Stephen J. Cannell

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Stephen Joseph Cannell (February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American television producer, writer, editor, occasional actor, and occasional actor, as well as the creator of Cannell Entertainment (formerly Stephen J. Cannell Productions) and the Cannell Studios. Cannell produced or co-created several dozen successful television series from the 1970s to the 1990s, often with his creative partner Frank Lupo.

The Rockford Files, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, 21 Jump Street, and The Commish were among Cannell's creations.

Shane Scully mystery series is also a book by him.

Early life

Cannell was born in Los Angeles and raised in Pasadena, California. He was the son of Carolyn (née Baker) and Joseph Knapp Cannell. Joseph was the president of Cannell and Chaffin, a highly reputable interior decorators. Cannell struggled with dyslexia in school, but he did graduate from the University of Oregon in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity in UO.

In 2009's documentary Dislecksia: The Movie, Cannell talks about his dyslexia and how he became a good writer amid his reading difficulties. During the interview, he discusses how he used to recruit typists to solve his spelling disorder, but also how his illness has improved his life.

Personal life

Marcia Cannell married his high school sweetheart, Marcia, in 1964. "He begged her to sit in the eighth grade." They had two daughters, Tawnia and Chelsea, as well as two sons, Cody and Derek. Derek died at the age of 15 in 1981 when a sand castle he was constructing on the beach collapsed and suffocated him. This tragedy occurred during the filming of The Greatest American Hero's "Captain Bellybuster" episode. "Cody the Cowboy" by actor William Katt (an expert guitarist) wrote a song for Cannell. Cannell was so touched by this gift that he named his next son Cody in honor of the song.

Cannell was dyslexic and was a spokesperson for the cause. Cannell was regularly required to dictate concepts or even complete scripts with the assistance of his personal secretary Grace Curcio, a 20-year employee. Kathy Ezso became his editor and executive assistant following Grace's retirement in 2003. In the 2009 film Dislecksia: The Movie, he spoke about his experience as a dyslexic.

When not dictateing to an assistant or using a typewriter, Cannell wrote about an IBM Selectric.

Cannell died on September 30, 2010, as a result of melanoma complications. In the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, he is laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. "Stephen J. Cannell" became the third season episode "Punked" in honor of his memory. The designers of Castle's third-season episode "Punked" brought a new interpretation of Cannell's design company logo, which included video of Cannell's typewriter's writing, to the drawing of a script. Colleague. Mentor. Friend of a friend. We'll miss you, buddy." On ABC, the episode aired on October 11, 2010.

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Career

Cannell spent four years in the family business before releasing his first script to the Universal film It Takes a Thief in 1968. He was quickly recruited by Universal Television, Universal Studios' television production branch, and was soon freelance writing for such other crime shows as Ironside (1970–1971) and Columbo (1973).

He received a phone call from Herman Saunders, a producer on Jack Webb's police series Adam-12, in 1971. They needed a script right away, and Saunders asked if Cannell would be interested in writing it. He did what they wanted in a single day, his first full-time job, and was hired as story editor of the series, which was later in its fourth season, until 1973.

Chase (1973–1974), Cannell created or co-created Chase (1974-1974), Baretta (1975-1980), City of Angels (1976), and Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976–1978). In 1978, he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for The Rockford Files.

Cannell referred to his early financial arrangements in a 2002 interview, saying that at Universal, he was unaware of Universal's.

Cannell left Universal in 1979 and established Stephen J. Cannell Productions, his own business. Cannell's office was located on the lot at Paramount Studios in Hollywood for the first two years, though MCA-Universal did not have him around. Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980), Cannell's first film under his new banner (1981–1983), The Quest (1982), Brown and McCormick (1983–1986), Riptide (1984–1991), and Hunter (1984-1991). In 1983, Cannell's offices were relocated to larger facilities on Hollywood Boulevard.

Cannell, along with Tri-Star Pictures and Witt/Thomas Productions, co-founders of the syndication company TeleVentures in 1986. Witt/Thomas Productions left the TeleVentures venture in 1988 and entered a Walt Disney Television distribution agreement, selling its portion to Cannell. Both Tri-Star and Cannell dissolved the TeleVentures joint venture on July 11, 1990, and Tri-Star and Cannell sold Tri-Star's shares to Stephen J. Cannell Productions. Cannell Distribution Co. was then Cannell Distribution Co., which was then Cannell Distribution Co.

Cannell also shot his latest series Stingray (1985–1987) in Toronto, with a winning exchange rate between the US and Canadian dollars being a win/win for US producers. However, so many producers were shooting in Toronto that no crews were able to support any additional units. Consequently, Cannell shot the first seven episodes of Stingray's second season in Calgary, with the remaining eight episodes shooting in Vancouver. 21 Jump Street (1987–1991), the highest-rated show of the new Fox network's first season, was his first series to completely be shot in Vancouver.

"We were fighting with everybody for locations and stage space" in Vancouver, Cannell said. His plan was to build "The North Shore Studio," a 13-acre, one hundred thousand square feet of office space, and seven sound stages. 21 Jump Street (1991–1989), J.J. Starbuck (1989–1988), Top of the Hill (1989–1999), The Hat Squad (1991–1993), The Commish (1991–1999), The Sun (1990–1995), The Hat Squad (1991–1995), Hawkeye (1994–1995), and Hawkeye (1994–1995) were all followed shortly by J.J. Starbuck (1989–1999), 1989–1999), Smith (1991–1991), 1991–1989) Cannell's production company also shot a number of television films in Vancouver.

New World Communications acquired Cannell Entertainment's production firm on July 31, 1995. Cannell later founded the Cannell Studios. Profit (1996), one of the first shows produced by the newly established Cannell Studio, was a short-lived but critically acclaimed corporate drama.

Cannell created or co-created nearly 40 television series, mainly crime dramas. He had a personal count, scripted more than 450 episodes, and produced or executive produced over 1,500 episodes.

Cannell appeared as a panelist in the John Davidson version of Hollywood Squares in May 1988. He appeared on the host of Scene of the Crime, a mystery anthology film starring a repertory actor, as well as the 1995–1996 syndicated documentary series U.S. Customs Classified, focusing on the work of the US Customs Service.

Cannell also appeared on occasion, including a recurring role as the main antagonist "Dutch" Dixon on his show Renegade. He appeared on a few episodes of Silk Stalkings in which one character was required to warn him, "You look just like the writer on TV." Cannell's character responds, "I get it all the time." In the 2009 pilot of ABC show Castle, Cannell appeared as himself in two episodes of season two. He was one of Castle's poker buddies, along with James Patterson, Dennis Lehane, and Michael Connelly. An empty seat at the poker table is described as Cannell's in season three, and it remains empty for a full year in tribute to him.

Cannell began writing novels in 1995. Avon's first book, The Plan, was published in 1997. He had written 18, 11 of which featured detective Shane Scully of the Los Angeles Police Department as of 2010. Seven of them are stand-alone books. St. Martin's Press published Vigilante, the fourth installment in the series.

The A-Team, Cannell's television series, was remade into a 2010 feature-length film. Cannell acted as both a producer and creative consultant on the project. 21 Jump Street was turned into a 2012 film starring Columbia Pictures and Metro Goldwyn Mayer and turned into the sequel 22 Jump Street, which was first announced in June 2014.

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