Paul Junger Witt, the prolific TV producer behind "The Golden Girls," ''The Partridge Family" and "Soap," died Friday, a spokeswoman said. He was 77.
Witt died at his Los Angeles-area home after battling cancer, spokeswoman Pam Golum said.
He worked at Columbia Pictures before joining comedian-actor Danny Thomas' production company in 1973, where he and Thomas' son, Tony, teamed up.
In 1975, Witt and Tony Thomas formed a production company that later expanded to include writer-producer Susan Harris, who created "The Golden Girls," the hit 1985-92 series starring Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan.
Witt and Harris married in 1983.
Witt's other credits include the TV series "Benson," ''Empty Nest," ''Blossom" and the TV movie "Brian's Song." He produced big-screen films including "Dead Poets Society," ''Three Kings," ''Insomnia" and "A Better Life."
Witt prized "A Better Life," about a single father living in the country illegally whose livelihood and freedom are put at risk by the theft of his truck. Mexican film star Demian Bichir received an Oscar nomination for the role.
In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, Witt said the story was inspired by a neighbor's gardener, whose truck was stolen but who declined to report it out of fear of arrest and deportation. Witt, who pushed for years to get the film made, said he hoped it would prompt thoughtful discussion of a hot-button issue.
"If the film can be responsible for dialogue instead of screaming, then it's a good thing," Witt said. "I don't care what someone feels about immigrants coming in (to the movie), but if they come out knowing they are dealing with people, they can still feel what they do politically — but know this is about people."
Witt, a New York native, is survived by Harris and five children, Golum said Friday.
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More