From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Francis Burns (November 15, 1933 – January 26, 2020) was an American comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, and producer. During the 1960s he was part of two stand-up comedy partnerships, first with George Carlin and later Avery Schreiber. By the 1970s he had transitioned to working behind the camera as a writer and producer on such comedy series as The Muppet Show and Hee Haw.