Woody Fraser, a prolific producer, creator and director behind such successful variety and news shows like The Mike Douglas Show and Good Morning America, died at the age of 90 on Saturday.
He was nominated for numerous Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on series like The Mike Douglas Show, GMA, The Dick Cavett Show and The Richard Simmons Show; in 1982, he won the award for the lattermost show, shared with his wife Noreen Fraser, also a producer, who died in 2017 from breast cancer. Notably, Fraser is responsible for establishing GMA as the foremost morning news and entertainment program during his tenure as the show’s first executive producer.
The news, first reported by Variety, was confirmed by Fraser’s daughter Stacy.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who worked with Fraser and considered him a friend, also confirmed the death via social media, writing, “Woody Fraser was EP of my @FoxNews TV show & a TV pioneer. He was creator of many TV shows over 7 decades. He gave Roger Ailes his 1st TV job. I loved the guy. He was my mentor in TV. He died this weekend at age of 90. He was a legend.”
Fraser began his career in 1960 as a director for NBC, the same year he first met Mike Douglas and created the co-host concept, launching his eponymous show — one of the longest-running and preeminently successful talk shows in TV history.
From 1966 and 1973, he oversaw an unprecedented 32.5 hours of television programming every week, with simultaneous airings of The Mike Douglas Show, The Dick Cavett Show, The Della Reese Show, The Bill Russell Show and Kid Talk. Additional programs include On Trial, What Would You Do?, The Family Challenge, That’s Incredible!, The Home Show, Home & Family, America Alive, People Do the Craziest Things, Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments and more over the course of his 50 years in Hollywood.
In more recent years, he was behind CNBC’s McEnroe and Fox News’ Huckabee. He also supported his wife’s Stand Up to Cancer telethons, which united networks ABC, NBC and CBS to raise more than $100 million for research and awareness.
In 2018, Fraser was the subject of a wrongful termination and sexual harassment lawsuit on part of two former employees of Home & Family, who alleged they were unfairly kicked out by Hallmark Channel owner Crown Media Family Networks. Fraser was eventually removed by the parent company after a number of female employees and staffers took their long term claims to attorney Lisa Bloom.
