SHERMAN OAKS—Emmy nominated writer and producer James Henerson, 84, died in his sleep at his Sherman Oaks home on Thursday, June 18.
His son Matthew confirmed his death in an Instagram post.
Henerson was born in Brooklyn on February 16, 1936 and grew up in Oakland, California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history at UC Berkeley. He roomed with Bill Bixby, who eventually played Dr. David Banner in Incredible Hulk. Henerson attended UCLA for his masters and took a position as a story editor on the CBS Series Lassie in 1958. He wrote 36 episodes of I Dream of Jeanie in 1967 and 12 installments of ABC’s Bewitched from 1966-69.
Henerson produced the 1986-87 ABC series Starman with Jim Hirsch and Michael Douglas, which starred Robert Hays and based on the John Carpenter-directed film. In addition, he wrote episodes of The Partridge Family, Combat!, National Velvet, Love on a Rooftop, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and The Second Hundred Years.
Henerson was nominated for an Emmy for scripting the 1980 ABC film Attica, based on Tom Wicker’s experience as a negotiator during the 1971 prison uprising in upstate New York. He also won a Writers Guild Award in 1999 for the CBS telefilm The Love Letter, featuring Campbell Scott and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Alongside his sons Matthew and Evan, he is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Marlene.
