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Joyce Brothers.

Pop psychologist started out on a gameshow and hit sitcoms, played herself in films

Joyce Brothers, the pop psychologist who pioneered the television advice show in the 1950s and enjoyed a long and prolific career as a syndicated columnist, author, and television and film personality, died May 13 in New York City. She was 85.

Brothers gained fame on gameshow The $64,000 Question, and went on to publish 15 books and cameo as herself on TV shows. She visited Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show nearly 100 times.

The way Brothers liked to tell it, her multimedia career came about "because we were hungry."

Brothers became the second person to ever win the top prize on The $64,000 Question. The show quizzed contestants in their chosen area of expertise, and Brothers memorized 20 volumes of a boxing 'encyclopedia.

Brothers tried her luck again on the $64,000 Challenge, answering each question correctly and earning the dubious distinction as one of the biggest winners in the history of television quizshows. She later denied any knowledge of cheating, and during a 1959 hearing into the quizshow scandal, a producer exonerated her of involvement.

Her celebrity opened up doors. In 1956, she became co-host of Sports Showcast and frequently appeared on talkshows.

Two years later, NBC offered her a trial on an afternoon television program in which she advised on love, marriage, sex and child-rearing. Its success led to a nationally telecast program, and subsequent latenight shows that addressed such taboo subjects as menopause, frigidity, impotence and sexual enjoyment.

Later, Brothers branched out into film, playing herself in more than a dozen movies, including Analyze That (2002) and Beethoven's 4th (2001).

Born Joyce Diane Bauer in New York, Brothers earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell U. and a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia U. She is survived by a sister, a daughter, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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Title Annotation:REMEMBERED
Publication:Variety
Article Type:Brief article
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:May 20, 2013
Words:317
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