Rosie Schuster

Part of the original lineup of writers on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), Rosie Shuster continued a family heritage of humor initiated by her father, Frank Shuster of Wayne & Shuster fame. Just as her father had found the ideal partner, Shuster also discovered her own perfect collaborators. She entered the business with longtime friend and eventual husband Lorne Michaels, whose keen judgment and ability to work with comedic talent landed him producer duties on "SNL." Shuster also proved to be an excellent match with fellow "SNL" scribe Anne Beatts. Together, they helped create some of the program's most memorable characters, including Emily Litella, Baba Wawa, and Roseanne Roseannadanna, successfully overcoming the prevalent "chicks aren't funny" sexism of the era. Staying with "SNL" for a time after the big talent purge of 1980 and then returning again in 1986, Shuster survived the program's lean years and walked away with a pair of Primetime Emmys and a handful of nominations for her efforts. That track record led to a creative invitation from Carol Burnett to help with her latest network vehicles and Shuster's comedic talents also enlivened "Square Pegs" (CBS, 1982-83), "The Larry Sanders Show" (HBO, 1992-98) and "Bob and Margaret" (Comedy Central, 1998-2002). While asked primarily to write for the female stars of "SNL," Shuster also came up with material that made excellent use of the entire cast and the perseverance and quality work she offered helped make her a groundbreaking television comedy scribe.