Herb Lazarus Passes Away at 88

Herb Lazarus, whose long career in the TV industry includes serving as international TV president for Carsey-Werner Television Distribution, died earlier this week at the age of 88.

At Carsey-Werner, Lazarus proved that American comedies could successfully sell abroad. He put into place deals for such classic company hits as That ’70s Show, Roseanne, The Cosby Show and 3rd Rock from the Sun—many of which are still in place today.

Prior to joining Carsey-Werner in 1997, Lazarus served as VP of international TV distribution for 20th Century Fox (1963-71) and Columbia Pictures (1971-78) and later at Stephen J. Cannell Productions. His career also spanned three incarnations of Silverbach-Lazarus, a partnership with Alan Silverbach. Lazarus began his nearly 70-year-long career in the then-nascent TV business in 1955.

“In my 37 years working in this business, I have been lucky enough to meet quite a few wonderful people who I consider to be my friends,” said Ricardo Guise, president and publisher of World Screen. “But it is hard to think of anyone for whom I had more respect, affection and admiration than Herb. He had a great sense of humor, and he was a prankster. When I first met him, he was impeccably dressed and looked very serious. He told me that his bosses would be terribly upset if I did not attend a cocktail party in their honor that evening. As I already had other plans, I was quite worried about upsetting this grave and intimidating new acquaintance. A few days after the cocktail party, he greeted me with a mischievous smile, and I finally understood he had been pulling my leg and that he could not care less about my presence at the event. That was the beginning of a fabulous relationship.”

“Herb was a consummate professional with much insight into the media business,” added Anna Carugati, World Screen‘s editor-at-large. “In addition, he was a gentleman—empathetic and kind. But among his many qualities, my favorite was his sense of humor. Ricardo and I shared many thoroughly enjoyable meals with him in Cannes and Nice and with him and his lovely wife Shelley in L.A. When I would email him to set up these dinners, he was always affectionate with me while referring to Ricardo as ‘What’s his name.’ I adored hearing about pranks he had participated in through the years, but mostly, I felt refueled being in the company of such a singularly extraordinary man.”

“Herb was so warm and fun to be around, but when it came to getting business done, he was among the greats of the industry,” said Robert Dubelko, president and COO of Carsey-Werner Television. “Everyone here is extremely sad but can’t help but smile, recounting his poker-playing face and the countless laughs it delivered to all of us.”

“He saw the lighter side of our business and always said that we were lucky it didn’t involve decisions of life and death,” said Alexandra Taylor, Carsey-Werner’s London-based executive VP of international. She recalls one incident at MIPCOM in which a Belgian buyer apologetically notified them at the last minute he couldn’t make a planned lunch. “Herb’s reaction was to ask the buyer to put out his hand. Both the buyer and I wondered what on earth was about to happen. Herb produced his wallet and started putting euro notes in the buyer’s hand, saying, ‘This is the money we’re saving by not taking you out—please take it.’”