"Rockford Files" creator Stephen Cannell dead at 69

Reuters ^ | 10-1-10

[Justaham]

Hollywood writer Stephen Cannell, the producer of TV shows like "The A-Team" and "The Rockford Files", has died at the age of 69, his family said on Friday.

"Stephen J. Cannell passed away at his home in Pasadena on Thursday evening due to complications associated with melanoma. He was surrounded by his family and loved ones," the producer's family said in a statement.

Cannell, who struggled with dyslexia at school, wrote hundreds of episodes for television shows in the 1970s and 1980s and created the character of private investigator Jim Rockford.

"The Rockford Files", starring James Garner, ran for six years until 1980 and won an Emmy for best drama series.

Cannell also created or co-created almost 40 TV series including "Baretta," "The Greatest American Hero,", "Hardcastle and McCormick," "21 Jump Street," "The A-Team" and "Wiseguy."

[mad_as_he$$]

Just damn. Gave us some great entertainment.

Rip, SC.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

[Bottom_Gun]

Dang, grew up with the Rockford Files..he also did one of my guilty pleasures of the 90’s..Renegade

[Kommodor]

Man, some of my favorite 80s TV memories there...

Didn’t he do Magnum PI too?

[freekitty]

I enjoyed his stuff too.

Well, that makes 3; Fisher, Curtis and Cannell.

[GenXteacher]

Dang. I really enjoyed a lot of his programming. A lot of action stuff- the sort of thing you don’t see on TV much anymore. RIP.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

“Rockford was fun. Ex-nay on the A Team ;-)”

My exact feelings.

[Hazzardgate]

No that was Don Bellisario

[skeeter]

I always confused Cannell & Bellisario as well (I blame that on the Post/Carpenter theme music they both used).

I think they collaborated once or twice, but I can't remember the series.

[K-oneTexas]

He wrote many a good show. He will be missed..

Tony Curtis yesterday and Stephen Cannell today ... who will be Number 3?

[abb]

One of the best TV shows of all time. I have them all on DVD and tape. About to watch an episode in a few minutes while enjoying a “Montgomery.”

Montgomery

The montgomery cocktail is a very strong variant of the classic martini. It is made by mixing fifteen parts dry gin with one part extra dry vermouth, and shaking with ice over a cocktail shaker. It is named after the odds field marshall Bernard Montgomery supposedly preferred on the battlefield; fifteen of his men to every one of the enemies.

[Canedawg]

LOL, that scene just about sums up his character.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Cannell’s shows always ended with a clip of him in his office, typing and then throwing the page up in the air.

Here it is, over the years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd_3fXqZeMM

[dfwgator]

Cannell’s shows always ended with a clip of him in his office, typing and then throwing the page up in the air.

That was the first thing I thought of.

[eclecticEel]

The first thing I thought of was his role as "Dutch" Dixon, the villain from Renegade.

[Tanniker Smith]

You could make a cable channel with just his shows on it.

[rdl6989]

Here’s a list of all of his work:

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