Nicole Richie.

"Mary-Ellis was a one-in-a-million partner and friend, and I will always treasure our incredible years of collaboration. 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," said Jon Murray, co-founder of Bunim-Murray Productions.

"Mary-Ellis opened our eyes and our hearts to a whole new way of looking at young adult programming. She will certainly be imitated forever, but no one will quite get the care and elegance of her touch with young people and their stories. Everyone at MTV remembers her creativity and thoughtfulness, and we will toast her at every gathering. We were fortunate to be in her orbit for over 13 years, and we extend our sympathy to her family and her partner, Jon Murray. Her imprint on the popular culture is a great benefit to us and all her fans and loyal viewers," said Judy McGrath, MTV Networks Group President.

"In her life and in her work, she dared to dream, followed her inward passion and entertained millions along the way. She brought the world groundbreaking and unforgettable television and taught generations of viewers how to transcend differences, to love each other and to, quite literally, live together. She was an integral and valued member of the extended MTV family for well over 13 years and was a true pioneer in television. Mary Ellis will be greatly missed," said Brian Graden, President Entertainment, MTV and VH1.

"Mary-Ellis was a true visionary in our business, through her successful career in soap operas and most recently with reality television, she always seemed to have a sense of what the audience was looking for. As a person she was a delight to work with. She was a true professional, who not only cared about the product she put up on the screen, but also those she worked with," said Ed Wilson, President, NBC Enterprises.

"Mary-Ellis Bunim was a gifted producer and a close friend to all of us at FOX Broadcasting. She was an extraordinary talent who pioneered an entire genre of television. We extend our deepest sympathies to both her family and her partner Jonathan Murray," said Scott Grogin, Vice President, Communications for FOX Broadcasting.

Before forming her partnership with Murray, Bunim was a prolific production executive, overseeing more than 2,500 hours of daytime television as Executive Producer of Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns, Santa Barbara and Loving. Later, as Vice President, Tape Programs for New World Entertainment, Bunim developed a variety of programming for Children, Network Daytime, Late-night and First-Run.

Bunim was born in North Hampton, MA, and died Thursday in Los Angeles. She is survived by her daughter, Juliana. She was 57.

A memorial service will be held in Los Angeles at 1PM on Saturday, February 7, 2004, at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends honor Mary-Ellis Bunim's memory through contributions to the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, 1101 17th Street, NW, Suite 1300, Washington D.C. 20036.

MARY-ELLIS BUNIM, THE MOTHER OF REALITY TELEVISION, HAS DIED
(Burbank, CA) January 30, 2004 - Mary-Ellis Bunim, who with partner Jonathan Murray is credited with creating the modern reality television genre, has died.

The first act of Bunim's career in television centered on the world of soap operas. Then, in 1987, agent Mark Itkin of the William Morris Agency put her together with Murray, whose background was in TV news. Merging the documentary nature of news and the dramatic intrigue of soap operas, Bunim and Murray hatched an innovative idea for a dramatic series featuring real people rather than actors. That series became MTV's The Real World and marked the beginning of the reality television genre.

Rather than resting on her laurels as the mother of reality television, Bunim remained fiercely creative over the past decade, co-creating 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, the Fox network's major primetime reality hit of the 2003 season starring Paris Hilton and