Ellen Guylas

Only in post-1980s decades has the domain of the American sitcom writer become more gender-balanced. For many decades, it was the almost exclusive purview of the American Caucasian male. But Ellen Guylas in this regard was something of a trailblazer, making substantial contributions to several of the most broadly popular network sitcoms of the late 20th century and beyond. It all started with 11 episodes of "Three's Company," the double-entendre kingdom navigated by the trio of John Ritter, Suzanne Somers, and Joyce DeWitt. Guylas contributed from '81 to '83, and was able to parlay this success into a dozen episodes in the mid-'80s for the sitcom "Who's the Boss?" and another 19 installments a decade later for the John Stamos-starring comedy smash "Full House." All three of Guylas's crowning achievements take place within household settings, something for which she obviously had an innate writer's ability. Guylas also worked as a producer on both "Who's the Boss?" and "Full House."