Tam Spiva

Infobox Writer
name=Tam Spiva|birthname=Hubert Tamblyn Spiva
birthdate=1932
birthplace=Minden, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA
residence=Pacific Palisades, California
occupation=Televison and film script writer
alma_mater=Northwestern University
spouse=Phyllis Ellen Spiva
children=Two children


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footnotes=Spiva's parents came from a newspaper background, but he ventured into Hollywood script writing, particularly "The Brady Bunch" and "Gentle Ben"

Hubert Tamblyn Spiva, known as Tam Spiva (born 1932), is a television script writer in Pacific Palisades, California, who is best known for his work on ABC's "The Brady Bunch" situation comedy (1969-1974), starring Florence Henderson and Robert Reed, [cite web |title=The Canonical "Brady Bunch" Episode Guide |url=http://www.nyx.net/~thill/bbeg.html |accessdate=2008-10-05 |last=Hill |first=Tony L.] and CBS's family drama "Gentle Ben" (1967-1969) starring Dennis Weaver. [TV.com, Tam Spiva:http://www.tv.com/tam-spiva/person/4964/appearances.html]

Spiva is originally from the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. His parents, Hubert Spiva and the former Lilla Stewart (1905-1959), operated the Webster Printing Company and the former "Minden Herald" and "Webster Review" newspapers, forerunners of the current "Minden Press-Herald". Lilla Spiva managed the papers after her husband's death and was herself publisher and society editor of the "Minden Herald". [cite news |first=John |last=Agan |title=MPH story goes back more than 150 years |work=Minden Press-Herald |year=2007 |url=http://www.nwlanews.com/profile07/H%20MPH/H_MPH_6.html |accessdate=2008-10-05] She was a daughter of a prominent early Minden couple, Daniel Webster Stewart, Sr. (1857-1935), and the former Alice Reagan (1871-1954). Spiva's maternal aunt was Mary Amanda Stewart (1903-1994), whom he visited when he returned to his hometown. [cite web |work=Memories of Minden |title=Residential/Homes (A-L) |url=http://www.mindenmemories.org/Residential%20Homes%20A-F.htm |accessdate=2008-10-05 |last=Gritzbaugh |first=Sherry]

Spiva graduated from the defunct Western Military Academy in Alton in Madison County, Illinois, near St. Louis and then Northwestern University in Evanston, near Chicago. He also studied at the London School of Film Technique. His early free-lance writing was rewarded in the script for the 1965 film "Island of the Lost". In addition to "The Brady Bunch" and "Gentle Ben", Spiva garnered credits for two other ABC sereis, "The FBI" starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and "Dan August" starring Burt Reynolds. [cite news |title=Brady Bunch Writer in Minden This Week |work=Minden Press-Herald |date=1970-03-25 |page=1]

Spiva's wife is Phyllis Ellen Spiva (born November 25, 1947). [Net Detective, People Search] There are two Spiva children.

References