[LibertarianInExile]

"Every day we complain about the plastic materialistic crud that hollywood puts on the air, rotting American childrens brains (e.g. everything Spelling productions ever made). Untill one of them kicks the bucket. Then it's 'He was one of the good ones, rich too!'"

Yes, Spelling was a major purveyor of crap TV. Not a show on the list above that I found worth watching. But people kept watching it, even after cable arrived. You can't fault him for being a good capitalist, even if you want to fault him for being a completely immoral one. That people aren't pointing out what you have here is largely a nostalgic feeling for his shows, or a don't-speak-ill-of-the-dead sort of ethos.

[goldstategop]

I disagree. Spelling produced shows Americans wanted to watch. The critics hated them but the public loved them. He must have done something right for part of his becoming rich was his intuitive understanding of how Americans wanted to be entertained. Spelling truly had the Midas Touch. There's no producer in Hollywood who had a good idea of what made a hit show like he did. In one way or another, they're nearly all watchable. As far as immortality goes, you don't really die when you're credited as a producer. That's in itself a statement. Aaron Spelling was a classic American rags to riches Horatio Alger story. He had a hard life and achieved all that the American Dream could offer. Its really an amazing story and he will be sadly missed. Spelling made all of our lives happier and more enjoyable. People just were crazy about his shows.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")