents, The Giannini's. He subsequently attended Northwestern University and then graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in broadcast communications.[3][4]. The girls, from youngest to oldest, were Nancy Alice, Audrey Jane, and Marion Lee. He recalled Doris Ham- ner's stories. Paul Hamner (r) lives in Toms River, New Jersey and is retired from the Baker Shoe Store chain. Although they were poor, education was extremely important in their family. He speaks eloquently, with humility, from the heart, the words of a writer. WILLIAMSBURG When Mary Ellen remarried a year after her husband's apparent death in the television series "The Waltons," Marion Hamner Hawkes wasn't happy for her. Due to the distance between home and work, Earl Sr. lived at a boarding house in Waynesboro during the week and traveled back to Schuyler and his family on the weekend. That places him fourth in terms of production behind Serling, Beaumont and Matheson, respectively. how to change button shape in android studio; Tags . His wife, Brenda, lives in the Richmond, Virginia area. And worst of all, she had access to the community center's checks. "I was the tomboy.". imagenes biblicas para whatsapp. Dad died peacefully in his sleep at Cedar Sinai Hospital. When her tea supply ran short, her son Earl helped her with the tea budget. ABC Stage 67 "The People Trap" (teleplay by Hamner based on the story by Robert Sheckley) (Nov. 9, 1966; . He was surrounded by family, and we were playing his favorite. for the Hamner family. Did you like this post? Clifton Hamner (1856-1935). Earl Henry Hamner Jr. (July 10, 1923 - March 24, 2016) was an American television writer and producer (sometimes credited as Earl Hamner ).