News Golden Girls producer Paul Junger Witt dies at 77 By Lynette Rice Lynette Rice Editor at Large for Entertainment Weekly, host of Outlander Live! on EW Radio, and Mark Harmon enthusiast. Yes, I know the guacamole is extra. EW's editorial guidelines Published on April 27, 2018 05:21PM EDT Photo: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Inset: Carlo Allegri/Getty Images Paul Junger Witt, a prolific producer whose credits include The Partridge Family, The Golden Girls, Brian’s Song, and Dead Poet’s Society, died from cancer Friday in Los Angeles. He was 77. Born in New York City and educated at the University of Virginia, Witt began his Hollywood career in the Columbia Pictures mailroom before going on to work for Danny Thomas Productions in 1973 where he met his future wife Susan Harris. Two years later, he and Thomas’ son Tony formed Witt/Thomas Productions that later became Witt/Thomas/Harris — a partnership that continues to exist today. Witt’s credits include some of the most beloved TV shows and movies in the history of the small screen, including Brian’s Song, as well as The Patridge Family, Soap, Benson, Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Blossom, and the original Beauty and the Beast. He also produced the films Dead Poet’s Society, Three Kings, Insomnia, and A Better Life. Survivors include Harris and their five children. Services will be private. The family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Save the Children, or an environmental organization of choice.