Terry Louise Fisher, Co-Creator of “L.A. Law,” Passes Away at 79
Terry Louise Fisher, a three-time Emmy winning writer and producer known for co-creating “L.A. Law,” passed away on Tuesday in Laguna Hills, Calif. She was 79. Fisher’s cousin, Sharone Rosen, confirmed that Fisher had passed away in her sleep after battling a long illness.
Fisher was instrumental in the creation of the popular legal drama “L.A. Law” alongside Steven Bocho. Her work as a supervising producer and writer on the series earned her a shared Primetime Emmy Award in 1987, as well as two additional shared nominations in 1988. Prior to “L.A. Law,” Fisher also made a mark in the industry with her writing and producing roles on “Cagney & Lacey” from 1982 to 1987, for which she also received an Emmy.
Born in Chicago, Fisher later moved to Los Angeles where she attended UCLA for her undergraduate studies before graduating from the UCLA School of Law in 1968. She initially worked for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office before transitioning into entertainment law. Fisher eventually made the leap to full-time writing in Los Angeles, where she penned two books: “A Class Act” (1976) and “Good Behavior” (1979).
Her career in writing extended to films as well, with her first movie “Your Place…or Mine” starring Bonnie Franklin and Robert Klein, co-written with her partner Steve Brown from “Cagney & Lacey.” Fisher’s contributions to television continued with her involvement in shows like “Cagney & Lacey” and the reunion films “Cagney and Lacey: The Return” and “Cagney and Lacey: Together Again.”
Aside from her work on “L.A. Law” and “Cagney & Lacey,” Fisher also co-created shows like “Hooperman” starring John Ritter and Debrah Farentino, as well as the short-lived series “2000 Malibu Road” featuring Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Beals. She was also involved in a primetime soap opera pilot called “Daughters of Eve” starring Sophia Loren, although the series was not picked up for a full season.
Terry Louise Fisher is survived by Dale Gordon, Ken Rosen, Charlie Rosen, and Sharon Rosen.
