Jay Tarses (b. 1939) is a comedy writer for television and film who co-wrote The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan with writing partner Tom Patchett. He also had a cameo in Caper as the flight attendant who tosses Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and Kermit out over England. Tarses and Patchett wrote for The Bob Newhart Show, notably penning "Death of a Fruitman" (in which a recurring character is crushed to death by a truckload of zucchini) and took over as executive producers after the third season.