The Creator Of Cap’n Crunch Cereal Was Also Behind One Of The Most Classic Sitcoms Of All Time

Allan Burns was not just the genius behind Cap’n Crunch, a.k.a Horatio Magellan Crunch, he also co-created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which took the number one spot on Entertainment Weekly’s 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. He also created animation alongside Jay Ward and wrote Rocky and Bullwinkle and Dudley Do-Right.

He also ventured into acting with Chris Hayward to make The Munsters and some more creative endeavors, catching the attention of TV producer James L. Brooks. Brooks and Allan became a team while creating the popular CBS series for Mary Tyler.

Allan Burns: the creator of Cap’n Crunch and one of the masterminds of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’

The Mary Tyler Moore Show remained one of Allan’s most outstanding creations, earning him up to 29 Emmy awards across its seven-season run. The program even birthed three spinoffs, Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant, which he executive produced just like he did The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

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Allan created the short-lived ‘60s comedy series He & She featuring  Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin. He was also the brain behind 1979’s A Little Romance, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, after which he wrote Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, Just the Way You Are and Just Between Friends.

The birth of Cap’n Crunch

While Allan was working at Jay Ward Productions in the ‘60s, Ward himself invited him to set up a campaign for a new cereal ahead of a meeting with Chicago-based advertising executives on behalf of Quaker Oats. Allan had some of the crunchy cereal, which gave him the idea to make its texture the selling point.

He returned to Ward, saying the breakfast would shred the mouths of children living in America due to its sharp texture. In days, Allan drew up the “Horatio Hornblower-figure” known as “Cap’n Crunch, winning the hearts of the ad executives and getting a pay raise from Ward coupled with $1,000 from Quaker Oats.