Aaron Ruben, a comedy writer, producer and director whose five-decade career included producing "The Andy Griffith Show" for the first five seasons and creating the spinoff series "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," has died. He was 95.

A Chicago native who began his comedy writing career in radio after serving in the Army during World War II, Ruben helped write radio shows for Dinah Shore, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Fred Allen, Henry Morgan and Milton Berle.

Moving into television in the early 1950s, he was a writer on specials starring Danny Thomas, Ed Wynn and Eddie Cantor. He wrote for "The Milton Berle Show," "Caesar's Hour" and "The Phil Silvers Show," where he also began directing.

Ruben produced "The Andy Griffith Show" from 1960 to 1965 and also wrote and directed some of the episodes of the popular CBS series.

"Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," with Ruben as executive producer, aired on CBS from 1964 to 1970 and was the No. 2 top-rated program in the Nielsen ratings for the 1965-66 season.

Teaming up with Carl Reiner, Ruben co-wrote and co-produced "The Comic," a 1969 movie directed by Reiner about the rise and fall of a silent film comedian starring Dick Van Dyke.

In the 1970s, Ruben was the initial producer of "Sanford and Son," the hit 1972-77 series starring Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson for which Ruben wrote many early episodes.

Among his other credits as a producer or executive producer are “The Headmaster,” "C.P.O. Sharkey," "Teachers Only," "Too Close for Comfort" and "The Stockard Channing Show."

Source: LA Times