‘Saturday Night Live’ producer Bob Tischler breathes his last at 78

Bob Tischler, a key figure in reviving Saturday Night Live after a rough patch in the 1980-81 season, has passed away at the age of 78.

The New York Times reported on Sunday, August 11, that Tischler died on July 13 at his home in Bodega Bay, California, due to pancreatic cancer, according to his son.

The writer and producer began his career as a sound engineer in radio and television. His big break came when Christopher Guest, after working with Tischler on a radio ad, recommended him to National Lampoon.

There, he produced several comedy albums, including Radio Dinner (1972), Gold Turkey (1975), That’s Not Funny, That’s Sick (1977), and The National Lampoon Radio Hour in 1973.

Tischler also made a mark in music, producing John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s first Blues Brothers album, Briefcase Full of Blues (1978), which reached the top of the Billboard album chart.

He continued his work with the duo on their album Made in America (1980) and the 1980 Blues Brothers movie soundtrack.

When SNL struggled under new leadership after creator Lorne Michaels left, Tischler joined the team as a supervising producer under Dick Ebersol.

He played a crucial role in turning the show around and was promoted to head writer, a position he held until he left in 1985.