Nancylee Myatt, a renowned writer and producer in the television industry, notably recognized for creating NBC’s teen sitcom “Social Studies” and winning a Daytime Emmy Award for her contributions to the animated series “Teacher’s Pet,” passed away on September 23 in Basel, Switzerland, at the age of 68. Her wife, Paige Williams Bernhardt, confirmed the news.
In 2021, Myatt was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment, a condition seen within her family, which unfortunately progressed to Alzheimer’s dementia by 2023. Following her diagnosis, Myatt chose to “end her life peacefully and with dignity,” as per Bernhardt’s statement.
Born in 1957, Myatt was a proud member of the Cherokee tribe based in Oklahoma. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine, where she began her artistic journey acting on stage and in commercials before transitioning to playwrighting. Her works included Los Angeles productions like “Two on the Aisle for Murder,” “Slumber Party,” “Afterlife,” “Nothing So Simple as Love,” and “Wet Paint.” In 1990, she completed the Warner Bros. writers’ workshop and moved into television writing.
Under the mentorship of Norman Lear, Myatt made her mark as the sole female staff writer on the early-90s sitcom “The Powers That Be.” She later contributed to the final two seasons of “Night Court,” including its series finale. Myatt held roles as both writer and producer on CBS’s “The Five Mrs. Buchanans” and Fox’s “Living Single.”
Myatt crafted and produced the short-lived sitcom “Social Studies,” which launched in 1997 under Dolly Parton’s Sandollar Productions. Her extensive television resume also features episodes from “Recess,” “Lloyd in Space,” and “Teacher’s Pet” for Disney TV Animation and ABC, “Trackers” for Sony TV, and the pilot for “Nikki & Nora,” a project that, despite not airing, later inspired the web series “The N&N Files.”
Additionally, she wrote adaptations for teen novels like “Annie on My Mind” and “A Time for Dancing,” and took on various roles—including showrunner, co-executive producer, writer, and director—for “South of Nowhere.” Her production credits further include “Life with Roger,” “Cleghorne!,” “Muddling Through,” and the previously mentioned “South of Nowhere.” In her later years, she was co-writing a teen pilot titled “Cupidity” alongside Ralph Macchio.
Myatt leaves behind her wife and creative partner, Paige Williams Bernhardt, along with a network of friends and family. In honor of her legacy, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Louisiana Chapter or the National Spay Alliance Foundation (NSAF Savannah).
