Anne Beatts

Anne Beatts was an American comedy writer, director, and producer.

She is best known for her work as a pioneering writer on over 100 episodes of Saturday Night Live, creating the some of the show’s earliest breakthrough characters played by Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, and Dan Aykroyd.

A graduate of McGill University College, Beatts began her comedy writing career at National Lampoon magazine before taking part in developing Lorne Michael’s SNL. Beatts went on to create and write for the sitcom Square Pegs, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and produced the series A Different World and The Stephanie Miller Show.

She also wrote episodes of Murphy Brown, Girl in the Room, and Committed, as well as a number of teleplays and television comedy specials.

Beatts shared four Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series for Saturday Night Live, taking the Emmy home in 1976 and 1977.

Beatts died April 7, 2021, in West Hollywood, California. She was 74.