Stephen J. Cannell, an indefatigable writer-creator-producer who was among TV's most prolific suppliers of primetime programming, died Thursday of melanoma at his home in Pasadena. He was 69.
His credits are so numerous that it is nearly impossible to tabulate all his work, which ranged from writing episodes of "Ironside" in 1970 to a producer credit on this year's feature "The A-Team," based on the 1980s series Cannell co-created and executive produced.
By intelligent count, he wrote or co-wrote more than 300 TV scripts and produced or executive-produced more than 520 episodes.
Cannell was nominated for six Emmys and won once, best drama series for "The Rockford Files" in 1978, In 2006, he received the Writers Guild Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement and won a WGA Award in 1981 for the "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" pilot. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Among the more than 40 series he created or helped create are "The Rockford Files," "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (aka "Black Sheep Squadron"), "Baretta," "The Greatest American Hero," "Hardcastle and McCormick," "Riptide," "21 Jump Street," "Wiseguy," "Hunter" and "The Commish."
In 1986, Cannell had four shows on the air: "A-Team," "Hardcastle," "Riptide" and "Hunter."
His writing credits include multiple episodes of shows ranging from such 1970s dramas as "Adam-12," "Rockford," "Black Sheep" and "Baretta" through the '80s and '90s series "American Hero," "A-Team," "Stingray" and "Wiseguy," "Jump Street," "Cobra," "Commish," "Renegade" and "Silk Stalkings."
He also wrote best-selling police novels including "Hollywood Tough" and "The Viking Funeral."
"Steve Cannell was not only an amazingly gifted man who loved to write and loved to produce, he also loved to teach and share these passions with others," said "Secretariat" director Randall Wallace, who worked on such Cannell shows as "Hunter" and "Stingray." His legacy lives not just in all of his original work but also in the careers of so many of us who had the great privilege of learning from him. He set standards of enthusiasm, diligence and tolerance that inspired all of us. We grieve for his loss, and we grieve for his family, whom he loved so deeply."
