R.I.P. Alan Kirschenbaum

By Nellie Andreeva

Nellie Andreeva

Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV

@DeadlineNellie

More Stories By Nellie

- Cold Case Drama ‘Citizen Jane’ From Jay Beattie In Works At CBS

- NAACP-CBS Studios Venture Sells Dramas ‘For Justice’ & ‘The Pact’ To CBS

- Archie Panjabi Joins ‘Under the Bridge’; Vritika Gupta, Javon Walton & Aiyana Goodfellow Also Cast In Hulu Series

VIEW ALL

Veteran comedy showrunner Alan Kirschenbaum died last night from apparent suicide. He was 51. Kirschenbaum most recently co-created and executive produced with Ajay Sahgal the upcoming midseason CBS comedy series Friend Me. I hear he recently left the show for unknown reasons. Kirschenbaum and Sahgal scored in May when their Friend Me was one of only two CBS comedy pilots to land series pickups.

Related: Greg Garcia Remembers Alan Kirschenbaum

Kirschenbaum, son of comedian Freddy Roman, previously co-created and executive produced with Greg Garcia the long-running CBS sitcom Yes, Dear. He also worked on Garcia’s My Name Is Earl and Raising Hope. Early in his career, he was a writer on Dear John, Baby Talk and Coach and created the Fox comedy Down The Shore. In addition to working as a TV writer-producer, Kirschenbaum was an instructor at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.

Fellow comedy writer-producers and actors shared their reactions to Kirschenbaum’s passing on Twitter.

“I’m so sad to hear about the passing of Alan Kirschenbaum. He was hilarious, a joy to be around and the definitive mensch. I will miss him.” – Steve Levitan

“I knew Alan since he was 14. I wrote jokes for his dad, watched him grow up, took pride in his success. Stunned.” – Alan Zweibel

“RIP Alan Kirschenbaum A very funny, very nice guy. Never got to work together but he always made me laugh between periods at LA Kings games.” – Mike Scully

“RIP Alan. Only work with you for 10 days, but thanks so much for this wonderful job. You were a funny, great guy.” – Friend Me star Chris Mintz-Plasse ‏

“I’m stunned and terribly hurt to hear of the tragic passing of my friend Alan Kirschenbaum. He was a sweet, funny man. So sad.” – David Krumholtz

“Deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Alan Kirschenbaum. He was someone I truly thought the world of. Sad day” – Michael Chiklis

69 Comments

- Englishsunset

A really nice guy.

- Ron Lewsion

So sad to hear about the passing of Alan. I had heard his name spoken of in some trade circles, nothing but praise of this highly creative individual. The stress of working “the business” coupled with pressures of Network Television writing schedules are great. Couple this with working on sitcoms for CBS and you have recipes of ticking timebombs with writers. Rest in Piece, may your last project join you soon………

- Michael Goetz

I had Alan as a student in High School in Rockland New York and even at that time he showed his great comic talents and writing skills. It was a pleasure watching him grow into a wonderful writer and human being. I am very saddened to hear of his passing and I and my entire family send our condolences to his family. May G-D grant him peace.

- Les Aaron

i was very saddened to hear of the loss of Freddy Roman’s son. I didn’t know him personally, but I’ve known his dad since we were about fourteen and our early days at Richmond hill where Freddy showed his comic gifts to his delighted class-mates.

I always thought of Freddy as one of the good guys and tried to keep up with what was happening with my fellow alumni even when I was traveling around the world on different assignments.

I offer my deepest condolences to the friends and family of Freddy Roman….and hope that time shall heal heal this great loss if time can ever really heal anything….Les Aaron Friedlieb

- Noah Pohl

I wrote a longer tribute to Alan and what he meant to me; I wanted to share it here. Thanks for reading:

SOME WORDS TO COMMEMORATE ALAN KIRSCHENBAUM.

10/28/12

by Noah Pohl

There are two things I remember about Alan.

One, he loved to say, jokingly: “Do you need to leave the room?”

But he also said, and this was my big takeaway from him:

“Does your story track cleanly?”

Does this lead to that? Does A lead to B lead to C? Like a lot of aspiring writers, I signed up for Alan’s half-hour comedy writing class at UCLA Extension – this was in the Fall of 2010. I have to admit, I was intimidated at first by Alan and his list of credits — but my friend Austen had recommended him, so I took the plunge and signed up. At this point, I’d been living in LA for about three years, having moved out from Salem, MA and I’d been making some gradual headway in getting my writing career off the ground. I was a PA on a kid’s TV show, making enough to pay the bills and make creative things out of ramen for dinner. But as many of you probably know, there is no set path in this endeavor we creative types choose, or are chosen for, and perhaps the most we can cling to for a direction is to surround ourselves with guiding lights: Alan was one of those lights.

I remember that I was, ironically, a half hour late on my first day of class because I couldn’t find the goddamn building on the UCLA campus. Have you ever been to that campus? Beautiful place. But Jesus Christ, the parking and the pathways and– well, you get it. Having done my prison sentence on the 405, overpaid my ten dollars for a daily UCLA parking pass, and asked some bewildered freshman where the fuck Rolfe Hall was located — I arrived to a classroom door. I heard a bellowing male voice emanate from inside, and I thought to myself: “Shit, maybe I should run now, when I still have the chance!”

Instead, I walked into the room. First thing I noticed, as I’m sure many do about Alan, was that voice. Man, what a voice. A little scratchy, a little high-pitched at times — like it was emanating forth from some deep well of life lived, warts and all.

There Alan was, holding court in his signature black t-shirt, that crazy unabashedly-bald hairstyle of his, leaning back, revving up into a soliloquy about a nuanced character moment in one of my classmate’s scripts. I quickly apologized for my lateness, sat down and tried to follow along as best I could.

I want to preface this by saying, like a lot of creative types, I’m prone to bouts of depression. Ever since college, the Black Dog has come to visit me a handful of times, and I don’t wish her on anybody. In fact, if you had to break your leg or get depressed, I’d say choose the former: it’s more fun. Depression is a soul-crippling, perspective-fucking, brain chemistry execution-to-all-hell. Luckily, I’ve been able to find ways to cope with these periods when they come, and I’d like to think they’ve made me a better and deeper person, someone more compassionate toward others who might be suffering.

Anyway, I happened to be slipping into a deep depression right around the time Alan’s class started that fall. “Oh, fantastic,” I said to myself, “that ought to make this endeavor whole lot more fun!” Every week it took tremendous energy just to show up to class and be present for everyone. To shut out the Transsiberian Railroad of negative thinking — “You’re talentless, you suck as a writer, everybody here is better than me, you should just move home and live in your old childhood bedroom with the tiny twin bed and the ceramic green car on the wall that you painted in 4th grade,” and on and on and on…

So about halfway through the course, one day came when we had to pitch an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia that we each came up with. My other classmates did fantastic jobs — bing, bam, boom — in and out in two minutes, story told, all the beats hit. Then came my turn.

“Pitch” would be a generous word to describe what I did. The verbal puke that spewed forth from my brain and mouth was epic. Alan being Alan – sat there patiently as I fumbled my way through a two-page, single-spaced document, making the amateur mistake of pitching every – single – minute – detail. I could feel everyone else feeling embarrassed for me. But Alan sat there, graciously waiting until I mercifully Kevorkian’d the remainder of my pitch. Frankly, Alan could’ve interrupted me at any point and called me a fucking idiot to my face, and I would’ve thought it was appropriate. But that was Alan: incredibly kind. Doing the nice thing when he didn’t have to. When I was done — to everyone’s relief — he thanked me for my pitch and gave some suggestions about how to “clean it up, so it would track better.”

After the ten-week class ended, I stayed in touch with Alan sporadically via email. I never told him I was clinically depressed at the time of his class, but I bet he could sense it on some level. I alluded to dealing with some personal issues in my emails with him, and that was the reason my confidence as a writer was flagging. He wrote back to me and said:

“As far as confidence goes, it’s always a fluid situation, even for old hands at this. It comes and it goes. Unfortunately, a lot of it is in the hands of other people, we get more confident when other people like our work, which is a tough spot to be in, as so many people reading stuff in this business have no idea what they’re doing. Keep at it and try to make your writing a priority, Noah, you’re a talented guy. Alan K.”

I saved these words and even forwarded them to my parents, saying, “Hey Mom and Dad, this guy who has real credits on actual TV believes in me!” They were happy to hear that I’d found a mentor.

One other thing I’ll admit to: I’ve always been a little insecure because I am going bald at a young age. I try to hide it and I once spent about a hundred bucks on a shampoo that promised to regrow my hair, but didn’t. Yes, I was that guy. Maybe it was from the stress of depressions or it’s genetic, but my soon-to-be 67 year-old father still has a full head of hair, and his son, 38 years his junior, doesn’t. But one day during one of Alan’s classes, I looked at Alan and thought to myself: “Hey, if he can rock that crazy pseudo-mullet with the big bald spot, maybe I can get away with it too! After all, that guy’s got real TV credits! That’s who I wanna be!”

So: Alan made me feel less insecure in a way he probably never knew, and would probably make fun of me for if I ever told him. Nowadays, I just buzz my head every two weeks so I can fool people into thinking I’m a badass.

Over the last two years, we’d trade the occasional email — he even gave me notes on a recent comedy pilot I wrote, which he was very enthusiastic about. We even talked about potentially collaborating on a future project, and he was flattered I’d reached out to him about it — whereas I was flattered he’d even accept the possible of us working together — which would’ve been a real dream for me, and something I am sad will never happen. As it goes in life, you sometimes fall out of touch with people, even good friends, and it’d been a while since I’d talked to Alan on the phone, aside from the occasional facebook “thumbs up” here and there, just to make sure we knew each other was alive. Just this very week, in fact, I was planning to check in with him and send along a new draft of the pilot he’d been waiting for and wanted to read; he’d given me notes on it a while back and said to please send him the next draft — but this project, I had put it aside for a while to get some perspective on it. And I kept saying to myself — “gosh, so much time has passed since we’ve actually talked, it might be awkward” and a million other dumb idiotic reasons not to get in touch with someone, so I kept putting it off. And off, and off, and off. And it nagged at me for the last few months. And the timing of Alan’s death is so fucked up because, literally, two days ago I was rounding the corner on my rewrite, jazzed to email Alan about it, when I heard the terrible news. I wish I’d written faster.

There are a lot of people who’ve been friends with Alan for thirty plus years. I’m not that guy. I knew him for two years, but boy, there’s nary a person I can say who has made such an impact on my life. Frankly, I wouldn’t be in Los Angeles, still trying to make a crack at it as a writer, if it weren’t for Alan’s kind words; words that were there when I needed to hear them most. Two years ago, I was ready to give up and move home, but Alan would have none of that. He knew better about what I was here to do. And I’m kicking myself for not telling him how grateful I am for what his encouragement did for me.

Most of all, I miss Alan’s rants. I hear he loathed the Macaroni Grill and loved to go off on it– but knowing Alan, perhaps he secretly loved it and that was his way of showing his love. He once alluded to getting arrested in Mexico during class, I think, and that’s another story I wish I’d heard. The rants I was lucky enough to hear were absolutely hysterical. Once he got going, he would rev up to a level of verbal acrobatics that few could tussle with — forget WB Yeats, this was real, true fucking poetry.

At this point, the details of Alan’s death are still unclear — but I do know that depression, if indeed he was suffering from it, can make suicide seem like a tremendously attractive option. Just something to end the unbelievable pain that weighs down a suffering soul. If that was indeed what Alan was carrying around, likely doing his best not to inflict it on others, then God rest his tortured soul.

Regardless, I’ve come to see that death reminds you how to cut through the bullshit of life. It makes you want to go after the things you truly want but are too afraid to. Because you’re too fucking hampered by your own self-sabotage, or worries about what other people might think. Death is like the reset button you get to press every so often. It seems like a common thing among people who knew Alan Kirschenbaum — from the lowest PA on set to the studio heads at CBS, where he was thought of “as family,” he was a rarity in this business.

Thought I did once hear that Alan busted Barry Diller’s balls in front of an audience of CBS brass, which is hilarious, and that his pilot was still picked up after pulling that stunt — that’s how much he was liked in this town; a town that doesn’t always reward nice people, he was truly someone that reminded me– maybe it can.

Let’s raise a glass today to Alan — pseudo-mullet of his be damned.

To Alan — who has left the room:

May you track your way cleanly through heaven, lovely Alan, as the angels most certainly make way for a soul as big as yours.

With love and admiration,

Your student – always,

Noah Daniel Pohl

- Joe

Noah,

Thank you

- Noah Pohl

You’re welcome, Joe. Thanks for reading.

- Anon

There are a lot of people in pain out there in this town, and it’s a shame Alan or anyone in his place can’t witness the genuine outpouring of love and affection that occurs after they leave

- Faerie Royale

We miss you because we cannot touch you. Yet you are touching us Alan, because pure love lives forever.

- Barry

Alan was an extraordinary man. My heart goes out to his family. He always was supportive of me and the clients I represent…and he truly wanted to help as many people as he could in this industry. In a business where success and earnings seem to define Hollywood, this tragedy makes you realize that old expression your parent’s used to tell you is true: “Health is wealth.”

- Pete Lawrence

I’m one of the folks who knew Alan for 30 years or so, since the time he was an aspiring harness horse trainer and driver here in the east. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he was also a racing journalist, an off-Broadway show director … and, of course, an aspiring Hollywood writer and producer. Whew, he was busy.

I’ve closely followed his comedy TV career, and stayed in loose touch with Alan via e-mail and Facebook. He kinda disappeared from FB several months ago, but I just figured he was busy with his new show or whatever.

Alan’s death is a big loss to his family, to the TV community, to the horse business … and, oh yeah, to me. RIP, my funny friend, Alan. You’ll be missed. By the looks of his FB wall, he already is, by hundreds of friends and associates.

- Shaun

I had the pleasure of working with him briefly before network testing for the pilot ‘Friend Me’. I remember walking out of that room thinking “Whatever happens I would just love to be friends with that guy and keep in touch. What a warm spirit”. I am so shocked and saddened to hear of his passing. Such a funny man with a lovely soul. My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to his family.

- Jeremy

Such a good guy, and FUNNY! a complete pleasure to work with, and consummate pro. very sad news. sending love and strength to his family and friends.

- Frank Hellman

Well, at least he’ll never have to sit through another meeting with Wendy Trilling.

Rest in peace, my friend. I’ll think of you often.

- Lynn

I enjoyed reading all of the wonderful things that friends wrote about Alan – I only know that I enjoyed his work…as a TV viewer. It’s lovely to read about someone that was so well liked by his peers…that is a tremendous compliment -To anyone!

May he rest knowing that he was loved~

- Judy Hannah

Alan was a wonderful person…..and fellow horseman…he did so much for our harness industry…He will be missed…

God bless his family and Alan, REST IN PEACE.

- Kriss

Alan,

I will miss you. I hear your voice… you telling a joke… it puts a smile on my face. Honored to have worked with you.

Kriss Turner

- Brett Baer

Just crushed by this. There wasn’t a funnier, sweeter guy in the business. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Alan in the room every day for the better part of year and nobody ever made me laugh harder. When it came to story-telling, he was one of a kind. We would weep from laughter, sometimes to the point of not being able to hear what he was saying. Which was hard, what with that distinctive voice of his- a voice that my partner Dave and I have imitated over and over again whenever we needed our spirits lifted. He was a true professional who cared about doing the work in a professional way. It’s obvious from the refrain of these comments that he was beloved by so many, and will be missed greatly in an industry that needs good people like Alan.

- Bilko

RIP AK.

- ScottyB

I didn’t know Alan Kirschenbaum, but reading the comments here and other places from those who did, I wish I did, too. There aren’t many people around, it always seems like, who are able to touch lives so profoundly and genuinely help people in ways that make such a huge difference in the course of their lives. So I think it might be safe to say that the writing/comedy community didn’t lose a friend — the world lost a friend. So in that, I share everyone’s sadness over his passing too.

- Bill Townsend

Alan, you were a great lover of harness racing and a guy I first met probably 25 years ago. Funny, witty, quick, and genuine. You will be sorely missed. A bit of the life in LA went out today.

- Marcy

Alan and I knew each other pretty much all our childhood. First living in Fresh Meadows, Queens – where we put on plays for the neighborhood when he was 7 and I was 8, then in New City, NY. We went to different schools but belonged to the same temple. We always “got each other”- he was one of the nicest guys I knew. We reconnected in recent years, and our parents are still friendly. I wish him peace – and my prayers are with his family at this difficult time.

- Alexandra Leh

terrible loss of a lovely, talented man. it almost doesn’t matter how he died — though suicide is particularly tragic. the fact that he did, at such a young age, with a cherished family and a fine body of work, with more to come, is awful enough. RIP.

- Lori Kirkland Baker

Oh, Alan, I’m so deeply shocked and saddened by your passing.

What a kind, decent, funny treasure we’ve lost. You will always be remembered. With a smile.

- Linwood Boomer

I’ve known (and annoyed) Alan since his pilot for ‘Down the Shore,” 20 years ago. He actually made fun of Barry Diller, in front of an audience of other executives, and still got his show picked up. Lovely, patient, super-funny guy who genuinely liked helping people. Part of me thinks Alan would want someone to post something hilariously disrespectful, but I just don’t have the heart for it.

- Joey D.

My fondest memories of Alan was when we were young and working in the horse business. I always thought he would make it big in Hollywood. He was a great guy. Very talented. RIP my old friend.

- UCLA Writer

Alan was a judge and mentor for a UCLA contest I placed well in. He was patient with his notes on my script and offered to read my revised draft – which he did, and we kept in touch via email. There are too many people in this town who are afraid, don’t see the value, or just don’t know how, to be kind and generous like Alan was with me. Very sad loss, my prayers are with his family, and it’s a shame that new UCLA students will never know how good he was.

- Victor Fresco

I loved working with Alan. A big personality, really funny, opinionated, didn’t suffer fools. I’m so sorry this has happened. My heart goes out to his family. No one ever had a bad thing to say about Alan. He was one of the good ones.

- Michael

One of the greatest guys around. I was a P.A. For him on coach and he was as cool a guy that you could find. Like everybody else who knew him i will miss him.

- Dava

I knew Alan for almost 20 years since our days on Coach together. Alan connected so many of us together like family. Greg Garcia is now one of my dear friends because of Alan. He was amazing, hilarious and lovely and loved his wife, Vicki, and his daughter Molly to his core. I’m sad and devastated beyond belief. Love you Alan and will miss you forever… PS Alan would tell me to stop talking now and leave the room. :) All my love…Dava

- GG

This breaks my heart. Alan was the sweetest and most giving person. He made me feel so confident as an actor through every step of the audition process. and working with him was like working with the funniest friendly dad you could think of. He was just so positive and trusting, and wrote hilarious gifts for every actor. We’ve really lost a true gem.

- Anonymous

It’s the decent, kind and generous people who are the most deeply bewildered by the cynicism, cruelty and abuse in this industry and this world. Be kind to each other. R.I.P.

- DougW

I knew Alan when he was just starting out as a sitcom writer, and I worked with him years later. No matter how late it got in the writers room he never lost his enthusiasm for being there and creating comedy. He got to do what he loved, and he did it very well. Sad news, but very nice memories.

- Anonymous

I grew up in New City, Alan was a bit older then me but always looked forward to going to Clarkstown North to see him in the High school plays. He was a legend back then and so funny. Sorry for his family he made us all laugh….fond memories

- Ivan Axelrod

I have known Alan for so many years and we spent hours and hours talking about harness racing and our love for this sport. His love of his family was always at the top of the list. Alan, may you rest in peace and you will be remembered by so many of us forever. My heart reaches out to your family.

- Bob K

Just a few weeks ago we stood outside the Piano Bar, eating food truck tacos, talking about the frailty of life.

One of my guiding lights has gone out.

This one really hurts.

- Grandpa

Uncle Al,

I can’t tell you how much you’ll be missed by so many… Your rants on everything from your love of Springsteen to your hatred for The Macaroni Grill. Your never ending enthusiasm for showbiz, not matter how defeating it can often be. Your genuine interest in other people’s projects and always offering a helping, insightful hand. All just a few of the hundreds of things about you that will be talked of for years to come. A room with you in it was charged with energy, hard laughs, and more than anything, honesty. As we all heard you say so many times, “Be well.”

- Nola Brown

Such a decent, kind and beautiful person. Never was there a day with him when failed to leave me feeling that the world is a very funny place. Today is clearly the exception. We never did make it to Langer’s for the Pastrami he always raved about. Alan, I hope your journey finds you more than your fill of deli favorites. You will be very, very missed.

- Sigh

Dear, sweet Alan… You will be so missed. You and your kindness, generous heart and talent were one of a kind. Prayers go out to your wife and talented daughter. God bless.

- Riff

Alan K was a generous, kind man in an industry that doesn’t reward such things. He always gave me the time of day, first as a lowly P.A. and later as somebody even less important, when he didn’t have to and when most people didn’t. I will never forget him. My thoughts and prayers to his friends and family.

- Eileen Heisler

Alan gave my partner and I our first staff job. He was such a lovely guy — so funny and gregarious and sweet. Whenever we’d run into each other over the years

he’d greet me with such a twinkly warm smile and that great booming voice. What a sweetheart. So shocked and sad to hear this news. Terrible tragedy. Sending love to his family.

- Jack

Just awful.

- Randy Waples

I never met a better person..inside and out..he was my best friend..rip alan..I love you

- Betty-Lou Adam

What a beautiful comment Randy. I know you were great friends. So sorry for your loss. Was thinking about you @ Breeders Crown tonight.

Betty-Lou

- Dave Finkel

There is a report that Alan may have succumbed to a heart attack and not the aforementioned suicide. It’s possible his medication contributed to the heart attack. There’s nothing certain st this time.

Alan was a great friend. I’m crushed by his absence and my heart goes out to his wife and daughter. This is truly a huge loss.

- Mitch Kaplan

I am so saddened by this tragic news. Alan was someone I have know for almost 30 years.

My business dealings with him were always open, kind, funny and honest. He loved his harness horses too and enjoyed success I that field too.

He will be sorely missed and always remembered.

My condolences to his family.

Mitch

- L

Thank you for writing what you did. Death at this age is tragic and the immediacy of the Internet has its pluses and minuses…rushing to a cause of death is one of the minuses.

- Mh

A gifted writer, a kind soul and a genuinely good person. You will be missed, my friend. It was an honor being able to work with you on your latest and final endeavor. Rest in Peace.

- Simon

Alan was a wonderful man with an indomitable spirit.

- ROYGBIV

RIP Alan. Heartbroken over this news. His influence on TV, comedy, my own personal journey and many more, is immeasurable. “Seen a shooting star tonight/ And I thought of you”.

- Rap

He’ll always be big daddy to me.

- Andy Milder

Horrible. I worked on Yes, Dear with him. Such a nice guy. I was only a guest, but he couldn’t have been kinder.

- Big Vic

As one who has know Alan since he was a baby and has been friends with his father comic Freddie roman( who just had cancerish lobe removed from his lung) my heart goes out to his daughter his mom Ethel and dad Freddie and sister Judy