jamie-tarses-ap-450x600.jpg
Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses was an American television executive and producer.
Tarses started her career in entertainment in 1985 as an assistant at Saturday Night Live before becoming a casting director at Lorimar and eventually joining NBC in 1987 after being hired by then-NBC Entertainment president Brandon Tartikoff. At NBC, Tarses helped develop such hit shows as Friends, Mad About You, Frasier, NewsRadio and Caroline in the City.
Jamie Tarses was an American television executive and producer.
Tarses started her career in entertainment in 1985 as an assistant at Saturday Night Live before becoming a casting director at Lorimar and eventually joining NBC in 1987 after being hired by then-NBC Entertainment president Brandon Tartikoff. At NBC, Tarses helped develop such hit shows as Friends, Mad About You, Frasier, NewsRadio and Caroline in the City.
She made headlines when she became president of ABC Entertainment in 1996; she was the first woman to serve as head of a network entertainment division, at age 32. During her tenure, she oversaw popular series including Sports Night, The Practice, Dharma & Greg, and Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.
In 1999, Tarses stepped down from her position at ABC following the merger of Disney's production group into ABC's primetime entertainment division. She went on to have a prolific producing career, producing My Boys, Happy Endings, and Marry Me, among other series. Most recently, she produced Amazon's The Wilds and The Mysterious Benedict Society, the latter of which is scheduled to premiere in 2021 on Disney+.
Tarses spent years volunteering at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and was involved in charitable organizations including Step Up, Save the Children and Young Storytellers.
Tarses died February 1, 2021, in Los Angeles, California. She was 56.
The Television Academy database lists prime-time Emmy information. Click here to learn more
Jamie Tarses, Lori Openden and Vince Manze attend the Television Academy's membership event, "Who Taught Them Everything They Know?,” a look at amazing mentors in the television industry, presented on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at the Wolf Theatre at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California.
Paul Scheer, Dave Mandel, Jamie Tarses, Karey Burke, Preston Beckman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Lori Openden, Vince Manze, Tami Sagher and Rachel Bloom attend the Television Academy's membership event, "Who Taught Them Everything They Know?,” a look at amazing mentors in the television industry, presented on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at the Wolf Theatre at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California.
Vince Manze, Lori Openden, Preston Beckman, Karey Burke and Jamie Tarses talk in the green room prior to the Television Academy's membership event, "Who Taught Them Everything They Know?,” a look at amazing mentors in the television industry, presented on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at the Wolf Theatre at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California.
Preston Beckman, Karey Burke, Vince Manze, Lori Openden and Jamie Tarses engage in a lively and insightful conversation during the Television Academy's membership event, "Who Taught Them Everything They Know?,” a look at amazing mentors in the television industry, presented on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at the Wolf Theatre at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California.
