Screenwriter and TV Comedy Veteran Jeff Lowell Dead at 52
Jeff Lowell, a comedy writer for both television and film, passed away on August 24 in Virginia at age 52 following a short illness. His credits include 'The Drew Carey Show', 'Spin City', and the movie 'John Tucker Must Die'. He also created the ABC series 'Manhattan Love Story' and served as a writer-producer on several other shows.
Lowell's career spanned three decades, beginning with sitcom work in the mid-1990s. He contributed to a range of series, from 'The George Carlin Show' to 'The Drew Carey Show', before taking on writer-producer duties for acclaimed shows like 'Spin City' and 'Sports Night'.
His later credits included the hourlong dramedy 'Common Law'. A script he had developed years earlier eventually became the ABC single-camera comedy 'Manhattan Love Story' in 2014, which featured Jake McDorman and Lio Tipton but ran for only one season.
The loss of Jeff Lowell could resonate with viewers who grew up on 1990s and 2000s sitcoms, as his work helped shape the comedic tone of that era. For the entertainment industry, his passing may serve as a reminder of the precarious nature of network television, where even a developed passion project like 'Manhattan Love Story' lasted only a season. Aspiring comedy writers might also find perspective on the long, often winding road from initial script to broadcast.