Aaron Spelling

American film maker, listed by Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific producer in prime-time TV. In a 40-year career of working with top stars, his many successes include "Dynasty," "Melrose Place," "Charlie's Angels," and "The Love Boat." In the mid-'80s, Spelling also ventured into feature films. His production of "Mr. Mom" was one of the top grossing films of 1983. Spelling grew up with poverty and so much prejudice that for years he thought "Jew-boy" was one word. His folks were Russian-Polish immigrants. He got his start in regional theater in Texas as a writer and director, but Hollywood was calling his name. Once in California, he found the entertainment industry hard to break into. Spelling worked as an actor, and at various other jobs, prior to getting his first writing and producing stints. On his way up the Hollywood ladder to becoming an independent producer, he wrote for many classic TV series, including "Playhouse 90" and "Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre." Partnerships with Hollywood bigwigs Danny Thomas and Leonard Goldberg produced series such as "The Mod Squad," "Charlie's Angels, and the award-winning "Family." Spelling's specialty was solid light entertainment, with few, if any departures from that norm. He wrote an autobiography, "Aaron Spelling: A Prime-Time Life," with Jefferson Graham in 1996. "Recipient of numerous awards including, Decorated Bronze Star Award, Purple Heart, Eugene O'Neill Awards 1947 and 1948, NAACP Image awards (four times), Man of the Year award and Humanitarian of the Year award in 1983." With his second wife, Candy, Spelling built Los Angeles' largest single-family dwelling with 12 bedrooms, a bowling alley, a movie room, a video-game room, a doll museum and two rooms just for wrapping presents. Spelling filed a $100 million lawsuit against "Gear" a racy men's magazine for defamation as listing his as their "senior editor." They had published a topless picture of one of his 17-year old stars on their cover. The prolific TV producer died at his Beverly Hills, CA home at 6:25 PM PDT on June 23, 2006 of complications from a stroke that he had suffered five days earlier. Spelling was 83. (Time of death is from his publicist as quoted by BBC News and other news reports.) Link to Wikipedia biography