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Allan Burns

Allan Burns

Writer, director and producer · Died January 30, 2021, aged 85 · Baltimore, Maryland, USA

6 Primetime Emmys · Oscar nominee · 1 other major award body

Allan Pennington Burns (May 18, 1935 – January 30, 2021) was an American screenwriter and television producer. He was best known for co-creating and writing the television series The Munsters (1964) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970).

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 18, 1935
Died
January 30, 2021 (aged 85)
From
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Works as
Writer, director and producer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 25 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 2% in 30 days

What are Allan Burns' films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
53%
Self
34%
Society
6%
Survival
3%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
5
Joyful
4
Absurd
3
Romantic
3
Melancholic
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Feel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Allan Burns' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Allan Burns' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

25 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • Being Mary Tyler Moore(2023)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Munsters(2022)

    Characters · Original Series Creator

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Mockingbird Lane(2012)

    Original Series Creator

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Mockingbird Lane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Original Series Creator

  • The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas(1996)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Here Come the Munsters(1995)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Cutters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show Creator

  • FM (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show Creator

  • Eisenhower and Lutz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Creator

  • Just Between Friends(1986)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Just the Way You Are(1984)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Duck Factory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Creator · Writer

  • Automan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Carlton Your Doorman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Characters

  • Butch and Sundance: The Early Days(1979)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • A Little Romance(1979)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Lou Grant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 22 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer

  • Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show Creator

  • Rhoda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 110 episodes · Creator · Producer · Writer

  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show(1970)

    Show 168 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • He & She (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 9 episodes · Writer

  • Get Smart(1965)

    Show 11 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • My Mother the Car (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show Creator

  • The Munsters(1964)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Fractured Flickers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Director

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles from 1963 to 2022.

Biggest box office

Just the Way You Are (1984)

$7.9M worldwide

Highest rated

Being Mary Tyler Moore (2023)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

The Munsters (2022)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing4 of 23: 2 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting14 of 23: 10 only writing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score44thProducing4 of 23: 0 only producing, 4 with another roleOther crew10 of 23: 5 only other crew, 5 with another role

23 titles, 6 with more than one role — writing and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1960s5 · crew1970s6 · crew1980s7 · crew1990s2 · crew2010s2 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

6 Primetime Emmys and 3 other major awards from 26 major nominations, 1968–1998.

WinNomination
  1. 1998
    • Writers Guild Award, won
  2. 1992
    • Writers Guild Award, won
  3. 1985
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
  4. 1981
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
  5. 1980
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium
  6. 1978
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
  7. 1977
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
  8. 1976
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Comedy Series
Show 8 earlier years
  1. 1975
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
  2. 1974
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
  3. 1973
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
  4. 1972
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Series - Comedy
  5. 1971
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding New Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Series - Comedy
  6. 1970
    • Writers Guild Award, won · Episodic Comedy
  7. 1969
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
  8. 1968
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Allan Burns' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 12 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · writer

The Munsters (2022)

79th percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Get Smart (1965)

Midcredits 93rd · 89% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Allan Burns work with?

People who share at least 2 of Allan Burns' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Chris Hayward shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers