Barbara Corday

Barbara Corday (born October 15, 1944) is an American television executive, writer and producer known for co-creating the television series Cagney & Lacey.

At sixteen Corday started working as a freelance publicist for Broadway shows, restaurants, and nightclubs. In 1967, she moved to Los Angeles and joined Mann Scharf Associates, a local publicity firm, as an account executive.

In 1972 she met Barbara Avedon. They became writing partners and wrote several episodes for television series and a few pilots from 1972 to 1979 as free-lance writers. They started working on Cagney and Lacey in 1974 and tried to sell the script since then, finally being successful when CBS made the movie Cagney and Lacey in 1981. This film was followed by the series from 1982 to 1988.

After giving up writing Corday worked at several networks and made a career as top executive. From 1979 to 1982 she was Vice president for Comedy Series Development at ABC, from 1984 to 1987 president of Columbia Pictures, from 1988 to 1990 executive vice president of Primetime Programming at CBS Entertainment, 1992 Producer of the television series Knots Landing and at last from 1993 to 1994 president of New World Television.

Barbara Corday was born in Brooklyn, New York City on October 15, 1944. Her parents were both working in the entertainment business: her mother was a professional singer and dancer, and her father Leo Corday wrote songs and jingles. She was married twice, to Barney Rosenzweig from 1979 to 1990 and to Roger Lowenstein since 1992. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

Corday is a founding member of the Hollywood Women's Political Committee.

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