Bernie Orenstein

Bernie Orenstein is a television producer and writer. Though he worked on the Marlo Thomas vehicle "That Girl" and "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" in the early 1970s, his name is closely associated with more realistic, socially relevant American sitcoms that rose to prominence in the latter half of the decade. He is most famous for the Redd Foxx sitcom "Sanford and Son," which he produced from 1974 to 1977. Based loosely on the British sitcom "Steptoe and Son," "Sanford" told the story of an African-American junkyard owner and his hip, idealistic son. The show spawned two less-successful spin-off series, "Grady" and "The Sanford Arms." In 1976, Orenstein formed TOY Productions with fellow producers Bud Yorkin and Saul Turteltaub. They had a minor hit with "What's Happening!!," a series about black teenagers. "Carter Country," an attempt to mine the vein of "redneck humor" inspired by Jimmy Carter's presidency, did not do as well. TOY Productions broke up in 1982. In 1980, Orenstein became creative consultant on "The Cosby Show," another groundbreaking African-American sitcom.