Paul William Henning (September 16, 1911 – March 25, 2005) was an American producer and screenwriter. Most famous for the television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, he was also crucial in developing the "rural" comedies Petticoat Junction (1963–1970) and Green Acres (1965–1971) for CBS. He was one of the staff writers for George Burns, writing first for the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio show and then the television show throughout its broadcast run. Author Kurt Andersen described Henning as "the Eli Whitney of American television production."