Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
Just a moment here to note the passing, at 69, of Stephen J. Cannell, the creator of such TV hits as The Rockford Files, The A-Team, 21 Jump Street, The Greatest American Hero and on and on. More importantly, he was a true gentleman, kind, generous and gracious in ways too few Hollywood writers are. His successes were legendary, his griefs largely private but he overcame these too with moral stoicism. He was quiet, though not secretive, about his political conservatism, and told me once that, after years of nothing but kind treatment from the press, the gun-toting, all-American A-Team virtually ruined his media reputation for a decade. My new novel bears what must be one of the last blurbs he ever gave and I'm incredibly proud to have it. A wonderful personality and great guy. Really sad to see him go.
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May '10
Re: Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
I never knew he was a conservative. I wonder how he got along with Mr. Garner, who was proudly liberal?
Aug '10
Re: Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
Like a lot of Gen-Xers, Cannell's shows loom large in my viewing habits. I enjoyed his cameo appearances on <em>Castle</em> and am saddened at his passing
May '10
Re: Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
I never knew his name, but I sure knew The A-Team! I guess I know what I'm watching on Netflix tonight.
It's great that he lived to see that turned into a film, if only because it suggested people wanted one.
Re: Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
I met him in the '80's when I was a very, very young segment producer on on little known, low-budget interview show. He was coming to discuss dyslexia, from which he suffered. Of course everyone wanted to know how he became a writer with dyslexia. I believe he said he dictated everything. I thought he was a big Hollywood mucky-muck because he arrived with his own car and driver, until he told me he used to the time to dictate scripts. He was a master of time management. He was also as humble as you could get. The show taped at a Marina del Rey hotel so our wardrobe room was a guest room and make up routinely done in the bathroom. He talked to me for a good half hour while he sat on the lid of the can and had pancake applied to his face.
Re: Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
Agreed on all points, Andrew. I had a guest-starring role on one of his shows, The Commish. He was nice enough to tell me I was better than I was. His list of credits is truly amazing.
Jun '10
Re: Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
The Rockford Files was not only a great show, but I think it was one of the first where the detective's personal life was usually giving him more aggravation than the case he was working on. Before that, the model was Joe Mannix, or Columbo. Rockford was no Joe Mannix.
Re: Stephen J. Cannell, RIP
I'd been a fan for years and I got to have a few lunches with him last year. A truly fun, generous, nice guy. And a huge talent. One story; I was in a mtg with him and another writer friend pitching a TV show idea about the drug wars on the US/Mexico border built around William Shatner. (It's a long story...) Anyway, it was just a preliminary meeting but Cannell suddenly launches into a wonderful mesmerizing seat of the pants pitch before two studio executives. Making it all up as he goes along. After he finishes, the executives look at each other, then at him and say, "We love it. But the border. You know... the dirt, the poverty, three legged dogs... So how do we, well, avoid all that?" Cannell just looks at them for ten long second and finally deadpans,"well, you don't put it in the script."
It was priceless. A hero. The King of Hour Long Television for two decades. So grateful I got to know him a little bit. RIP.