Aaron Spelling Has Died

[gilligan fanatic]

Originally Posted by I Walk The Line

Yea but it's not a show he bragged about.

probably why I didn't know

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...started out as a "bit player" in TV and motion pictures in the mid-'50s, appearing on "I LOVE LUCY", "DRAGNET", and "GUNSMOKE", until Dick Powell gave him a chance to write and produce various series for Four Star Television (starting with "DICK POWELL'S ZANE GREY THEATER" and ending with "HONEY WEST" and "THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS SHOW") during a ten year period. Aaron then entered into a production partnership with Danny Thomas ("RANGO", "THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT", "THE DANNY THOMAS HOUR" and "THE MOD SQUAD")...and was then paired with Leonard Goldberg (starting with various ABC "MOVIE OF THE WEEK" projects and "THE ROOKIES", and ending with "T.J. HOOKER") before he set up his own production company (too many shows to list here!) and continued to produce TV series virtually to the time of his death.

The only thing he couldn't produce was a successful situation comedy.

[JT]

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...started out as a "bit player" in TV and motion pictures in the mid-'50s, appearing on "I LOVE LUCY", "DRAGNET", and "GUNSMOKE", until Dick Powell gave him a chance to write and produce various series for Four Star Television (starting with "DICK POWELL'S ZANE GREY THEATER" and ending with "HONEY WEST" and "THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS SHOW") during a ten year period. Aaron then entered into a production partnership with Danny Thomas ("RANGO", "THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT", "THE DANNY THOMAS HOUR" and "THE MOD SQUAD")...and was then paired with Leonard Goldberg (starting with various ABC "MOVIE OF THE WEEK" projects and "THE ROOKIES", and ending with "T.J. HOOKER") before he set up his own production company (too many shows to list here!) and continued to produce TV series virtually to the time of his death.

The only thing he couldn't produce was a successful situation comedy.

Which is funny, because most of his dramas had high amounts of comedy thrown in, especially the 90s stuff.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...Aaron Spelling's talents was "discovered" by Dick Powell in 1956, and was eventually given an exclusive contract to write and produce for Powell's Four Star Television company. By the time Powell had died of cancer in 1963, Aaron was just about running the company, having his greatest success with "BURKE'S LAW". However, after the disappointment of "HONEY WEST" and "THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS SHOW" (and a change of management), Spelling left Four Star in 1966 to begin his partnership with Danny Thomas
{and by the way, it was "THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT". "THE DANNY THOMAS HOUR" was an unsuccessful anthology format tailored for Danny in the 1967-'68 season}.

Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg entered into their production partnership about 1970, when they began producing several of ABC's 90 minute "MOVIE OF THE WEEK" features (around the time Spelling and Danny Thomas amicably dissolved their professional relationship). Their last collaboration was "T.J. HOOKER", which Goldberg produced an additional season for CBS' late-night schedule in 1985-'86.

1984 was a pivotal year for Spelling, as his "golden touch" started to fade;
"GLITTER"- a highly anticipated series in the tradition of "THE LOVE BOAT" and "HOTEL"- was cancelled after three weeks on the air (the remaining episodes were burned off on ABC's late night schedule in December 1985), and "FINDER OF LOST LOVES" didn't make it to a second season. "MACGRUDER AND LOUD", a mid-season replacement about secretly married cops on the 'LSPD' force, went on ABC in January of 1985, and was outdistanced by the show that followed it on Tuesdays..."MOONLIGHTING". That's what the network executives seemed to want, and were gravely disappointed when all Aaron seemed to be able to come up the following season were "SUNSET BEAT" and that "DYNASTY" spinoff, "THE COLBYS"- neither of which made much of an impact, and "THE LOVE BOAT" went off at the end of the 1985-'86 season. When the last of Spelling's ABC series, "DYNASTY", was cancelled in 1989, the network had dissolved their exclusive agreement for Spelling to produce shows for them. Aaron then discovered that the pilots he had produced for CBS weren't wanted, either, as was his proposed revival of "CHARLIE'S ANGELS" for the Fox network.
Personally and professionally, he went into a "deep funk", feeling he was "washed up" in the industry.....

....that is, until Fox bought "BEVERLY HILLS 90210" in 1990....and Spelling's "empire" towered again, and continued to be a powerful force in TV until his death. "7th HEAVEN", the last series his organization produced, will continue on the CW network this fall---without Spelling's guidance.

[Pavan]

TV Land Honors the Life of Aaron Spelling With On-Air and Online Programming Salute

NEW YORK, June 27 -- TV Land will celebrate the life and work of legendary producer and show creator, Aaron Spelling -- who passed away on Friday at the age of 83 -- with programming salutes on both TV Land and the network's website, TVLand.com, it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land & Nick at Nite. Spelling, who held the distinction of being the most prolific producer in the history of television, was honored by TV Land when the network presented him with the Pioneer Award during the 2005 TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV.

"Aaron Spelling was an enormous talent whose keen eye, sharp wit and deep understanding of why people love television made him one of the greatest sources of beloved TV shows in the history of the medium," explains Jones. "Mr. Spelling exuded charm and worked tirelessly to entertain us all. Many of us at TV Land feel so honored to have known him and our deepest condolences go out to the Spelling family, friends and fans as we all mourn the loss of this incredibly gifted man."

On-air, TV Land will re-broadcast two installments of the network's acclaimed 2004 6-part special TV Land Moguls. This Saturday, from 10 AM - Noon (ET/PT), TV Land's weekend original programming block will be dedicated to Spelling with the two installments highlighting many of his achievements. The episodes explore the biggest moguls from the 1970s and spotlight Spelling's rise to prominence in the world of entertainment. It was during that time in which he created some of the biggest hits in
television including Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Starsky & Hutch and several others. TV Land has already begun airing a memorial spot reminding viewers of his outstanding contributions.

TV Land's website, TVLand.com, will showcase of variety of Aaron Spelling-related highlights that online visitors can access beginning immediately. Among the offerings include:

* A 2005 interview with TVLand.com in which he discusses his life and career in front of and behind the camera.
* An excerpted scene from his performance, as an actor, in the memorable I Love Lucy episode entitled "Tennessee Bound," in which he plays a country bumpkin Lucy and Ricky encounter on a cross-country trip.
* Clips from his acceptance of the Pioneer Award and tributes from numerous performers, many of whom gained fame and success under his leadership, at the 2005 TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV.
* Select moments from TV Land Moguls, in which his rise to the top in the 1970s is traced.

TV Land and all related logos and titles are trademarks of Viacom International, Inc.

[Ireneparalegal]

I love his performance in I Love Lucy!! LOL

I was hoping they would air Aaron Spelling shows in random order, especially some we haven't seen on air in a long while.

[Pavan]

They will air the I Love Lucy episode at 9:30am and 4:30am on Friday on-air.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I am going to try to watch The I Love Lucy at 8:30 am Central Time

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by pavanbadal

They will air the I Love Lucy episode at 9:30am and 4:30am on Friday on-air.

thanx!

[JT]

That. Is. Not. Acceptable. At. All. Period.

[Superstar]

R.I.P

[EmoJoe]