Bernie Orenstein was a Canadian-born television writer and producer. 

Orenstein got his start in TV in the 1950s as an actor on the Canadian shows Encounter and On Camera. His TV writing career began with a stint on Alan Funt’s Candid Camera in the 1960s. From there he moved on to pen episodes of sitcoms and variety shows including The Monkees, The Roger Miller Show, Accidental Family, Away We Go — which featured a young George Carlin — and Hey, Landlord. His breakout gig came when he joined the writing staff on ABC’s big-budget variety show The Hollywood Palace from 1965-68. During his time on The Hollywood Palace, Orenstein would begin his longtime writing and producing partnership with future Emmy Award nominee Saul Turteltaub.

Orenstein and Turtletaub began writing episodes of That Girl in 1967 for its first season, and then served as writer-producers on that ground-breaking ABC feminist comedy for its final two years. From there they moved on to write and produce The New Dyke Van Dyke Show and Love, American Style.

In 1974 the partners jumped to Sanford and Son at the request of Norman Lear, who needed producers who could get along with the temperamental Foxx, who at the time was sitting out the show in a contract dispute. That season, the NBC comedy finished second behind All in the Family in the year-end primetime ratings, and ranked No. 7 in 1975-76.  

From there, Orenstein would go on to write and produce What's Happening!, Kate and Ally, You, Again, Cosby, and more. The two also helped future Murphy Brown creator Diane English gain a foothold in television by executive producing her 1985-86 CBS comedy, Foley Square.