‘Kate & Allie’ Legend Sherry Coben Has Died

Daytime Emmy-winning writer and producer Sherry Coben has died. The Kate & Allie creator died of cancer at her home in New Milford, New Jersey on Oct. 16 at 71, according to Deadline. After working in the art department at KYW-TV in Philadelphia for local programming and The Mike Douglas Show, Cohen moved to New York City to freelance as an artist for a variety of TV shows and magazines. It was there that she wrote for the NBC children’s program Hot Hero Sandwich in 1979, receiving a Daytime Emmy.

In 1980, Coben joined the soap opera Ryan’s Hope, writing for 120 episodes. She then created Kate & Allie, which ran for six seasons from 1984 to 1989 and was even filmed at the legendary Ed Sullivan Theater. Starring Susan Saint James, Jane Curtin, Ari Meyers, Frederick Koehler, and Allison Smith, the Emmy-winning sitcom centered on two divorced mothers who decide to live together and raise their children in the same home. Throughout its run, the series was nominated for 12 Emmys and won three, including Curtin for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1984 and 1985.

Aside from Kate & Allie, Coben served as a writer and producer on the Saturday morning CBS series Bailey Kipper’s P.O.V. and created the web series Little Women, Big Cars. In 1985, she worked on the TV pilot Love, Long Distance, which starred Tricia Pursley, Jack Rose, Christine Rose, and Mike Starr. It was actually inspired by Coben’s long-distance relationship with husband, film editor Pat McMahon. It followed a couple divided between Philadelphia and New York City and while the pilot was shot, it was never picked up to series.

Little Women, Big Cars and Little Women, Big Cars 2 were Coben’s final projects in 2012, but writing and producing was not all that Sherry Coben did throughout her career. She was a mentor and active volunteer in service of the next generation of writers, performers, artists, and human beings. Even beyond her career and life, she will continue to mentor aspiring writers, performers, and artists thanks to her work.

Sherry Coben is survived by McMahon and their daughters, Kaley McMahon and Jama McMahon. As of now, Kate & Allie is not streaming anywhere, but with more and more classic shows becoming available, it’s possible the sitcom will be next in the near future.