Nancylee Myatt, a distinguished television writer and producer, passed away on September 23 in Basel, Switzerland, at the age of 68. Her death was confirmed by her wife, Paige Williams Bernhardt. Myatt had been diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment in 2021, a condition known to run in her family, which subsequently progressed to Alzheimer’s dementia in 2023. Opting for a peaceful and dignified end to her life, Myatt made this choice as stated by Bernhardt.

Born in 1957, Nancylee Myatt was a proud, card-carrying member of the Cherokee tribe in Oklahoma. Her academic journey led her to graduate from the University of California, Irvine. She began her career immersed in the performing arts, acting on stage and in commercials, while simultaneously establishing herself as a prolific playwright. Her theatrical works, produced in Los Angeles, included titles such as “Two on the Aisle for Murder,” “Slumber Party,” “Afterlife,” “Nothing So Simple as Love,” and “Wet Paint.”

Myatt transitioned into television after graduating from the prestigious Warner Bros.’ writers workshop in 1990. She was a mentee of the legendary Norman Lear and notably served as the only female staff writer on the early-1990s sitcom “The Powers That Be.” Her extensive television writing credits also include the final two seasons of “Night Court,” for which she penned the series finale. She further contributed as a writer and producer for CBS’s “The Five Mrs. Buchanans” and Fox’s “Living Single.”

In 1997, Myatt created and produced the NBC teen sitcom “Social Studies,” a project that originated from Dolly Parton’s Sandollar Productions. Her animation writing prowess earned her a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on “Teacher’s Pet,” part of her contributions to Disney TV Animation and ABC shows like “Recess” and “Lloyd in Space.” Other writing endeavors included “Trackers” for Sony TV and the pilot for “Nikki & Nora,” which, despite being unaired, later inspired the webseries “The N&N Files.” She also adapted teen novels such as “Annie on My Mind” and “A Time for Dancing” for television. Demonstrating her versatile capabilities, Myatt served as showrunner, co-executive producer, writer, and director for “South of Nowhere.” Her additional producing credits encompass “Life with Roger,” “Cleghorne!,” and “Muddling Through.” In her later years, she was collaborating with Ralph Maccio on a teen pilot titled “Cupidity.”

Nancylee Myatt is survived by her wife and writing partner, Paige Williams Bernhardt, as well as her friends and family. Those wishing to honor her memory are invited to make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association Louisiana Chapter or the National Spay Alliance Foundation (NSAF Savannah).