'Head of the Class' co-creator Richard Eustis passes away at 86

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Co-creator of the 1986 ABC sitcom 'Head of the Class' and Emmy-winning screenwriter Richard Eustis passed away on October 30 in Thousand Oaks, California, at the age of 86.

According to Variety, together with writer and director Michael Elias, Eustis made up one-half of the creative duo Eustis and Elias, which produced the high school sitcom, which had five seasons from 1986 to 1991. The program followed a group of talented high school students participating in the Individualized Honors Program at Millard Fillmore High School, a fictional high school in Manhattan played by Howard Hesseman.

Billy Connolly, who played Billy MacGregor, the character played by the actor who departed the show before its fifth season, took his position. In 1992, Connolly's efforts led to the network giving him a spin-off show called 'Billy,' which Eustis and Elias co-created and lasted for 13 episodes.

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As per a report by Variety, HBO Max, created by Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen, gave the original show a rebirth in 2021. Before HBO stated in December of the previous year that it would not be pushing forward with a second season, the reboot series ran for one ten-episode season on the streamer, releasing the full season at once on Nov. 4.

Eustis wrote episodes of various television programs, including "Scrubs," "Tall Hopes," "Eye to Eye," and others. Before teaming up with creative partner Elias, he began his career in television writing for performers Dean Martin and John Denver on variety shows. For "An Evening with John Denver" in 1975, Eustis received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special.

In Vancouver, British Columbia, on November 21, 1935, Eustis was born. Before relocating to Los Angeles to begin his career in television, he previously worked as a journalist and was hailed as a football star in his youth.

According to Variety, Eustis is survived by his wife, Tiana, sons John and Ronald, daughter Madeleine, son-in-law Marcel Samek, grandson Julian Eustis Samek and granddaughters Colette Eustis Samek and Linh Eustis. His daughter-in-law, Oanh Ly, is also a television writer and producer. He is preceded in death by his eldest daughter Sandy Eustis, who was a script supervisor.

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