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Genius behind Euthanasia late-night comedy show found dead in his Manhattan apartment
Hamster apparently died of advanced age

Grover "Teddy Bear" Cheeks, the genius behind "Euthanasia"

Grover "Teddy Bear" Cheeks, creator of the unfailingly popular late-night comedy program "Euthanasia," was found dead on his exercise wheel in his Manhattan apartment early Sunday. The cause of death apparently was advanced age. Cheeks was 3 1/2 years old.

The top-ranking comedy program, currently shown in 45 nations, catapaulted Catnip Central to its current status as the most viewed television channel by household pets. Making its debut in January 2002, "Euthanasia" has jump-started the careers of such comedy greats as Scruffles, Mr. Mumps, the musical-comedy beagle pair Goop and Foam, and the now legendary Elvis The Pine Siskin.

Despite its mature content, the show is most popular among extremely young cats and dogs.

"Comedy noir speaks to puppies and kittens in a way we're just beginning to fathom in this industry," says Fuzzy Scorsese, the show's coproducer and longtime close friend of Cheeks. "Teddy Bear had a genius for tapping into their fascination with the dark side of little fuzzy animal life. There will never be another like him."

Cheeks began his show business career as a pup actor in the screen adaptation of Simon and Shuster's Complete Guide to Hamsters and Gerbils. The talented Cricetus auratus went on to star in all-hamster-and-gerbil adaptations of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly and Lonsesome Dove. In late 2001, Cheeks began to write, direct, and produce his own films, including Academy Award winners Plains of Syria, The Eternal Squeaking Wheel, and The Nut Gatherer.

Cheeks' earlier late-night comedy programs included "Frisk Mode" and the controversial and short-running "Lab Rat Central."

Ironically, the creator of the edgy, in-your-face "Euthanasia" comedy fare was known by his friends as unassuming, even shy.

Comedy noir speaks to puppies and kittens in a way we're just beginning to fathom in this industry.

"Teddy Bear definitely kept a low profile," says film director Rob Reiner. "He was mostly a quiet guy. A typical New Yorker, he tended to sleep for much of the day and do his best work late at night. I think that's what partly inspired Teddy Bear to switch from filmmaking to late-night comedy programs."

"Teddy's idea of an evening on the town was a bicycle ride through Central Park at dusk followed by a a couple of saltines and a tiny glass of Merlot at Le Madeleine with a few close friends," says comedian Scruffles.

"Yeah, he was a workaholic. But he was also a great friend -- to us comedians and to kittens and puppies everywhere."