Nancylee Myatt Dies: ‘Night Court’ Writer, ‘Social Studies’ Creator Was 68
Nancylee Myatt, an Emmy-winning producer and a writer for such TV series as Night Court, Social Studies and the animated series Teacher’s Pet, died September 23 in Basel, Switzerland two years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 68.
Her death was confirmed by her wife and writing partner Paige Williams Bernhardt, who said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that Myatt chose to “end her life peacefully and with dignity.” Myatt was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment in 2021 and Alzheimer’s in 2023.
Myatt was a writer for NBC’s original Night Court sitcom, working on the final two seasons of the series (1990-92), including the series finale. She then became the sole female staff writer on the 1992-93 David Crane-Marta Kauffman short-lived sitcom The Powers That Be starring John Forsythe and Holland Taylor.
Additional writing and producing credits include, among others, CBS’ The Five Mrs. Buchanans (1994-1995), the 1995 Ellen Cleghorne sitcom Cleghorne!, and Fox’s Living Single (1997). Also in ’97, Myatt created and produced the comedy Social Studies for UPN and Dolly Parton’s Sandollar Productions, set in a boarding school and starring Julia Duffy.
Other writing and/or producing credits include Recess, Lloyd in Space, Trackers, and NCIS: New Orleans. She won a 2002 Daytime Emmy Award for Disney’s animated Teacher’s Pet series.
Donations in her memory can be made to the Louisiana chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association or to the National Spay Alliance Foundation (NSAF Savannah).
