Obit: Stephen J. Cannell, 69--"Rockford Files," "A-Team"

[Mike Stroud]

TV writer/producer Cannell died of cancer Thursday. Los Angeles Times obit:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/10/stephen-j-cannell-prolific-tv-producer-dies.html

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

And very appropriate to this forum as well - Cannell's company owned WUAB/43 Lorain OH (Cleveland market) for a few years in the early 1990s.

The station is now Raycom's MyNetwork TV affiliate for the market, paired with CBS affiliate WOIO/19. At the time Cannell owned WUAB, it was in its waning days as an independent station...though most of that success was under prior ownership (Gaylord, etc.).

 

[LKellerIII]

And very appropriate to this forum as well - Cannell's company owned WUAB/43 Lorain OH (Cleveland market) for a few years in the early 1990s.

The station is now Raycom's MyNetwork TV affiliate for the market, paired with CBS affiliate WOIO/19. At the time Cannell owned WUAB, it was in its waning days as an independent station...though most of that success was under prior ownership (Gaylord, etc.).

Well, yeah - love the TV station nerd thing - but Cannell is also highly appropriate to this forum given that Cannell wrote for, or produced about gazillion different TV shows. For some reason, people associate him mostly with The A Team, but you can add writer and/or producing credits for:

Hunter, Silk Stockings, Rockford Files, 21 Jump Street, the New Mike Hammer, Black Sheep Squadron, The Greatest American Hero, Riptide, The Commish, Wise Guy, Baretta - and those are just the highlights. His writing credits in particular go as far back as Adam 12 and Ironside.

As far as being prolific in TV, he's right up there (or surpasses) Quinn Martin, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Dick Wolfe.

And here's Mr. Cannell himself in his famous end-credit logo, circa 1985:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qweoMJS1DQ8

His career, via imdb:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004798/

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Well, yeah - love the TV station nerd thing - but Cannell is also highly appropriate to this forum given that Cannell wrote for, or produced about gazillion different TV shows.

Oh, of course, that's why I said "as well"...since I don't think many people even among TV Geek Land know his TV station ownership history. I only know since he owned a station here.

 

[FRR]

Television has lost a real giant with his death. Millions enjoyed his many scripts and shows.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

His output was even more impressive when you consider that he was dyslexic.