John Rich, a veteran TV director with ties to many classic sitcoms, has died at the age of 86.
Rich won three Emmys over the course of his career, two for his directorial work. He directed numerous episodes of "All in the Family," including the first one, as well as several episodes of "The Brady Bunch," "Gilligan's Island" and "That Girl," among other classic sitcoms.
Rich won an Emmy for his directorial work on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and two for "All in the Family." His last credited TV directorial work is the short-lived 1999 series "Payne," starring John Larroquette and Julie Benz.
"We are deeply saddened to learn today of the passing of John Rich," Taylor Hackford, president of the Directors Guild of America, said in a statement. "A legendary figure in the history of TV comedy, John tirelessly served our Guild for nearly six decades. He directed some of the most beloved classics of all time and his skills as a television director were unsurpassed, but no matter how busy and successful his career was, John always made time for the DGA."
Rich was a member of the Screen Directors Guild since 1953 and helped merge that union with the Radio and Television Directors Guild in 1960, creating the present-day Directors Guild of America.
Click here to read Hackford's full statement on Rich's passing.