Merrill Gabriel Heatter (December 16, 1925 – October 8, 2017) was an American television producer and writer.
The company was responsible for the game shows Hollywood Squares and Gambit and the animated television series Wacky Races.
[citation needed] Heatter's career began in the late 1940s when, on July 7, 1947, CBS Radio and writer Goodman Ace launched the historical educational program You Are There.
The series starred Walter Cronkite of CBS News with several field reporters including radio announcing veterans Dick Joy and Harlow Wilcox.
[3] Shortly after the two met, they decided to form Heatter-Quigley Productions specifically to produce game shows.
Heatter and Quigley created and produced several unsuccessful game shows before their breakthrough hit Hollywood Squares premiered.
The pilot also featured future HS regulars Rose Marie and Charley Weaver with Jim Backus in the center square.
The series starred Wink Martindale as the presenter and Elaine Stewart as the card dealer.
A spin-off series entitled Las Vegas Gambit aired on NBC during the 1980–81 television season.
Some of the other game shows that Heatter-Quigley produced included Baffle, High Rollers, and The Magnificent Marble Machine.
Bob Quigley retired from show business shortly after Las Vegas Gambit went off the air.
Some of those shows included Battlestars, All-Star Blitz, Bargain Hunters and the 1980s version of High Rollers.
On September 28, 1998, Heatter leased the worldwide rights to his solo-developed game shows to King World (now CBS Media Ventures).
She was also known for her guest appearances on the television shows Bat Masterson, Burke's Law and Perry Mason.
Heatter died in Beverly Hills, California on October 8, 2017, after a short battle with cancer.