I LOVE LUCY Writer William Asher Dies at Age 90

Deadline.com reports that William Asher, the writer and director of such popular TV shows as I Love Lucy, Bewitched, Gidget and Our Miss Brooks, died yesterday in Palm Springs, CA, according to local reports. He was 90.

Asher began his career in the early days of television by adapting his short stories for the anthology series 'Invitation Playhouse', which he also directed. He was approached by CBS to film a pilot featuring movie star Eve Arden in the early 1950's, a project which would eventually become the popular series, 'Our Miss Brooks.' He joined the writing team of 'I Love Lucy' in the show's second season and went on to direct over 100 episodes of the series.

His other TV credits include The Patty Duke Show, The Thin Man, and Alice, starring Linda Lavin. He also wrote and directed several movies in the 1960's including Beach Blanket Bingo starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. In 1966 he won the Best Director Emmy for the series Bewitched, starring his then wife, Elizabeth Montgomery. He retired in 1991.