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As the readership of Society Views expands we will be using this space to shine a spotlight on some of your fellow HRTS members. If you would like to be spotlighted in a future edition please email memberservices@hrts.org.
 Tom Tenowich
In high school I wrote jokes as a hobby. Then in college, at Temple University in Philadelphia, I started writing comedy professionally for comedians based in New York. Jackie Vernon was my first contact, whom I approached after he came off stage in a club. He looked at the material I wrote on spec for him, and said he wanted me to write more. Instead of just a sale, I had the beginnings of a career. A year with Jackie Vernon was followed by three years writing for Jackie Mason, my "College of Comedy."
I got my first comedy staff writing job on "The Dom Deluise Show," followed by a year writing for "The Jackie Gleason Show" in Miami. He was one of a few idols I worked with for whom my admiration grew. I was fortunate enough to work for headwriter and showrunner, Walter Stone, an inspired writer and a kind and encouraging teacher.
Then it was out to LA for six years writing on "The Dean Martin Show" working with the uniquely talented Stan Daniels. After 145 one-hour shows and 31 roasts, with lots of laughs and pride in writing the Foster Brooks spots, it was time to move to sitcom.
I was lucky enough to work with the Charles brothers on "Phyllis" and the final season of "The Bob Newhart Show," the first show they produced. The Charles bothers went to "Taxi." I went to "Mork and Mindy" before a word was written there and stayed for three years, producing it in year three with my then partner, Ed Scharlach, where we served as showrunners. We rocketed to #1 in the first season!
After writing and producing various shows like "Lewis and Clark," "Webster," "Perfect Strangers," "Cheers," "The Tortelli's" and "Dolly," I became showrunner on a new series that changed the face of Saturday morning television -- "Saved By The Bell." The show soon became #1 for NBC, a huge hit with 'tweens and teens. It was here where I put together all I had learned from my various mentors or partners, especially the competence and quiet confidence of David Angel, Peter Casey and David Lee on "Cheers."
Here it is 20 years later and "Saved By The Bell" is still running! Those residuals just keep coming! It's rewarding to know that together with Executive Producer, Peter Engel, I helped shape a  series that has meant so much to a generation of young people.
Following six years' worth of shows on "Saved," I either ran or co-ran "City Guys" and "One World," two other successful teen Saturday morning series for Peter Engel, a producer who hired creative people for what was in their heads versus the color of the hair on them.
To sum up, I started out writing as a kid, and wound up writing for them. It's been a very satisfying arc. Now I'm getting a second wind, and we'll see where that breeze takes me.
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