Gary Dontzig, a writer-producer of Murphy Brown, has died at the age of 79 after a sudden illness. He was part of the original writing staff of the CBS comedy when it launched in 1988 and co-wrote 25 episodes of the show, including its landmark Season 5 opener. The pair also developed and executive produced the first three years of NBC’s Suddenly Susan, State of Grace, and Hannah Montana. They shared Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1990 and 1992 and added another for writing in 1991. Despite his struggles in acting and philanthropic causes, Dontz remained committed to supporting AIDS victims and political causes.