Co-creator of The Real World and Road Rules and half of Bunim-Murray Productions, Mary-Ellis Bunim has died today. In an incredible unexpected turn of events, the co-producer/creator of the Real World died of cancer in Burbank, California today. The following from CNN.com:
"LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Mary-Ellis Bunim, credited with creating numerous reality TV hits, including MTV's "The Real World," is dead.
Bunim, 57, died in Burbank, California, Thursday after a long battle with cancer, her publicist said.
She began her television career in soap operas. Then, in 1990, she and Jonathan Murray combined the documentary nature of news and the dramatic intrigue of soap operas to create The Real World.
She also co-created "Road Rules," "The Love Cruise," "Making the Band," "The Real World Road Rules Challenge," the reality feature film "The Real Cancun," the real-life daytime drama "Starting Over," and "The Simple Life," Fox network's major prime-time reality hit of the 2003 season, starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.
"Mary-Ellis was a one-in-a-million partner and friend, and I will always treasure our incredible years of collaboration," Murray said. "Even as the family at Bunim-Murray Productions mourns her loss, we will honor her memory by remaining committed to her ideals of creativity, adventure, and excellence, both on the screen and in our lives."
Bunim is survived by her daughter, Juliana."
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, co-producer Jonathan Murray, and any cast and crew who knew Mary-Ellis. A revolutionary mind in television, she will be greatly missed.
Read the MTV.com article.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. February 7 at the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be sent to:
The National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund
1101 17th St. NW, Suite 1300
Washington DC 20036
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Thank you! Mary-Ellis will surely be missed.
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