RIP Coslough Johnson

 

Los Angeles Times

March 31, 2023

November 8, 1931 - March 23, 2023 THE LAST OF THE ORIGINAL "LAUGH-IN"

WRITERS passed away at 91 years old.

Cos was born in Chicago, attended the University of Illinois, and then served as an Air Force officer in the Korean War. He started writing in New York, where he joined his older brother, actor Arte Johnson. Howard Hughes hired him to move to LA where he wrote, directed and edited Industrial Films for Hughes Aircraft, and also for Douglas. He soon got a chance to write for TV, starting with "The Monkees" series. A prolific comedy writer, he went on to write over (he said) 500 other shows, Sitcoms, such as "Bewitched", "The Partridge Family", "I Dream of Jeannie", "Good Times", "The Jeffersons", "CPO Sharkey", and others. He also wrote Variety Shows such as "Laugh-In", "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour", "Sonny & Cher", "The Jackson Five", "The Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour", and many more, also comedy Pilots and Specials. At the same time he wrote cartoons including Tom & Jerry's, children shows such as "Jason of Star Command", 2 children's books, 4 movies, and several nightclub acts.

He received an Emmy Award for "Laugh-In", plus 7 more Emmy nominations.

He was infinitely creative in his home life as well. He made furniture, stained-glass windows, doors, and small glass houses, and he worked in copper repoussé.

In 1975, he married Mary Jane Ferguson. They enjoyed art, music, theater, and traveling together, but most of all Cos loved building things.

He was loved by many people, especially his wife, who misses him greatly.

JOHNSON, Coslough

Born: 11/8/1931, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

Died: 3/23/2023, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Coslough Johnson’s western – writer:

Brave Starr (TV) – 1987-1988