Aaron Spelling

Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 – June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer, writer and actor. Aaron Spelling is one of television's most prolific and successful producers of dramatic series and made-for-television films. The Internet Movie Database lists 219 titles which he produced, 18 titles which he wrote, and 28 titles in which he acted.

Spelling was born in Dallas, Texas. His father was an immigrant from Russia and his mother was an immigrant from Poland. Aaron spelling served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He entertained on a troop ship and eventually wrote for Stars and Stripes. A wound from a sniper left lasting damage to one hand and earned him a Purple Heart. After the war, he attended Southern Methodist University where he won an award for the best original one-act play and was only student to direct a major play in the history of SMU. After graduating in 1950 and spending a few years directing plays in the Dallas area and trying less than successfully to make his way on Broadway, Spelling moved to Hollywood.

In 1954, he sold his first script to Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre. Spelling also wrote episodes for Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, Playhouse 90, and Wagon Train, among other shows. He also worked minor roles as an actor, including parts in Dragnet, I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. After he wrote his first pilot he became a producer for Four Star Productions, where he created The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962-63), Burke's Law (1963-66), Honey West (1965-66), and helped develop The Smothers Brothers Show (1967-75).

After Powell's death, Spelling left Four Star Television in 1966, forming Thomas-Spelling Productions with Danny Thomas. Their first success was with the television show The Mod Squad. During its five year run, The Mod Squad earned six Emmy Award nominations, including one for outstanding dramatic series of the 1969-70 season. Spelling and Thomas produced two 1960s series for Walter Brennan, both on ABC: The Tycoon; and The Guns of Will Sonnett. He also began collaboration with associate producer Shelley Hull, who, in addition to Mod Squad, worked with Spelling on The Rookies and Charlie's Angels. Hull also worked with Spelling in 1976 on the successful ABC movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, starring a young John Travolta. Spelling directed only once, on "The Conchita Vasquez Story," a 1959 episode of Wagon Train.

In 1969, Spelling created Spelling Television, originally under the name Aaron Spelling Productions. Three years later, he formed another co-production company with Leonard Goldberg. Spelling took his own company public in 1986 as Spelling Entertainment, later buying the Taft Entertainment Company from Taft Broadcasting, and George A. Romero's Laurel Entertainment. Spelling continued expanding his entertainment holdings, buying Republic Pictures in 1994 – by the time his company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom, it had five main operating units: Republic Pictures served as the home video arm and copyright holder for all the feature films in the Spelling library, TV production companies Spelling Television and Big Ticket Entertainment, TV syndication distributor Worldvision Enterprises, and film production company Spelling Films.

Spelling found success in almost every genre, including westerns, police shows, family drama, escapist anthology, glossy adult soap opera and youth-oriented soaps. Among the recurring thematic features that have characterized Spelling's productions over the years are socially relevant issues such as the disaffected militant youth of the 1960s, the institutional discrimination against women, racism, and homophobia; altruistic capitalism; conspicuous consumption and valorization of the wealthy; the optimistic, moralistic maxims that people can be both economically and morally successful; good ultimately triumphs over evil; the grass often looks greener but rarely is; and the affirmation of the "caring company" work family as well as the traditional kinship family. Stylistically his productions typically have included high key lighting, gratuitous displays of women's bodies, heavily orchestrated musical themes, lavish sets, and what Spelling himself thinks is the most important thing in television--"style and attention to detail."

Spelling never quite had the same success in cinema that he did with television, although he did give some early exposure to Julia Roberts - Spelling produced the film Satisfaction (one of the few big-screen ventures for NBC).

In 1999, Spelling was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most prolific producer of television drama. According to Guinness' calculations, by that time Spelling had produced 3,842 hours of television -- enough to fill about 3½ years of prime time seven nights a week without any reruns. Spelling won two Emmys in his career, and of all his projects, he said he was proudest of 7th Heaven with Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks, for its presentation of a family he describes as "not at all dysfunctional". His estate has remained profitable following his death in 2006. Spelling was named to Forbes' list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities in 2009.

Spelling has appeared as a character in two works. In 2004, Spelling was portrayed by Dan Castellaneta in the NBC TV movie Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels. The following year, he was portrayed by Nicholas Hammond in the ABC TV movie Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure.

For a complete list, see the Internet Movie Database article here.

Producer

 * 7th Heaven
 * Beverly Hills, 90210
 * Charlie's Angels
 * Charmed
 * Dynasty
 * Fantasy Island
 * Hart to Hart
 * The Love Boat
 * Melrose Place
 * Starsky and Hutch
 * Sunset Beach
 * SWAT
 * The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
 * T. J. Hooker

Director

 * Wagon Train: Directed "The Conchita Vasquez Story."

Screenwriter

 * Wagon Train: Credited for three episodes.

Actor

 * Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Played a road worker in "Breakdown".
 * Dragnet: Several minor parts in the 1950's TV version.
 * I Love Lucy: Gas station attendent.
 * Gunsmoke: Weed Pindle in "The Guitar"

Emmy Awards and Nominations

 * 1970: Outstanding Dramatic Series - Nominee
 * 1977: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
 * 1978: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
 * 1980: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
 * 1982: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
 * 1989: Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special - Winner
 * 1994: Outstanding Made for Television Movie - Winner


 * Cop Show: The police shows he has worked on include Dragnet, Starsky and Hutch, SWAT, and T. J. Hooker.
 * Family Drama: His company produced the family dramas 7th Heaven and Family.
 * Soap Opera and Prime Time Soap: His soap opera work includes Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and Dynasty.
 * The Western: Spelling has worked with several Western Series, including Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and Johnny Ringo.