Ernest Chambers Dead: ‘Smothers Brothers’ Writer-Producer & 11-Time Emmy Nominee

Ernest Chambers, a prolific TV writer-producer whose 60-year career working on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, My Three Sons, The Dick Van Dyke Show and dozens on specials and variety shows landed him 11 Emmy nominations, has died. He was 97.

A family representative told Deadline that Chambers died May 30 in Los Angeles after a brief illness.

Born on December 28, 1928, in Philadelphia, Chambers served in the Army before attending Columbia University, where he was editor-in-chief of its humor magazine. Chambers got his starting writing on and earned his first Emmy nom for The Bob Newhart Show, the one-season NBC comedy-variety show hosted by the man whose deadpan Button-Down Mind LPs had sold millions. He went on to pen episodes of the popular sitcoms My Three Sons and The Dick Van Dyke Show and Danny Kaye’s variety show — for which Chambers got two more Emmy nominations — before partnering with writer-producer Saul Ilson.

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Together they penned, produced and served as showrunners on dozens of episodes of the Smothers Brothers show during its first two seasons on CBS from 1967-68. Happily controversial, courting the counterculture and reveling in taunting network censors, it shook up the airwaves and was a Top 20 program in the three-network universe. Chambers earned three Emmy noms for the show, including two for Outstanding Variety or Musical Program. He and Ilson also worked on the Smothers’ summer series in 1968.

Chambers went on to write for and produce a number of comedy-variety shows during the genre’s heyday, including those hosted by Leslie Uggams, Jim Nabors, Bobby Darin, Tony Olando and Dawn, Susan Anton and the Mandrell Sisters. He also spent a decade writing for The Merv Griffin Show from 1973-82 and worked on specials fronted by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow — earning two Emmy noms for the 1978 program — Donna Summer, The Captain & Tennille, Chambers went on to write for a number of comedy-variety shows during the genre’s heyday, including those hosted by Leslie Uggams, Jim Nabors, Bobby Darin, Tony Olando and Dawn, Susan Anton and the Mandrell Sisters. He also spent a decade writing for The Merv Griffin Show from 1973-82 and worked on specials fronted by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Donna Summer, The Captain & Tennille, Carol Channing and Neil Sedaka. He also worked on the long-running syndicated series Dance Fever.

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Later in his career, Chambers write the stage musical Dennis the Menace and produced the 1993 movie take of the beloved 1960s comedy series. In 1997, he executive-produced the Griffin-created game show Click, which was among the first programs hosted by the young Ryan Seacrest.

In all, Chambers wrote, produced or executive produced more than 1,000 hours of television.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Veronica; his daughters Alison and Kathryn; son Christopher; and five grandchildren. He is predeceased by his son, Brian Chambers, an editor and television executive.

A memorial will be held in Beverly Hills in the coming weeks. For details, email ECMemorial2026@gmail.com.